;"J     /,     ;  ;  B32«;-816-lm 

BULLETIN 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  TEXAS 

1916:    No.  53 


SEPTEMBER  20 


1916 


Platforms  of  Political  Parties  in  Texas 

Edited  by 

ERNEST  WILLIAM  WINKLER 

Reference  Librarian  and  Curator  of  Texas  Books 
University  of  Texas  Library 


Published  by  the  University  six  times  a  month  and  entered  as 

second-class  mail  matter  at  the  postofflce  at 

AUSTIN,  TEXAS 


The  benefits  of  education  and  of 
useful  knowledge,  generally  diffused 
through  a  community,  are  essential 
to  the  preservation  of  a  free  gov- 
ernment. 

Sam  Houston. 


Cultivated  mind  is  the  guardian 
genius  of  democracy.  .  .  .  It  is  the 
only  dictator  that  freemen  acknowl- 
edge and  the  only  security  that  free- 
men desire. 

Mirabeau  B.  Lamar. 


PREFACE 

"We  believe  that  a  platform  pledge  is  a  covenant  with  the 
people,  and,  therefore,  we  declare  it  to  be  the  highest  duty  of 
every  Democratic  nominee  to  earnestly  support  and  to  urge 
the  fulfillment  of  each  promise  set  forth  herein."  (Democratic 
State  platform,  1902.)  This  expression  defines  the  ideal  before 
the  makers  of  party  platforms.  The  problems  confronting  the 
State  government  are  enumerated  from  term  to  term.  A  col- 
lection of  the  platforms  presents  the  ambitions  and  also  the 
failures  of  the  party  issuing  them.  They  chart  the  course  that 
the  several  parties  of  this  State  have  run. 

This  collection  of  platforms  of  the  political  parties  of  Texas 
aims  at  completeness.  It  is  the  first  attempt  to  collect  them. 
Newspaper  files  have  been  drawn  upon  almost  exclusively  for 
the  data  presented.  The  files  of  newspapers  prior  to  1880, 
available  for  this  work,  were  very  incomplete.  The  conventions 
of  the  minor  parties  are  given  only  brief  space  in  the  daily 
papers;  their  proceedings  are  correspondingly  more  difficult 
to  locate.  In  some  instances,  they  have,  perhaps,  been  passed 
over  without  any  notice  at  all.  The  lists  of  candidates  are 
usually  those  nominated  by  the  conventions ;  many  changes  occur 
between  the  date  of  the  convention  and  the  election,  but  it  has 
been  impossible  to  follow  them  up.  The  same  is  true  of  the 
personnel  of  the  State  executive  committees.  Great  care  has 
been  used  to  have  all  names  correct,  but  the  opportunities  for 
error  are  so  great  that  doubtless  many  escaped  correction. 

The  demands  of  several  organizations,  not  strictly  political 
parties,  have  been  included,  for  the  side-lights  they  throw  upon 
the  contemporary  platforms.  Here,  too,  there  is  much  room 
for  difference  of  opinion.  The  histories  of  these  organizations 
as  well  as  of  the  parties  have  yet  to  be  written,  so  far  as  Texas 
is  concerned.  When  this  has  been  done  some  of  the  documents 
here  included  may  appear  out  of  perspective,  while  others  may 
have  been  omitted. 

The  work  was  done  mostly  during  the  writer's  spare  hours, 


-Preface 


covering  a  period  of  four  years.  This  circumstance,  and  the 
scattered  location  of  the  sources,  will  account  for  some  of  the 
defects  of  organization. 

ERNEST  WILLIAM  WINKLER. 
Austin,  Texas,  August,  1916. 


CONTENTS 


Beginnings  of  Political  Party  Organization  in  Texas  

.   11-41 

Platforms  of  Political  Parties  in  Texas: 

1846  April  27 

Austin             Democrat 

43-44 

1848  February  21 

Austin             Democrat 

44-49 

1852  January  8 

Austin             Democrat 

49-51 

"     April  20 

Tyler              "Whig 

51-54 

1853  June  15 

Washington    Democrat 

54-56 

1854  January  9 

Austin             Democrat 

56-58 

"     May  15 

San  Antonio   German 

58-61 

1855  April  21 

Huntsville       Democrat 

61-63 

"      June  11 

Washington    Know-Nothing 

63 

"     June  16 

Austin             Democrat 

63-Ci 

1856  January   15 

Austin             Democrat 

64-68 

January   21 

Austin             Know-Nothing 

68-71 

1857  May  4 

Waco               Democrat 

71-74 

May  12 

Huntsville      Independent 

74 

1858  January   8 

Austin             Democrat 

75-77 

1859  May  2 

Houston          Democrat 

77-80 

"      June  3 

Independencelndependent 

80 

1860  April  2 

Galveston        Democrat 

80-85 

April  21 

San  Jacinto   Independent 

85-88 

1861  January   28 

Austin             Secession 

88-93 

"     May  27 

Dallas             Democrat 

94 

1866  February  7 

Austin             Constitutional 

94 

99     March  31 

Austin            Eadical  Union 

95-97 

"     April  2 

Austin             Conservative  Union 

98-99 

1867  July  4 

Houston          Republican 

99-102 

1868  January   20 

Houston          Conservative     Recon- 

structionist 

102-104 

99     January  20 

Houston          Conservative 

104-107 

"     June  1 

Austin             Reconstruction 

107-108 

"     July  7 

Bryan              Democrat 

108-112 

August  12 

Austin             Republican 

112-115 

August  14 

Austin             Radical  Republican 

115-116 

1869  May  10 

Galveston        Morgan  Hamilton 

117-119 

"      June  7 

Houston          Radical  Republican 

119-121 

September  29 

Brenham         Democratic  Editors 

122-123 

1871  January  23 

Austin             Democrat 

124-128 

99     September  22 

Austin             Taxpayers 

128-140 

1872  May  14 

Houston          Republican 

140-143 

Contents 


1872  June  17 

Corsicana 

Democrat 

143-147 

October  17 

Austin 

"Straight-Out"  Dem- 

ocrats 

147-148 

1873  July  3 

Brenham 

Colored 

148-151 

"      August  7 

Austin 

German 

151-154 

August   19 

Dallas 

Republican 

154-157 

September  3 

Austin 

Democrat 

157-163 

1875  September  6 

Austin 

Constitutional 

163-173 

1876  January   5 

Galveston 

Democrat 

173-176 

January  12 

Galveston 

Republican 

176-179 

January  8 

Bryan 

State  Grange 

179-180 

1878  March  12 

Austin 

Greenback 

180-181 

99     July  17 

Austin 

Democrat 

181-186 

August  7    . 

Waco 

Greenback 

187-190 

"      October  1 

Dallas 

Republican 

190-193 

1880  January  13 

Austin 

State  Grange 

193-194 

"      March  24 

Austin 

Republican 

195-197 

"      April  20 

Galveston 

Democrat 

197-198 

"     June  23 

Austin 

Greenback 

198-201 

99     August  10 

Dallas 

Democrat 

201-206 

1882  June  29 

Fort  Worth 

Greenback 

206-208 

July  18 

Galveston 

Democrat 

208-211 

August  8 

Belton 

State  Grange 

211-212 

"     August   23 

Austin 

Republican 

212-214 

99     August  31 

Corsicana 

Greenback 

214-215 

1884  April  29 

Fort  Worth 

Republican 

215-217 

June  11 

Fort  Worth 

Democrat 

217-220 

August  19 

Houston 

Democrat 

220-223 

"  .    August  26 

Waco 

Greenback 

223-229 

"      September  2 

Houston 

Republican 

229-231 

September  8 

Fort  Worth 

Prohibition 

231 

September  23 

Dallas 

"Straight-Out"  Re- 

publican 

232-234 

*1886  August  3 

Cleburne 

Farmers'  Alliance 

234-237 

August  10 

Galveston 

Democrat 

237-242 

August   25 

Waco 

Republican 

242-244 

September  7 

Dallas 

Prohibition 

244-246 

September  15 

Fort  Worth 

Antimonopoly 

246-247 

1887  March  15 

Waco 

State-wide  Prohibi- 

tion 

247-249 

"     May  4 

Dallas 

Anti-Prohibition 

249-251 

1888  April  24 

Fort  Worth 

Republican 

251-254 

"     April  25 

Waco 

Prohibition 

254-256 

"     May  15 

Waco 

Farmers,   etc. 

256-257 

"     May  22 

Fort  Worth 

Democrat 

257-259 

Contents 


1888  Julv  2 

Fort  Worth 

"     July  5 

Fort  Worth 

"     July  10 

Fort  Worth 

August  14 

Dallas 

August  21 

Dallas 

September  20 

Fort  Worth 

1889  July  3 

Dallas 

*"     July  8 

Dallas 

1890  April  8 

Dallas 

"     April  12 

Dallas 

"     May  13 

Fort  Worth 

August  12 

San  Antonio 

September  3 

San  Antonio 

1891  August   17 

Dallas 

1892  February   2 

Fort  Worth 

February  10 

Dallas 

"     March  8 

Austin 

April  12 

Dallas 

"     April  26 

Waco 

"      May  30 

Houston 

"      June  7 

Lampasas 

June  23 

Dallas 

"     August  16 

Houston 

August  16 

Houston 

September  14 

Fort  Worth 

1894  March  19 

Dallas 

"      June  20 

Waco 

"      June  28 

Waco 

August   6 

Dallas 

"      August  14 

Dallas 

August  28 

Dallas 

"      September  24 

Fort  Worth 

1895  May  9 

Waco 

August  6 

Fort  Worth 

1896  March  24 

Austin 

"     March  26 

Austin 

"      April  20 

Houston 

Xoiipartisan  260-262 
Union  Labor  262-263 
Deep  Water  263-265 
Democrat  265-268 
Farmers'  Alliance  268-271 
Republican  272-273 
Eight-Hour  Day  273-275 
Freight  Rate  275-279 
Road  280 
Farmers'  281-284 
Prohibition  284-286 
Democrat  286-290 
Republican  290-292 
Populist  293-297 
Populist  297-299 
"  Jeffersonian  Demo- 
crats 300-301 
Republican  301-302 
"Reform"  Republi- 
can 302-305 
Prohibition  305-308 
German  308-309 
Democrat  310-313 
Populist  314-316 
"Hogg"  Democrat  316-322 
"Clark"  Democrat  322-326 
"Regular"  Republi- 
can 326-330 
Democratic  Har- 
mony 330-331 
Populist  332-334 
Prohibition  335-336 
"Reform"  Republi- 
can 336-338 
Democrat  338-344 
"Regular"  Republi- 
can 345-347 
Labor  348-349 
"Gold"  Democrat  350-353 
"Silver"  Democrat  353-357 
"Regular"  Republi- 
can 357-358 
"MrKinley"  Repub- 
lican 359-360 
"Reform"  Republi- 
can 360-361 


Contents 


1896  April  21 

Dallas              "Gold"   Democrat 

362-366 

"     June  23 

Austin             '  '  Gold  '  '  Democrat 

366-370 

"     June  23 

Austin             Democrat 

370-376 

"      July  3 

Waco               Labor 

376-377 

"      July  29 

Dallas              Prohibition 

378-379 

August  5 

Galveston        Populist 

379-384 

August  18 

Fort  Worth   Democrat 

384-389 

"     August  25 

Waco               "Gold"  Democrat 

389-391 

"      September  9 

Fort  Worth  "Regular"  Republi- 

can 

392-393 

"     September  9 

Fort  Worth    "Reform"  Republi- 

can 

393-394 

1897  July  30 

Waco               Democrat 

394-396 

1898  July  27 

Austin             Populist 

396-400 

August  2 

Galveston        Democrat 

400-405 

August  16 

Fort  Worth   Republican 

405-409 

"     August  22 

Dallas              Prohibition 

409-410 

1900  March  6 

Waco               Republican 

411-412 

March  7 

Waco                "Ferguson-Burns" 

Republican 

412-414 

"     May  4 

Fort  Worth  Populist 

414-415 

"     June  20 

Austin             Democrat 

415-417 

"     July  4 

Dallas              Social   Democrat 

418-420 

"     July  22 

San  Antonio  Socialist  Labor 

420-423 

July  24 

Waco               Populist 

423-426 

August  8 

Waco               Democrat 

427-432 

September  14 

Dallas              Prohibition 

432-433 

September  18 

San  Antonio  Republican 

433-438 

99      September  18 

San  Antonio  Republican 

438-441 

1902  July  4 

Dallas              Socialist 

442-444 

"     July  4 

Dallas              Prohibition 

444-446 

"     July  15 

Galveston        Democrat 

446-452 

August  12 

Fort  Worth   Populist 

453-454 

"     September  10 

Fort  Worth   Republican 

454-458 

1904  March  22 

Dallas           x  Republican 

458-460 

March  22 

Dallas             "Black  and  Tan"  Re- 

publican 

460-461 

"      June  9 

Dallas              Populist 

461 

"     June  21 

San  Antonio  Democrat 

461-465 

August  2  • 

Houston          Democrat 

466-470 

August  6 

Grand  Saline  Socialist 

470-472 

August  10 

Fort  Worth    Populist 

472-474 

"     August  23 

Fort  Worth  -  Republican 

474-478 

"     August  23 

Waco               Prohibition 

478-481 

1906  August  14 

Terrell            Prohibition 

481-483 

"     August  14 

Dallas              Socialist 

483-485 

Contents                                              9 

1906  August  14 

El  Paso          Republican                    486-488 

"     August  14 

Houston          "Reorganised"  Re- 

publican                   488-491 

"     August  14 

Dallas              Democrat                       492-497 

1908  May  15 

Fort  Worth   Republican                    497-500 

99     May  26 

Dallas              Prohibition                    500-502 

May  26 

Fort  Worth   Democrat                       503-510 

August  11 

Dallas              Independence                510-511 

August  11 

Fort  Worth   Populist                          511-512 

August  11 

Dallas              Prohibition                    512-513 

August  11 

Waco               Socialist                         513-514 

August  11 

Dallas              Republican                    514-519 

August  11 

San  Antonio  Democrat                       520-526 

1910  August  9 

Corpus  Ch'sti  Socialist                         527-530 

August  9 

Houston          Socialist  Labor                    530 

August  9 

Dallas              Prohibition                    530-532 

August  9 

Galveston        Democrat                       533-537 

"     August  9 

Dallas              Republican                    538-542 

December  8 

Fort  Worth   State-wide  Prohibi- 

tion                            543-546 

1911  April  3 

Houston          Anti-Prohibition           547-550 

November  4 

Waco               Renters'                         551-552 

1912  May  28 

Dallas              Prohibition                    552-553 

May  28 

Fort  Worth  "Roosevelt"   Republi- 

can                            553-555 

"     May  28 

Fort  Worth  "Taft"  Republican            556 

May  28 

Houston          Democrat                       557-563 

August  13 

Waco               Socialist                         564-567 

August  13 

Dallas              Prohibition                    568-570 

August  13 

Dallas              Progressive                   570-573 

August  13 

Dallas              Republican                    573-576 

August  13 

San  Antonio  Democrat                       576-588 

1914  August  11 

Houston          Socialist  Labor             588-589 

August  11 

Yoakum          Socialist                         590-596 

August  11 

San  Antonio  Progressive                    597-601 

August  11 

Waco               Republican                    601-606 

"     August  11 

El  Paso          Democrat                       606-614 

1916  May  23 

Waco               Progressive                    614-616 

May  23 

Fort  Worth   Republican                    616-617 

May  23 

San  Antonio  Democrat                      618-623 

June  28 

Austin             German                          623-625 

August  8 

Temple           Socialist                         625-628 

August  8 

Dallas              Prohibition                    628-631 

August  8 

San  Antonio  Republican                    631-633 

"     August  8 

Houston          Democrat                       634-643 

10  Contents 

Appendix — Election  Statistics : 

1.  Vote  for  governor,  1846-1916 644-648 

2.  Vote  for  president,  1848-1916 648-650 

3.  Poll  tax  payments,  1908-1916 651 

4.  Vote  for  governor  in  Democratic  primary,  1906- 

1916    651-652 

5.  Vote  on  State-wide  prohibition.... 652 

6.  Vote  on  submission 652 

Indexes : 

1.  Index  to  names 653-686 

2.  Subject  index   687-700 


BEGINNINGS   OF   POLITICAL   PARTY   ORGANIZATION 

IN  TEXAS 

Conditions  in  the  Republic  of  Texas 

Whether  or  not  political  parties  existed  in  the  Republic  of 
Texas  largely  depends  upon  the  reader's  conception  of  the  term 
political  party.  The  brief  period  of  ten  years  was  too  short  to 
bring  about  an  alignment  of  the  voters  in  definite  groupings, 
with  clear  statements  of  principles,  and  the  machinery  of  com- 
mittees and  convention  characteristic  of  political  parties  in  the 
United  States  at  that  time.  Nevertheless  the  administrations  of 
President  Houston  and  of  President  Lamar  were  of  such  a  char- 
acter that  supporters  of  the  one  became  opponents  of  the  other. 
The  fact  that  President  Houston  both  preceded  and  followed 
President  Lamar  made  the  contrast  all  the  more  striking.  Hous- 
ton's  second  term  not  only  emphasized  the  fact  that  the  policies 
of  the  first  would  be  resumed,  but  in  a  number  of  instances  set 
aside  without  sufficient  cause  measures  of  Lamar 's  administra- 
tion. ' '  It  was  during  this  administration  that  there  developed  in 
their  fullest  intensity  the  personal  issues  that  divided  men  into 
Houston  and  anti-Houston  parties,  and  the  influence  of  which 
runs  through  all  the  politics  of  Texas  from  that  time  even  to 
the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  in  1861.  "* 

The  division  in  sentiment  found  expression  in  the  newspapers, 
and  here  and  there  at  local  political  meetings.  The  Telegraph 
and  Texas  Register  (Houston),  a  paper  that  opposed  the  admin- 
istration, as  early  as  February  28,  said: 

We  have  noticed  with  some  solicitude  the  unremitted  efforts 
that  have  been  made  by  a  certain  clique  of  politicians  during 
the  last  three  or  four  months  to  establish  the  Martin  Van  Buren 
caucus  system  in  this  country  with  the  view  of  directing  its 
magical  influence  upon  the  next  presidential  electon.  .  .  . 
Hitherto  the  people  of  Texas  have  been  accustomed  to  act  from 
their  own  spontaneous  impulses  in  the  selection  of  candidates 
for  the  presidency;  but  it  appears  that  a  certain  set  of  wire- 

1Wooten,  'A  Complete  History  of  Texas,  279. 


12     ,7     '    :       v  tBe$innincfs  o.f  Political  Party 

pullers  do  not  consider  them  sufficiently  intelligent,  or  honest, 
to  act  for  themselves,  and  on  this  account  a  few  leaders  are  ap- 
pointed in  different  sections  who  take  their  cue  from  the  Seat 
of  Government  and  at  proper  times  and  places  call  public  meet- 
ings. The  resolutions  to  be  adopted  are  all  drafted  beforehand, 
and  by  previous  arrangement  the  necessary  officers  are  nom- 
inated as  soon  as  the  meeting  is  opened.  The  packed  committee 
is  sent  out,  resolutions  previously  drafted  are  brought  in,  and 
on  motion  of  some  one  of  the  "collar  men,"  they  are  adopted 

promptly Such  we  learn  has  already  been  the  course 

of  proceedings  in  several  counties.2 

The  Red-Lander  (San  Augustine),  a  paper  that  supported  the 
administration,  stated  that  "there  are  two  parties  in  the  Repub- 
lic of  Texas :  the  economical  peace  party,  and  the  Western  '  Con- 
quest and  Glory'  party."  "The  principal  or  distinguishing 
features  which  clearly  define  and  identify  the  existence  of  two 
political  parties  in  Texas  have  been  well  understood  since  the 
administration  of  President  Lamar."3  In  an  article  of  July 
13th  this  paper  asserted  that 

Anson  Jones's  claims  are  advocated  by  the  party  which  sup- 
ports the  policy  and  principles  of  the  present  administration, 
and  which  he  stands  in  some  considerable  degree  pledged  to  carry 
out  on  account  of  his  being  one  of  the  constitutional  advisers  of 
President  Houston.  General  Burleson  is  the  other  candidate, 
who  has  identified  himself  with  the  Lamar  and  Burnet  party 
in  their  continual  opposition  to  every  leading  measure  of  the 
present  administration  ,by  his  votes  which  he  has  given  while 
he  was  senator  from  Bastrop  county  and  since  while  he  has  been 
presiding  over  that  body  as  vice-president.  The  friends  of  Gen- 
eral Burleson  cannot  disguise  the  fact  that  he  is  in  strong  al- 
liance with  the  latter  party  and  that  this  is  the  party  which  put 
him  in  nomination  for  the  presidency  and  which  is  sustaining 
him  in  the  canvass.  They  also  cannot  deny  the  fact  that  ever 
since  the  organization  of  the  government  there  has  been  a  strong 
party  opposition  to  General  Houston's  measures,  notwithstand- 
ing they  say  that  the  lines  of  party  distinction  have  not  been 
drawn  in  Texas.  Every  citizen  who  is  familiar  with  the  political 
conditon  of  the  country  from  its  organization  to  the  present  time 
will  sustain  us  in  the  assertion  that  there  have  been  two  distinct 

'Telegraph,  February  28,  1844. 
*Red-Lander,  June  8,  1844. 


Organization  in  Texas  13 

parties  which  have  their  political  tenets  and  creeds  as  clearly 
defined  as  the  present  Whig  and  Democratic  parties  in  the  United 
States.  .  .  .  The  party  which  supports  General  Burleson 
have  even  carried  their  political  clamors  so  far  that  they  have 
created  a  strong  national  prejudice  in  the  West  against  the  East, 
and  every  measure  almost  of  a  general  character  (such,  for  in- 
stance, as  the  census  bill  of  the  last  congress)  which  was  pro- 
posed by  the  Eastern  members  of  congress  has  been  voted  down 
by  this  Western  faction.4 

The  Telegraph,  on  the  other  hand,  met  such  statements  by 
declaring  that  "the  'Lamar  faction'  is  a  political  fiction,  at  the 
head  of  which  General  Burleson  has  been  placed  by  his  enemies, 
not  by  his  friends. '  '5  Again 

They  know  the  unpopularity  of  General  Lamar  with  many ;  they 
have,  therefore,  ingenuously  collected  together  the  most  unpop- 
ular among  those  who  had  any  connection  with  General  Lamar 's 
administration;  they  have  christened  them  the  Lamar  Party; 
and  with  all  imaginable  candor  and  kind  feelings  towards  Gen- 
eral Burleson,  they  attach  him  to  that  party,  and  then  most 
patriotically  implore  the  people  to  save  the  country  from  the  im- 
pending ruin  which  threatens  us  if  General  Burleson  is  elected. 
.  .  .  They  are  driven  to  the  desperate  alternative  of  charg- 
ing him  with  the  faults  of  others  ...  by  forcing  him  into 
an  imaginary  connection  with  a  supposed  party  ...  a  party 
that  has  never  before  been  heard  of  in  the  country,  and  has 
now  for  the  first  time  received  a  local  habitation  and  a  name 
for  the  express  purpose  of  defeating  General  Burleson 's  elec- 
tion.6 

The  Telegraph  also  denied  that  the  Houston  supporters  acted 
upon  any  defined  platform: 

Our  remarks  upon  the  non-existence  of  any  well-defined  public 
policy  in  this  country,  or  the  organization  of  parties  upon  clearly 
established  principles,  appears  to  be  called  in  question.  The 
Indian  policy  of  the  present  government  is  perhaps  well  deffined. 
But  we  can  see  no  fixed  purpose  or  settled  views  in  the  other 
measures  of  the  present  Executive,  except  to  undo  all  that  was 
done  by  his  predecessor  and  establish  his  own  power.  .  .  . 

^Red-Lander,  July  13,  1844. 
'Telegraph,  September  4,  1844. 
•Telegraph,  July  10,  1844. 


14  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

Can  the  supporters  of  Houston  be  accurately  denned  by  calling 
them  the  Whig  party  or  the  Tory  party — the  federal  party  or 
the  Democratic  party — the  Conservative  party  or  the  Radical 
party?  Indeed,  can  they  be  otherwise  denned  than  by  calling 
them  the  Houston  Party  f  ...  To  this  personal  allegiance 
we  are  now  opposed.  .  .  .  When  parties  can  only  be  desig- 
nated by  the  names  of  the  leaders,  it  is  manifest  enough  that 
measures  are  rather  an  accidental  than  an  essential  party  dis- 
tinction.7 

Speaking  of  General  Burleson,  the  Telegraph  said,  "the  truth 
is  that  independence  is  one  of  the  prominent  features  of  Gen- 
eral Burleson 's  character.  He  has  never  been  associated,  di- 
rectly or  indirectly,  with  any  party,  or  faction,  or  coalition  in 
the  country. '  '8  He  was  nominated  at  a  public  meeting  at  Colum- 
bus, September  25,  1843.9  In  a  letter  to  the  editor  of  the 
Democrat  (Houston)  he  denied  that  he  looked  to  the  opponents 
of  Houston  for  support;  he  claimed  many  supporters  and  ad- 
mirers among  the  friends  of  Houston  and  of  Lamar,  and  sought 
his  election  directly  and  exclusively  from  the  people.10 

Dr.  Jones  was  nominated  at  public  meetings  at  San  Augustine 
and  at  Independence  in  November,  1843.  He  says,  "My  nom- 
ination and  election  to  the  Presidency  was  the  spontaneous  act 
of  the  people  of  Texas  .  .  .  Party  had  nothing  to  do  with 
it,  unless  those  who  wished  to  see  the  great  measures  of  peace, 
independence  and  annexation,  and  an  economical  administration 
of  the  government,  measures  with  which  I  was  fully  identified, 
carried  out,  might  be  called  a  party."1 

After  the  election,  and  when  annexation  was  practically  a 
certainty,  the  Telegraph  presented  a  few  remarks  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  electioneering,  and  took  occasion  to  remark 

The  party  spirit  in  the  United  States  is  tame  and  mild  com- 
pared to  the  bitter,  malignant,  demoniac  zeal  which  is  displayed 
in  many  instances  by  the  partizans  of  some  of  our  candidates. 
They  will  resort  to  lies,  to  misrepresentations,  to  low,  mean, 

'Telegraph,  July  10,  1844. 

'Ibid.,  July  10,  1844. 

'Ibid.,  December  20,  1843. 

™IUd.,  July  24,  1844. 

Mones,  Memoranda  and  Official  Correspondence,  267. 


Organization  in  Texas  15 

groveling  tricks  that  the  most  bigoted  Whigs  or  Democrats 
of  our  motherland  would  spurn  as  disgraceful  and  degrading 
to  their  party.  With  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  of  the  United 
States,  even  in  their  most  heated  contests,  there  is  an  esprit  de 
corps  that  restrains  them  from  resorting  to  practices  that  would 
jeopardize  the  reputation  of  their  party.  But  in  the  personal 
contests  here  there  are  no  restraints  of  this  kind.  Each  par- 
tizan  fights  his  own  way.  .  .  .  We  shall  rejoice  when  a  new 
order  of  things  is  introduced,  and  our  elections  shall  be  con- 
ducted under  new  auspices.  When  the  community  is  divided 
into  two  parties  like  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  of  the  United 
States.2 

The  Influence  of  Annexation 

The  subject  of  annexation  was  not  a  party  issue  in  Texas  as 
it  was  in  the  United  States,  for  it  was  favored  by  all,  with  few 
exceptions3  The  fact  that  it  was  a  party  question  in  the  United 
States,  however,  had  an  influence  in  determining  the  party  align- 
ment of  the  people  of  Texas  after  annexation.  "We  are  all 
Democrats  in  Texas,"  wrote  Guy  M.  Bryan  in  January,  1845, 
"since  the  glorious  victory  of  that  party,  who  fearlessly  espoused 
our  cause  and  nailed  the  'Lone  Star'  to  the  topmast  of  their 
noble  ship."4  The  results  of  Democratic  assistance  are  also  re- 
flected in  following  extracts  from  contemporary  newspapers: 

The  period  for  the  election  of  the  officers  of  the  State  Govern- 
ment under  the  new  constitution  is  near  at  hand,  but  we  hear 
no  note  of  preparation  nor  do  we  witness  any  indications  that 
a  severe  political  struggle  is  to  mark  the  crisis.  A  sudden  calm 
pervades  our  political  sea,  and  as  our  bark  of  state  slowly  and 
steadily  approaches  the  new  haven  that  opens  before  her  all 
eyes  seem  to  be  directed  from  the  helm  and  bent  with  intense 
interest  upon  the  shore  When  the  anchor  shall  have  been  cast 
and  the  bark  moored  by  the  strand,  two  parties  will  gather  there 
to  meet  us,  one  to  welcome  us  to  the  home  of  freedom,  the  other 
to  taunt  and  jeer  us  as  an  unwelcome  visitor.  With  which  of 
these  parties  will  Texians  unite?  We  cannot  remain  neutral, 

2Telegraph,  June  4,  1845." 
3La  Grange  Intelligencer,  May  23,  1846. 

4Guy  M.  Bryan  to  Mrs.  Mary  Holley,  January  7,  1845.  A.  L.  S.  in 
possession  of  the  writer. 


16  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

for  this  would  be  to  deprive  ourselves  of  all  political  advantages 
and  render  us  objects  of  suspicion  and  distrust  to  each  party.5 

We  notice  from  the  proceedings  of  a  public  meeting,  published 
in  the  News,  that  attempts  have  recently  been  made  to  organize 
a  Democratic  party  in  Galveston.  Similar  attempts  have  been 
made  in  other  counties.  "We  consider  the  attempts  somewhat 
premature j  but  we  apprehend  that  little  injury  will  result  from 
them.  We  have  been  amused  with  the  direful  predictions  of 
the  Red-Lander  respecting  the  organization  of  parties  in  Texas. 
He  states  that  before  the  first  day  of  January  next  the  people 
of  Texas  will  be  drilled  and  marshalled  out  into  two  distinct 
parties,  Whigs  and  Democrats,  and  predicts  that  "there  will 
be  such  an  excitement  between  brothers  and  neighbors  that  in 
all  probability  the  Bowie  knife  and  shot  gun  will  be  the  prin- 
cipal arguments"  to  settle  controversies.  ...  It  will  be  as 
impossible  to  prevent  the  formation  of  political  parties  similar 
to  the  great  parties  of  the  United  States,  after  annexation  is  con- 
summated, as  to  prevent  oil  from  separating  from  water.  The 
elements  of  political  discord  are  incorporated  in  all  the  commu- 
nities of  Texas,  and  whenever  the  government  of  the  Union  shall 
have  been  extended  over  this  country  these  elements  will  sepa- 
rate and  form  new  combinations.  .  .  .  Since  the  result  is 
inevitable,  let  all  good  men  unite  in  their  efforts  to  regulate  the 
organization  of  parties  so  that  the  interests  and  happiness  of  the 
people  shall  not  be  endangered.  .  .  .  The  great  question  of 
annexation  has  necessarily  thrown  us  with  the  Democratic  party 
of  the  Union,  for  it  has  been  mainly  through  the  unwearied  ef- 
forts of  that  party  that  this  measure  has  been  effected.  .  .  ." 

The  people  should  be  exceedingly  careful  to  make  judicious 
selections  in  choosing  their  representatives  to  the  first  state  leg- 
islature. The  trusts  to  be  confided  are  of  great  moment:  .  .  . 
Another  duty  of  paramount  importance,  devolving  upon  the  leg- 
islature, is  the  election  of  senators  to  the  United  States  Congress. 
Every  candidate  who  is  now  before  the  people  for  a  seat  in  the 
state  legislature  should  be  made  to  define  his  position  distinctly. 
The  people  should  have  an  eye  not  only  to  his  professions  here 
but  to  his  political  course  before  emigrating  to  Texas.  All  who 
claim  to  be  good  Democrats  are  not  so.  A  number  of  them 
have  been  proselyted  since  the  late  presidential  election  in  the 
United  States,  and  the  consequent  ascendancy  of  Democratic 
principles  in  this  country.  .  .  . 

It  is  too  late  in  the  day  for  the  citizens  of  Texas  to  talk  about 
belonging  to  no  party;  they  have  been  taken  into  the  Union  by 

'Telegraph,  October  1,  1845. 
'Telegraph,  October  22,  1845. 


Organization,  in   Texas  17 

the  efforts  of  the  Democrats;  they  have  formed  and  ratified  a 
constitution  eminently  Democratic  in  its  principles.  Can  they 
now  without  being  derelict  in  duty  to  themselves  .  .  .  send 
any  but  Democrats  to  represent  them  in  the  councils  of  the 
mighty  confederacy  into  whose  bosom  they  have  been  admit- 
ted. .  .  .7 

The  elections  in  November,  1845,  for  state  officers  and  mem- 
bers of  the  first  legislature  passed  quietly.  The  political  char- 
acter of  the  legislature  was  as  follows":  Loco  Foco,  one;  Demo- 
crats, fifty-five;  Tyler  man,  two;  Whig,  four;  Polk  man,  one; 
Anti-tariff,  one;  Tariff  man,  one;  Republicans,  four;  Nulli'fier, 
one;  Texan,  one;  undefined,  fourteen — total  86.8 

Efforts  to  Organize  tJic  Democratic  Party,  1846-1855 

First  attempt  to  hold  a  State  convention. — The  publishers  of 
the  Texas  National  Register  in  January,  1846,  changed  the  title 
of  their  paper  to  Texas  Democrat:  they  were  elected  public 
printers  April  13th,  and  the  next  issue  of  their  paper  contained 
a  call  for  the  organization  of  the  Democratic  party. 

We  have  already  called  the  attention  of  the  citizens  of  the 
State  to  this  subject.  Our  suggestions  have,  so  far,  been  dis- 
regarded. Not  an  effort  has  been  made  even  to  promulgate 
the  true  doctrines  of  the  party.  .  .  . 

The  citizens  of  the  Lone  Star  State,  isolated  in  their  position, 
not  liable  to  be  excited  by  the  political  questions  of  the  United 
States,  have  almost  lost  sight  of  the  lines  of  demarcation  between 
the  two  great  parties.  .  .  .  Let  the  lines  be  fairly  and  fully 
drawn  at  once,  and  the  Democrats  will  be  saved  the  danger  of 
having  their  ranks  thinned  by  desertion,  from  the  defection  of 
men  of  great  personal  popularity,  or  any  other  cause.  .  .  . 

The  Whigs  have  been  studious  in  deprecating  party  distinc- 
tions and  party  organization,  representing  the  people  of  Texas 
as  a  band  of  political  brothers.  .  .  .  The  mere  mention  of 
party  horrifies  them;  they  speak  of  an  attempt  to  set  up  the 
landmarks  in  this  State,  which  exist  in  every  other  in  the  Union, 
as  a  vile  endeavor  to  sow  dissension.  .  .  .  The  bare  mention 
of  two  facts  ought  to  convince  us  how  much  sincerity  there  is  in 
these  Whig  asseverations:  in  the  face  of  them,  they  had  the 

'Texas  National  Register,  November  15,  1845. 
'Texas  Democrat,  May  20,  1846. 


18  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

effrontery  to  push  forward  one  of  their  old  haranguers  :is  a 
candidate  for  Congress.1  .  .  .  Nor  is  this  all,  the  Whigs  of 
Harrison  county  have  formed  a  Whig  club,  and  will  march  to  the 
polls  as  a  phalanx.  .  .  .2 

A  public  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  legislature  and  citi- 
zens from  different  parts  of  the  State  was  held  at  the  Capitol, 
April  27,  for  the  purpose  of  appointing  a  Democratic  central 
committee,  and  adopting  measures  to  secure  an  organization  of 
the  Democratic  party  throughout  the  State.  The  resolutions 
adopted  declared,  "That  we  adhere  to  the  principles  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  of  the  United  States  as  now  practiced,  and  that 
we  will  advocate  and  sustain  those  principles."  The  necessary 
committees  were  appointed  and  the  first  Monday  in  November 
suggested  for  the  meeting  of  the  State  convention  at  Wash- 
ington.3 

The  plan  met  both  support  and  opposition.  A  correspondent 
of  the  La  Grange  Intellingencer  said,  "I  have  seen  with  pleasure 
a  move  of  the  Democrats  of  Austin  and  other  places,  manifesting 
a  willingness  to  meet  the  crisis  which  annexation  has  brought 
about."4  Another  warned  the  public:  "Pause  before  you  al- 
low political  aspirants  to  inveigle  you  into  their  snares.  Party 
lines  once  drawn,  the  Democratic  party  once  completely  drilled 
and  exercised,  and  you  cease  to  be  freemen."5  The  breaking  out 
of  the  Mexican  War  withdrew  attention  to  other  subjects,  but 
the  course  of  the  Whigs  in  relation  to  the  war  guaranteed  the 
integrity  of  the  Democratic  ranks  in  Texas. 

Second  attempt  to  hold  a  State  convention. — As  the  entry  of 
Texas  into  the  Union  gave  the  impulse  for  the  first  attempt  to 
hold  a  State  convention,  so  the  presidential  election  of  1848  was 
the  occasion  for  a  second  attempt.  A  preliminary  meeting,  com- 
posed of  citizens  and  members  of  the  legislature,  was  held  Jan- 

1William  B.  Ochiltree  is  the  candidate  referred  to.  Texas  Democrat, 
March  18,  1846. 

zTexas  Democrat,  April  15,  1846. 
3Texas  Democrat,  May  6,  1846. 
*La  Grang^  Intelligencer,  May  23,  1846. 
*Ibid.,  June  6,  1846. 


Organization,  in  Texas  19 

uary  10,  1848,  at  which  it  was  decided  to  call  a  State  convention 
to  meet  at  Austin  on  the  third  Monday  in  February  to  select 
delegates  to  the  Democratic  National  convention  and  to  nominate 
presidential  electors.  A  committee  was  appointed,  composed 
of  J.  Pinckney  Henderson,  James  Bourland,  A.  S.  Cunningham, 
E.  M.  Pease,  H.  Stuart,  Jesse  Grimes,  M.  A.  Dooley,  H.  J. 
Jewett,  E.  Clark,  and  J.  A.  Greer,  to  prepare  an  address  to  the 
Democracy  of  Texas  in  regard  to  the  need  for  holding  a  State 
convention.  In  the  address  they  said : 

We  do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  address  you  any  labored  argu- 
ments to  show  the  propriety  of  such  a  convention  being  held. 
We  shall  only  refer  to  the  position  of  the  two  great  parties  that 
now  divide  the  people  of  the  United  States  upon  some  questions 
of  deep  interest  to  us  as  a  State,  and  suggest  the  course  that 
we  think  the  people  of  Texas  should  pursue. 

The  Whig  party,  on  the  one  hand,  through  its  great  leader, 
has  sent  forth  its  manifesto  to  the  world,  declaring  in  effect  that 
the  occupation  of  a  portion  of  our  State  lying  beween  the  Nueces 
and  the  Rio  Grande  by  the  troops  of  the  Union  was  a  just  cause 
on  the  part  of  Mexico  for  the  present  war,  and  also  declaring 
in  favor  of  a  withdrawal  of  our  troops  from  the  scenes  of  their 
triumph  and  against  any  acquisition  of  territory  as  an  indemnity 
for  the  expenses  of  the  war. 

The  Democratic  party,  on  the  other  hand,  have  declared  the 
immediate  cause  of  the  war  to  have  been  the  invasion  of  our 
soil  and  the  murder  of  our  citizens  thereon  by  the  Mexican  army, 
and  they  now  insist  on  its  vigorous  prosecution  until  Mexico  shall 
consent  to  make  an  honorable  peace  and  suitable  indemnity  for 
former  spoliations,  and  the  expenses  of  the  war  that  they  have 
forced  upon  us  by  their  repeated  acts  of  aggression.  Under  these 
circumstances  it  becomes  the  people  of  Texas,  who  are  more  im- 
mediately interested  in  the  great  questions  involved  in  the  issue 
of  the  war  than  the  people  of  any  other  State,  to  strengthen  the 
arms  of  its  supporters. 

Texas  has  other  strong  ties  to  bind  her  to1  the  Democratic 
party:  It  was  the  party  that  annexed  us  to  the  Union.  It  is 
the  party  that  we  are  indebted  to  for  the  repeal  of  the  obnoxious 
protective  tariff  of  1842,  and  the  establishment  of  the  revenue 
tariff  of  1846.  And  it  is  to  this  party  that  we  must  look  for  a 
just  settlement  of  our  boundaries  and  for  the  extension  and 
preservation  of  our  institutions  upon  the  principles  established 
by  the  constitution.  These  considerations  should  induce  every 
citizen  of  Texas  to  rally  in  support  of  its  principles.  It  is  only 


20  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

by  means  of  the  proposed  National  convention  that  a  free  inter- 
change of  opinion  can  be  had  between  the  different  sections  of 
our  country  upon  those  questions  of  vital  interest  that  now  agi- 
tate the  public  mind,  and  it  is  only  through  such  a  convention 
that  we  can  expect  to  harmonize  sectional  interests  and  unite 
upon  candidates  that  will  carry  out  our  cherished  principles. 
It  is  hoped,  therefore,  that  every  county  of  the  State  will  hold 
its  meeting  and  appoint  its  delegates  to  the  proposed  State  con- 
vention. Where  no  delegates  are  appointed  by  the  people,  it 
is  proposed  that  such  counties  shall  be  represented  by  the 
Democratic  members  of  the  legislature  therefrom.8 

The  State  convention  met  at  Austin,  February  21.  Thirty- 
five  counties  were  represented.  Delegates  to  the  National  con- 
vention were  selected,  presidential  electors  were  nominated,  and 
a  long,  rambling  platform  was  adopted,  which  proclaimed 
"afresh  the  great  principles  of  freedom  and  truth  upon  which 
not  only  your  party  but  our  government  and  the  rights  which 
it  guarantees  to  the  citizen  are  founded."  President  Folk's 
course  relative  ,to  the  War  with  Mexico  was  approved,  and  its 
vigorous  prosecution,  and  the  demanding  of  suitable  indemnity 
when  concluded,  insisted  upon.  Its  position  upon  the  slavery 
question  was  defined  by  adhering  to  the  doctrine  of  noninterfer- 
ence. A  State  committee  was  created  to  look  after  the  affairg 
of  the  party  until  the  holding  of  the  next  State  convention. 

L.  D.  Evans,  Senators  Houston  and  Busk,  and  Congressmen 
Pillsbury  and  Kaufman  represented  Texas'  at  the  Democratic 
National  convention  at  Baltimore.  The  results  of  this  conven- 
tion, of  special  interest  to  Texas,  were  reported  by  Kaufman 
as  follows: 

Texas  voted  in  that  body  for  Cass,  and  for  Quitman  of  Mis- 
sissippi for  Vice-President,  except  on  the  last  ballot  for  Vice- 
President,  the  vote  of  Texas  was  divided  between  Quitman  and 
Butler.  The  following  is  one  of  the  resolutions  passed  unani- 
mously by  this  great  convention: 

Resolved,  that  the  war  with  Mexico,  provoked  on  her  part 
by  years  of  insult  and  injury,  was  commenced  by  her  army 
crossing  the  Rio  Grande,  attacking  the  American  troops,  and 
invading  our  sister  State  of  Texas;  and  upon  all  the  principles 
of  patriotism  and  law  of  nations,  it  is  a  just  and  necessary 

"Texas  Democrat,  January  12,  1848. 


Organization  in  Texas  21 

war  on  our  part,  in  which  every  American  citizen  should  have 
showed  himself  on  the  side  of  his  country,  and  neither  morally 
nor  physically,  by  word  or  deed,  have  given  'aid  and  comfort 
to  the  enemy.' 

Thus  you  see  the  whole  Democracy  of  the  Nation  are  identi- 
fied with  Texas  in  sustaining  her  boundary  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
for  the  above  resolution,  as  well  as  all  the  others,  was  adopted 
unanimously  by  the  convention.  General  Cass  and  General 
Butler  are  both  strongly  opposed  to  the  Wilmot  Proviso,  and 
the  resolution  of  the  convention  in  regard  to  the  slavery  ques- 
tion is  highly  satisfactory  to  the  South.  ...  I  was  on  the 
Committee  from  Texas  that  reported  the  resolutions  to  the  con- 
vention. 

Now,  let  the  people  of  Texas  wait  for  the  nomination  of  the 
men  and  declaration  of  principles  by  the  Whig  convention,  to 
meet  in  a  few  days  in  Philadelphia,  and  decide  between  them. 
If  they  declare  what  they  have  always  maintained  in  Congress, 
that  the  Nueces  is  the  western  boundary  of  Texas,  and  shrink 
from  avowing  their  principles  on  the  slavery  and  other  ques- 
tions, I  have  but  little  doubt  the  people  of  Texas  will  reject 
the  Whigs  nearly  unanimously,  and  assist  in  triumphantly  elect- 
ing the  Democratic  nominees.  .  .  .7 

The  Whigs  of  Texas  sent  no  delegates  to  the  Whig  National 
convention ;  their  vote  was  cast  by  the  delegates  from  Louisiana. 
Both  parties  had  candidates  for  presidential  electors  in  the 
field,  and  this  afforded  the  first  opportunity  for  a  test  of  their 
strength.  The  Democratic  electors  received  10,668  votes;  the 
Whig  electors  received  4,509  votes.8  The  Whig  vote  was'  large 
when  the  personal  unpopularity  of  General  Taylor  in  Texas 
is  considered.9 

'Nacogdoches  Times,  June  17,  1848.  The  Whig  National  convention 
of  1848  did  not  adopt  a  platform. 

8Texas  Democrat,  December  9,  1848. 

"Prospectus  of  The  Journal,  (Galveston,)  about  December,  1849: 
"The  [Democratic]  party  was  professedly  and  claimed  to  be  exclu- 
sively friendly  to  Texas,  but  when  annexation,  which  had  been  made  the 
stepping  stone  to  power,  was  accomplished,  the  emptiness  of  these  pro- 
fessions, which  the  people  of  Texas  were  not  slow  to  perceive,  became 
apparent  and  manifest.  The  result  was  that  at  the  first  test  hereafter 
one-third  of  the  voters  cf  the  State  stood  in  the  Whig  ranks,  and  this, 
too,  let  it  be  remembered  by  those  who  know  the  influence  of  the  press, 
at  a  time  when  some  fifteen  or  twenty  Democratic  papers  were  pro- 
mulgating their  opinions,  denouncing  their  opponents  as  enemies  of 
Texas,  and  but  two,  and  they  but  little  known,  were  professedly  Whig." 


22  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

Further  attempts  to  "hold  a  State  convention. — The  need  of 
organizing  the  Democratic  party  for  the  purpose  of  ensuring 
its  supremacy  in  State  affairs  did  not  become  imperative  until 
1855.  While  the  Whig  party  showed  considerable  strength  at 
the  election  in  1848,  it  was  not  regarded  as  dangerous,  besides 
it  was  now  known  where  and  what  numbers  it  controlled.  It 
might  nevertheless  develop  into  a  dangerous  rival;  for  this  rea- 
son certain  Democratic  leaders  urged  organization  of  their  party. 
Democratic  candidates  for  governor  alone  contended  for  elec- 
tion in  1847.  The  'same  proved  to  be  the  case  in  1849.  Early 
in  the  canvass  there  was  some  talk  of  a  convention. 

We  observe  a  call  in  some  of  the  Democratic  papers  for  a  con- 
vention at  Washington  on  the  Brazos  to  nominate  candidates 
for  the  support  of  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas  at  the  coming 
elections. 

Whenever  the  notice  of  such  an  organization  is  given  early 
enough  to  allow  of  the  people  in  their  primary  meetings,  send- 
ing delegates  to  county  conventions,  who  shall  fairly  elect  del- 
egates to  a  State  convention,  such  as  is  proposed,  we  will  recog- 
nize and  support  such  a  proceeding,  but  for  ourselves,  we  will 
not  adopt  any  proceedings,  the  result  of  a  partial  representa- 
tion and  probably  expressive  more  of  the  desires  of  politicians 
than  the  mass  of  the  Democratic  voters.1 

A  month  later  the  same  paper  noted  that  "the  convention 
called  at  Washington  on  the  Brazos  seems  likely  to  pro\e  a  fail- 
ure, finding  little  support."' 

The  presidential  and  State  elections  were  held  on  different 
dates  prior  to  the  Civil  War;  the  former  being  held  in  Novem- 
ber, the  latter  in  August.  From  1845  to  1863,  the  governor, 
lieutenant-governor,  and  after  1850  the  commissioner  of  the 
general  land  office  were  elected  biennially  in  the  odd  years; 
from  1850  to  1864,  the  attorney-general,  comptroller,  and  treas- 
urer were  elected  biennially  on  the  even  years.  This  arrange- 
ment was  very  unsatisfactory  for  the  purpose  of  holding  party 
conventions.  Annual  conventions  were  attempted,  and  for  sev- 
eral years  were  very  disappointing  affairs. 

*Nacogdoches  Times,  March  31,  1849. 
*IUd.,  April  28,  1849. 


Organization  in  Texas  23 

All  efforts  to  hold  a  nominating"  convention  in  1851  failed 
for  similar  reasons.  The  editor  of  the  State  Gazette,  discussing 
the  desirability  of  political  party  organization  in  this  State,  said : 

We  have  been  inclined  to  favor  the  calling  of  a  convention  of 
the  Democratic  party  of  the  State,  in  due  season  and  at  some 
central  and  convenient  point,  for  the  purpose  of  nominating  can- 
didates for  the  principal  State  offices  at  the  next  August  elec- 
tion. We  are  at  the  same  time  fully  aware  of  the  objections 
usually  urged  against  this  mode  of  selecting  candidates  for  pop- 
ular suffrage  and  are  willing  to  admit  that  abstractly  considered 
they  have  some  force.  But  the  same  objections,  in  some  degree 
at  least,  would  apply  to  our  system  of  government  in  which  the 
people  speak,  not  directly,  but  through  their  representatives. 
So  in  a  convention  of  the  representatives  of  the  Democratic 
party,  appointed  and  instructed  by  the  members  of  the  party 
resident  in  the  several  counties  and  acting  in  their  primary  as- 
semblies, those  of  our  citizens  professing  the  same  principles 
would  be  able  to  speak  their  wishes  in  advance  as  to  the  persons 
most  deserving  of  their  -favor,  and  unite  in  recommending  such 
to  public  support.  It  is  only  in  this  mode  that  the  elements 
of  dissension  and  the  antagonisms  of  petty  factions,  founded 
alone  upon  sectional  or  personal  attachments,  can  be  made  to 
give  way  to  .the  general  principles  which  characterize  a  great 
political  organization. 

Party  lines  have  been  clearly  drawn  in  all  the  other  States 
of  the  Confederacy,  and  the  adherents  of  the  different  creeds 
act  upon  the  principles  they  profess  without  respect  to  persons 
or  particular  locality.  Such  will  inevitably  be  the  case  in  Texas, 
and  we  can  see  no  good  reason  why  it  should  not  be  so  now.  It 
would  be  substituting  principles  for  personal  attachments,  as 
one  of  the  indispensable  qualifications  for  office;  and  surely  if 
this  were  done  it  would  be  hard  to  discover  any  injury  that 
could  possibly  flow  from  it.  ... 

But  notwithstanding  this  is  the  conclusion  at  which  we  have 
arrived  in  reference  to  the  course  it  would  be  most  desirable  to 
adopt,  and  which  will  no  doubt  be  sooner  or  later  adopted  for 
the  political  organization  of  our  State,  we  are  convinced  the 
time  has  not  yet  come  when  it  will  be  done.  In  the  next  can- 
vass, at  least,  we  shall  probably  have  several  candidates  for 
each  of  the  higher  offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people,  all  of 
them  professing  a  becoming  devotion  to  the  tenets  of  the  good 
old  Democratic  creed.3 

3State  Gazette,  December  14,  1850.    The  Journal  (Galveston),  issue  of 


24  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

The  Convention  of  1852:  (1)  Calling  the  Convention, — 
The  people  of  Texas  generally,  and  the  Democrats  in  particular, 
had  reasons  for  dissatisfaction- with  the  Taylor-Fillmore  admin- 
istration. The  course  of  the  President  in  opposing  the  claims 
of  Texas  in  New  Mexico,  and  the  growing  differences  upon  the 
slavery  question  increased  public  interest  in  National  affairs. 
As  the  time  approached  for  choosing  delegates  to  the  National 
conventions,  suggestions  appeared  in  the  newspapers  that  a  State 
convention  be  held  for  this  purpose.  The  State  Gazette  of  Sep- 
tember 13,  1851,  printed  a  symposium  of  press  opinion  on  this 
subject. 

^  There  are  issues  at  present  pending  between  the  North  and 
South  that  render  it  highly  important  that  men  of  sound 
National  politics  should  be  selected  as  the  standard  bearers  of 
the  Democratic  party.  This  consideration,  together  with  the 
fact  that  the  name  of  a  distinguished  son  of  Texas  will  prob- 
ably be  before  the  convention,  should  ensure  the  appointment  of 
good  men  and  true  on  the  part  of  Texas  to  see  that  her  inter- 
ests and  the  interests  of  the  South  are  properly  cared  for. 
These  delegates  could  not  be  appointed  so  easily  by  any  other 
means  as  by  a  State  convention.  I,  therefore,  suggest  that  a 
Democratic  State  convention  be  held  in  the  city  of  Austin  on 
the  third  Monday  in  January  next.  The  reader  will  readily  see 
that  a  more  convenient  place  and  time  scarcely  could  be  fixed  on ; 
at  that  time  the  State  legislature,  Grand  Lodge,  and  other  public 
bodies  will  be  in  session  at  Austin,  drawing  a  large  crowd  to 
that  city,  so  that  almost  every  county  can  be  represented  without 
the  expense  and  trouble  of  sending  delegates  specially  for  that 
purpose.9 

December  24,  1850,  commented  on  the  above  as  follows:  "It  is  not  for 
the  Whigs,  who  are  in  the  minority,  to  take  the  initiative  in  such  a 
proceeding,  even  were  they  so  disposed;  but  there  are  none  of  them 
who  fear  to  meet  such  action  on  the  part  of  the  Democracy.  The  best 
and  most  patriotic  men  of  the  country  have  determined  to  lay  aside 
party  organization  until  the  present  agitation  on  the  slavery  question 
is  at  rest.  In  other  States  the  terms,  Whig  and  Democrat,  have 
almost  been  forgotten  in  the  absorbing  question  of  union  or  disunion. 
The  Whigs  of  Texas  are  for  the  Union,  and,  therefore,  from  the  highest 
motives  that  can  prompt  men  in  their  political  views,  desire  no  strict 
organization  until  that  Union  is  safe  from  the  agitation  which  at 
present  threatens  it." 
P» 

gState  Gazette,  September  13,  1851.     A  communication  from  "Simon 
Pure,"  Linwood,  Cherokee  County,  September  2. 


Organization  in  Texas  25 

The  editor  endorsed  these  views,  adding  that  a  diversity  of 
opinion  existed  within  the  party  which  it  was  desirable  for  a 
convention  to  correct.  The  Washington  Ranger  recalled  the 
fact  that  the  Whigs  had  supported  a  candidate  for  governor 
during  the  last  campaign,  and  that  the  Galveston  Journal,  the 
organ  of  that  party,  was  now  urging  the  party  to  organize.1 

The  Red-Land  Herald  proposed  that  the  convention  be  held 
on  the  first  Monday  in  January.2  The  San  Antonio  Ledger 
concurred  in  the  above  suggestions 

so  far  as  Federal  politics  are  concerned.  But  we  do  not  think 
that  the  people  of  Texas  desire  party  organization  to  be  carried 
into  the  nomination  of  State  and  county  officers  as  yet.  It  is 
generally  considered  that  at  least  three-fourths  of  the  citizens 
of  Texas  are  Democratic  and  that  our  executive  and  legislative 
departments  will  remain  in  the  hands  of  the  Democratic  party 
for  years  to  come  without  a  strict  party  organization,  or  a  resort 
to  party  caucuses.  If  this  opinion  is  correct,  we  believe  that 
it  would  be  better  for  the  present  to  be  confined  strictly  to  Fed- 
eral politics ;  and  we  believe  that  this  is  the  opinion  of  the  great 
mass  of  the  people.3 

During  the  first  week  of  the  legislative  session,  a  call  was 
issued  for  a  meeting  of  the  Democratic  members  of  the  legis- 
lature and  the  Democratic  citizen^  of  the  State  generally.4 
The  meeting  was  held  at  the  Capitol  on  November  10th,  and  a 
resolution  was  adopted  recommending  to  the  several  counties 
to  send  delegates  to  a  State  convention  to  be  held  at  Austin 
' '  on  the  8th  day  of  January  next  for  the  purpose  of  appointing 
delegates  to  the  National  convention  for  the  nomination  of  can- 
didates for  President  and  Vice-President,  and  to  nominate  elec- 
tors for  this  State."5 

"Quoted  by  State  Gazette,  September  13,  1851. 

'Quoted  by  State  Gazette,  September  13,  1851. 

3Quoted  in  State  Gazette,  September  13,  1851. 

*State  Gazette,  November  8,  1851. 

'State  Gazette,  November  15,  1851.  This  is  the  first  mention  of  Jan- 
uary 8th,  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  in  connection 
with  political  party  affairs  in  Texas.  It  became  popular  in  the  interval 
between  1852  and  1861,  when  it  was  selected  as  the  day  on  which  to 
choose  the  delegates  to  the  Secession  Convention. 


26  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

(2)  Proceedings  of  the  Convention. — The  convention  was  in 
session  at  Austin  January  8th  and  9th.     A  call  of  the  roll  of 
counties  showed  that  only  twenty-one  had  delegates  present.     A 
resolution,  therefore,  was  adopted  inviting  the  Democratic  sen- 
ators and  representatives  to  serve  their  counties,  if  such  coun- 
ties had  no  delegates  present.     The  platform  adopted  embraced 
four  resolutions :     1.     The  principles  of  the  National  Democratic 
platform  of  1848  were  reasserted;  2.     The  compromise  acts  of 
1850  were  accepted  as  "  a  final  adjustment  of  the  dangerous  and 
vexed  questions  they  embrace";  3.     The  principles  of  the  Vir- 
ginia and  Kentucky  resolutions  were  accepted,  and  opposition 
expressed  to   consolidation,    secession,    and   disunion;   4.     Sam 
Houston  was  recommended  to  the  National  party  as  a  candidate 
for  the  presidency.     Lemuel  D.  Evans,  Guy  M.  Bryan,  George 
W.   Smythe  and  Robert   S.   Neighbors  were  nominated  presi- 
dential electors;  thirty  delegates  were  appointed  to  the  Balti- 
more convention ;  and  a  State  central  committee  of  twelve  mem- 
bers was  selected.6 

(3)  Criticism  of  the  Convention. — The  State  Gazette,  whose 
publishers   were   the  state   printers,    assured   its   readers   that 
"the  Democracy  of  the  State  was  fully  represented  in  this  body, 
and  its  resolves  and  deliberations  were  characterized  by  great 
harmony  and  the  manifestation  of  a  zeal  the  sure  harbinger  of 
success.7     And  in  its  very  next  issue  it  made  the  statement  that, 
''From  all  parts  of  the  State,  from  which  tidings  have  reached 
us,  a  response  comes  up  of  the  most  cordial  and  enthusiastic 
approval  of  the  proceedings  of  the   late   state   convention."8 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Colorado  Tribune  (Matagorda)  stated: 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  first  effort  made  in  this  State  to 
organize  the  Democratic  party  has  proved  to  be  a  total  failure. 
This  was  doubtless  occasioned  by  the  bungling  attempts  of  the 
Houston  faction  to  secure  the  nomination  of  their  particular 
favorite  for  the  presidency.9  If  they  were  successful  in  this, 

"State  Gazette,  January  10  and  17,  1852i 

'State  Gazette,  January  17?  1852. 

8Ibid.,  January  24,  1852. 

9"We  perceive  that  Sam  Houston  has  received  the  nomination  of  that 
body  for  the  next  presidency.  A  resolution  has  also  been  passed  in  the 
House  of  a  similar  nature.  Well!  if  we  mistake  not,  it  has  been  a 
hard  pill  for  some  of  our  honorable  friends  to  swallow.  But  'principles' 


Organization  in  Texas  27 

they  were  unsuccessful  in  the  most  essential  point  in  obtaining 
the  sanction  of  their  proceedings  by  the  Democracy  of  Texas. 
Indeed,  if  we  are  correctly  informed,  the  convention,  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  was  a  self-constituted  affair,  acting  on  the  respon- 
sibility of  a  few  individuals.  In  some  instances,  even  thorough- 
going Whigs  were  appointed  to  represent  certain  districts  in  the 
State  .  .  .  and  in  many  instances  delegates  were  appointed 
without  their  sanction.  A  number  of  the  latter  have  subse- 
quently declined  the  honor  of  serving  under  this  self-constituted 
cabal.1 

State  Rights  Democrats  in  the  convention  were  overawed  by 
the  demonstrations  of  sentiment  against  them,  and  abandoned 
the  field  without  a  struggle.  Even  the  nomination  of  Gen.  Sam 
Houston,  who  is  denominated  as  a  "  patriot,  chieftain,  and  states- 
man, eminently  worthy  to  be  the  standard  bearer  of  the  party 
in  the  approaching  canvass  for  the  presidency,"  was  either  en- 
dorsed by  them  or  silently  acquiesced  in.  Not  a  State  Rights 
Democrat  in  the  whole  convention  had  spirit  enough  to  contend 
for  a  modification  of  the  resolutions,  or  sufficient  manliness  to 
vote  against  the  nomination  of  General  Houston.2 

The  Western  Texian  (San  Antonio)  voiced  dissatisfaction  on 
another  ground 

The  platform  adopted  in  relation  to  National  affairs  is  suffi- 
ciently ample  and  covers  all  the  grounds  of  dispute  between  the 
two  great  parties,  but  the  question  is  asked:  Why  was  the  con- 
vention silent  in  regard  to  State  policy?  It  is  claimed  that  if 
we  are  to  have  a  party  organization  in  Texas,  it  should  be  for 
some  avowed  object  other  than  keeping  in  power  those  claiming 
to  be  Democrats.  If  the  Democratic  party  is  to  be  the  dominant 
party,  the  distinctive  principles  and  measures  of  Democracy 
should  mark  and  control  the  policy  of  the  State.  As  matters 
now  stand,  a  man  may  profess  to  be  a  National  Democrat  and 
yet  favor  the  adoption  of  Whig  policy  in  the  government  of  State 
affairs.  Banking,  internal  improvement,  education,  disburse- 
ment of  the  public  revenue,  and  the  erection  of  various  public 
benevolent  institutions  are  all  questions  of  vital  importance,  in 

and  not  'men'  is  the  cry,  so  there  is  no  use  in  the  minority  struggling 
against  a  forlorn  hope.  It  is  a  mistaken  prediction  if  'Samiwell's' 
most  arduous  advocates  don't  find  in  him  ere  long  a  few  more  princi- 
ples than  they  bargained  for." — Colorado  Tribune,  January  26,  1852. 

Colorado  Tribune,  March  15,  1852. 

"Texas  Republican  quoted  by  Colorado  Tribune,  March  15,  1852. 


28  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

regard  to  which,  there  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinion.  Yet  all 
these  were  passed  over  in  silence  by  the  convention,  which  as- 
sembled partly  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  a  State  organiza- 
tion of  the  Democratic  party,  and  so  far  as  the  Democracy  is 
concerned  it  is  not  known  whether  it  is  in  favor  or  opposed 
to  any  or  all  of  these  measures.  As  it  was  the  first  attempt 
at  an  organization,  the  convention  has  failed  in  the  discharge 
of  its  duty,  in  not  making  some  declaration  of  principle  in  re^ 
gard  to  State  policy.  We  do  not  say  this  in  a  spirit  of  fault- 
finding,  but  from  sore  disappointment.  We  profess  to  be  a 
Democrat,  not  because  Democracy  is  in  the  ascendant,  but  from 
principle.3 

Whig  Convention. — The  Whig  party  held  two  conventions 
in  1852;  one  at  Tyler,  on  April  16th,  and  one  at  Houston,  on 
May  7th.  Concerning  this  party  the  State  Gazette  said, 

The  Whig  party  of  Texas  may  now,  we  presume,  be  considered 
as  organized  and  ready  for  action.  That  this  party  is  in  the 
minority  in  Texas,  we  have  no  doubt,  but  the  minority  is  not  so 
small  in  numbers  or  weak  in  personal  influence  as  the  statements 
heretofore  made  upon  the  subject  would  lead  one  to  believe. 
The  late  conventions  at  Houston  and  Tyler  disclose  the  Whigery 
of  a  good  many  gentlemen  of  talent  and  great  personal  worth, 
who  have  hitherto  remained  silent  in  politics  or  were  supposed 
to  be  Democrats.  In  their  nominations,  the  party  were  enabled 
to  pass  over  nearly  all  their  former  chiefs,  and  yet  present  an 
electoral  ticket  and  list  of  delegates  to  the  National  convention, 
composed  of  able  and  intelligent  politicians.  Their  electoral 
ticket  complete  is  as  follows :  John  B.  Ashe,  C.  C.  Mills,  J.  W. 
Throckmorton,  and  James  Keily. 

Both  conventions  adopted  resolutions  approving  the  adminis- 
tration of  Mr.  Fillmore;  in  favor  of  internal  improvements  by 
the  federal  government;  and  the  Tyler  convention  also  passed 
resolutions  in  favor  of  amending  the  State  constitution  so  as 
to  permit  the  chartering  of  banks.  This  shows  that  Texas 
Whigery  is  no  counterfeit,  but  that  it  is  indeed  and  in  fact 
''the  same  old  coon,"  alive  and  ready  to  fight  vigorously  for 
its  ancient  creed.4 

The  presidential  campaign  of  1852  did  not  create  a  great  deal 

"Quoted  by  State  G-azctte,  January  31,  18J>2. 

'State  Gazette,  May  8  and  22,  1852.  It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  com- 
plete files  of  the  Galveston  Journal,  and  other  Whig  papers  in  the 
State,  are  not  preserved  in  the  libraries  of  this  State. 


Organization  in  Texas  29 

of  interest  in  this  State.  The  Texas  delegation  to  the  Whig 
National  convention  held  out  till  the  last  for  Fillmore.5  The 
nomination  of  General  Scott  caused  two  of  the  Whig  electors  to 
decline  to  serve,6  and  the  Victoria  Advocate,  one  of  the  Whig 
journals,  refused  to  support  him.  The  latter  gave  as  its  reason 
the  following:  "We  thoroughly  understand  the  temper  and 
wishes  of  the  abolitionists  of  the  North,  to  whom  General  Scott 
owes  his  nomination.  The  same  power  which  could  procure 
his  nomination  could  control  his  administration,  and  then  where 
would  we  be?"7  The  result  was  a  very  light  vote  for  both 
parties.8 

The  Convention  of  1853:  (1)  Calling  the  Convention. — 
The  fact  that  there  were  at  least  four  Democratic  candidates 
for  governor,  and  the  prospect  of  an  extra  session  of  the  leg- 
islature during  the  winter,  formed  the  occasion  for  the  Demo- 
cratic press  to  urge  holding  a  State  nominating  convention. 
"We  must  either  select  one  candidate  to  be  supported  by  the 
entire  party  and  make  victory  certain,  or  we  will  have  three  or 
four  Democrats  in  the  field  with  almost  an  equal  certainty  of 
defeat."9  To  eliminate  ambitious  candidates,  however,  a  State 
convention  of  the  entire  party  would  be  necessary.  On  Novem- 
ber 1st,  the  governor  issued  his  proclamation  convening  the 
legislature  on  January  10th.  Austin,  therefore,  appeared  to  be 
the  logical  place  for  the  convention,  and  January  8th,  or  some 
time  during  the  extra  session,  the  proper  time  for  its  meeting.1 
Opposition  was  not  absent;  the  Telegraph  said, 

Some  of  our  contemporaries  in  eastern  Texas  are  opposed  to 
the  convention,  as  they  think  that  the  territory,  of  the  State 
is  so  vast  that  the  counties  cannot  all  be  represented.  The  only 

6Letter  of  John  B.  Ashe  to  the  Whig  State  central  committee,  in 
State  Gazette,  October  16,  1852. 

6The  places  of  John  B.  Ashe  and  James  Reily  were  filled  by  B.  F. 
Caruthers  and  J.  E.  Kirby.  The  Journal  (Galveston,)  September  17, 
1852. 

7Quoted  by  State  Gazette,  July  24,  1852. 

'The  Journal  (Galveston,)   December  10,  1852. 

9State  Gazette,  November  6,  1852. 
.,  November  20,  1852. 


30  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

means  of  obviating  this  difficulty,  we  think,  will  be  for  county 
meetings  to  be  held  in  all  sections  of  the  State  and  resolutions 
adopted  authorizing  the  representatives  of  the  several  counties 
to  meet  at  Austin  and  select  candidates  for  these  offices.  We  are 
opposed  to  the  selection  of  candidates  by  the  representatives, 
unless  primary  meetings  have  been  held  authorizing  them  to  act 
as  delegates  to  the  State  convention.2 

The  Democratic  State  central  committee  had,  on  August  28, 
issued  a  call  to  the  county  committees,  requesting  them  to  or- 
ganize. Chairman  W.  D.  Miller  now  canvassed  the  State  central 
committee  in  regard  to  the  most  convenient  time  for  the  conven- 
tion to  meet.3  On  December  6th,  he  issued  a  call  for  the  con- 
vention to  meet  at  Austin  on  February  22,  1853. 

These  proceedings  naturally  were  followed  with  much  in? 
terest  by  the  Whigs.  A  correspondent  of  the  Galveston  Journal, 
under  date  of  December  6th,  wrote : 

The  Democratic  papers  in  this  State  are  already  beginning 
to  urge  upon  their  party  the  necessity  of  a  State  convention, 
and  so  far  as  we  are  concerned  it  would  be  better  for  us  if  they 
would  organize  in  this  way,  for  then  they  would  be  driven  to 
the  necessity  of  promulgating  their  odious  doctrines.  The  masses 
would  then  see  what  they  had  been  doing  and  what  they  would 
have  to  do  to  carry  out  loco  foco  doctrines.  These  doctrines, 
when  fully  investigated,  would  satisfy  the  hard-fisted  yeomanry 
of  our  country  that  they  have  been  fighting  on  the  wrong  side 
of  the  question. 

As  for  the  Whig  party,  let  it  remain  as  it  is;  let  us  not  at- 
tempt an  organization  by  calling  a  State  or  district  conven- 
tion, but  when  it  is  in  our  power  to  elect  a  Whig  let  us  elect 
one  who  will  show  by  his  honesty  and  zeal  that  there  is  some- 
thing more  than  a  mere  name  attached  to  his  party.  .  .  .4 

Sarcastic  comments  on  the  proposed  convention  were  indulged 
in.  The  Huntsville  Item  said, 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  legislature,  at  its  extra  ses- 
sion, will  save  the  people  the  trouble  of  making  a  governor, 
by  constituting  itself  a  State  Democratic  convention  and  naming 

2Quoted  by  the  State  (gazette,  December  4,  1852. 

*State  Gazette,  November  20,  1852. 

*The  Journal  (Galveston),  January  7,  1853. 


Organization  in  Texas  31 

all  our  State  officers,  members  of  congress,  etc.     Well,  we  are 
fast  approaching  the  South  Carolina  system.     .     .     .5 

The  Journal  said, 

A  Democratic  friend  suggests  that  the  reason  why  the  Dem- 
ocracy have  generally  appointed  members  of  the  legislature 
delegates  to  the  State  convention  is  that  their  mileage  and  per 
diem  will  be  paid  out  of  the  Treasury.  Of  course,  the  delegates 
will  draw  the  money  as  members  of  the  legislature.  It  now  ap- 
pears to  be  the  settled  policy  of  the  Democracy  of  this  State- to 
defray  the  expenses  of  their  party  conventions  out  of  the  public 
Treasury.6 

As  the  Democracy  must  harmonize,  will  the  convention  at 
Austin  nominate  a  State  Rights  man  for  governor  and  a  Com- 
promise man  for  lieutenant-governor,  or  a  Compromise  man  for 
governor  and  a  State  Rights  man  for  lieutenant-governor  ?  They 
should  have  a  prominent  State  Rights  man  on  their  ticket ;  and 
with  their  usual  tact  keep  an  eye  to  the  foreign  vote,  even  though 
they  may  be  compelled  to  go  out  of  the  legislature  to  get  one 
of  their  nominees.7 

(2)  Failure  of  the  Convention  to  meet. — After  having  been 
carefully  constructed,  the  plans  for  the  convention  suddenly 
collapsed.  The  failure  is  recited  by  the  State  Gazette,  which 
was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  convention,  in  the  following 
excerpts : 

The  legislature  having  adopted  a  resolution  to  adjourn  sine  die 
on  Monday  next,  the  7th  instant,  we  fear  very  much  that  the 
holding  of  the  Democratic  State  convention  will  be  defeated. 
Most  of  the  Democratic  members  are  delegates  from  their  re- 
spective counties  to  the  convention,  and  as  it  was  expected  the 
session  would  last  until  the  22nd,  it  is  likely  delegates  will  not 
come  up  in  sufficient  numbers  to  justify  organization  and  action 
by  the  delegates  who  will  be  here.8 

The  convention  which  was  to  have  assembled  here  on  last 
Tuesday  proved  an  entire  failure,  there  being  in  attendance 
delegates  from  only  one  county.9 

'Quoted  by  The  Journal  (Galveston,)  December  24,  1852. 

°The  Journal   (Galveston,)    January  28,  1853. 

Ubid.,  February  4,  1853. 

*State  Gazette,  February  5,  1853. 

9IMd.,  February  26,  1853. 


32  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

It  is  hardly  necessary  for  us  to  give  in  detail  the  causes  which 
led  to  this  result.  Suffice  it,  a  combination  of  circumstances, 
conceived  in  sectional  prejudice  and  in  personal  aggrandize- 
ment, demagogueism,  and  a  disposition  to  create  a  breach  in  the 
Democratic  ranks — all  contributed  liberally  to  the  result.  [Vol- 
ney  E.]  Howard  men,  with  a  few  exceptions,  were  afraid  to  go 
into  a  convention,  lest  another  candidate  might  be  brought  for- 
ward for  Congress.  [P.  H.]  Bell  men  declined  through  fear -of 
Howard.  The  coast  men  were  afraid  that  their  candidate,  E. 
M.  Pease,  would  be  left  out.  Northern  men  feared  the  same  re- 
sult for  [M.  T.]  Johnson.  Eastern  men  feared  lest  the  con- 
servative course  of  G.  W.  Smyth  in  relation  to  internal  improve- 
ments might  secure  his  defeat.  [J.  W.]  Henderson  and  [Asa 
M.]  Lewis  men  knew  that  there  was  no  hope  for  them  before  the 
convention — and  so  men  from  almost  every  portion  of  the  State 
exerted  themselves  to  defeat  the  meeting  of  the  convention. 
.  .  .  The  Galveston  News  says  that  the  people  did  not  desire 
a  convention.  ...  It  is  a  rather  strained  conclusion.  .  .  . 
If  not,  why  did  the  people  of  the  different  counties  hold  primary 
meetings  and  appoint  delegates?1  Almost  every  county  in 
the  State  had  appointed  delegates  to  the  convention,  and 
if  the  legislature  had  not  adjourned  so  soon,  these  dele- 
gates, notwithstanding  their  aversion  to  it,  would  have  been 
compelled  to  have  met  the  issue.  It  is  our  firm  convic- 
tion that  that  convention  caused  the  legislature  to  adjourn  at 
least  two  weeks  earlier  than  it  would  have  done  otherwise. 
Most  of  the  delegates  were  composed  of  members  of  the  legisla- 
ture, and  they  preferred  leaving  the  business  of  the  session 
half  'finished  rather  than  risk  the  defeat  before  the  convention 
of  a  favorite  aspirant.  .  .  .  When  the  time  has  passed  that 
a  convention  of  the  Democracy  can  be  called  together,  and  not 
till  then,  will  they  [the  Whigs]  openly  declare  their  candidate 
and  it  will  then  require  much  more  than  ordinary  energy  to 
defeat  them.  ...  In  view  of  the  danger  which  threatens 

*A  correspondent  of  the  Galveston  Journal  comes  to  the  defense  of 
the  News  with  the  following:  "If  these  'primary  meetings'  were  all 
as  numerously  attended  as  one  I  wot  of  in  a  certain  county,  the  asser- 
tion of  the  News  still  prevails.  In  one  of  the  western  counties,  where 
the  electors  number  500,  a  'primary  meeting'  was  called  for  the  same 
purpose  and  attended  by  the  overwhelming  number  of  nine — and  they 
nominated  delegates  too.  A  'primary  meeting'  was  held  in  the  same 
county  last  winter,  when  seven  of  the  people  met  and  sent  delegates 
to  Austin  to  nominate  Sam  Houston  to  the  Presidency! "  The  Journal, 
March  25,  1853. 


Organization  in  Texas  33 

us,  we  strongly  urge  upon  the  committee  the  necessity  of  calling 
another  convention  at  some  other  point. 

In  conclusion,  we  would  state  that  the  delegates  who  assembled 
here  on  the  22nd,  on  consultation,  requested  the  present  com- 
mittee to  act  until  the  assembling  of  the  next  State  convention, 
and  if  an  emergency  should  arise,  which  in  their  opinion  would 
create  the  necessity  of  a  convention  of  the  party  that  they  would 
call  a  convention  at  Washington  on  the  1st  of  June.  .  .  . 
We  urge  upon  the  party  to  prepare  for  any  emergency,  and 
never  for  a  moment  abandon  the  idea  of  a  convention  until 
success  is  placed  beyond  the  pale  of  probability.2 

The  Marshall  Republican,  on  the  other  hand,  attributed  the 
failure  of  the  convention  to  popular  mistrust.  It  said, 

Indeed,  there  seems  to  be  a  prevailing  prejudice  against  con- 
ventions— a  general  distrust  as  to  their  management — a  con- 
viction that  they  are  organized  by  demagogues  and  party  trick- 
ery, and  that  selfish  ends  are  consulted  rather  than  an  expres- 
sion of  public  opinion.  There  is  much  reason  in  this  prevailing 
sentiment.  It  has  arisen  from  the  history  of  past  conventions 
in  the  State,  and  a  sense  of  public  injustice  connected  with  their 
organization  and  action.3 

(3)  Call  for  Another  Convention. — Apparently  not  satisfied 
that  the  delegates  to  the  February  convention  had  represented 
the  will  of  the  people,  the  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  State 
central  committee,  on  April  4,  issued  following  call: 

The  Democatic  State  central  committee,  having  in  view  what 
appears  to  be  the  will  of  the  Democratic  party  throughout  the 
State,  and  desirous  of  promoting  its  harmony  and  the  concen- 
tration of  its  vote  upon  those  most  likely  to  be  the  choice  of 
the  whole  party  in  the  State,  respectfully  and  earnestly  recom- 
mend that  the  Democratic  citizens  of  the  several  counties  meet 
in  their  primary  assemblages  and  appoint  delegates  to  represent 
them  in  a  State  convention  to  convene  at  Washington  on  the 
Brazos,  the  15th  of  June  next.4 

'State  Gazette,  March  5,  1853.     Cf.  IUd.,  March  26,  1853,  for  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  causes  that  prevented  the  convention. 
'Quoted  by  State  Gazette,  March  26,  1853. 
4State  Gazette,  April  16,  1853. 


34  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

The  call  met  very  little  favorable  response.  The  Harrison 
Flag  said, 

If  such  a  convention  were  practicable,  we  might  favor  it ; 
but,  late  as  it  is,  the  busy  season  having  begun,  the  public 
mind  having  dropped  all  idea  of  such  an  assembly  and  fixed  no 
doubt  on  the  person  to  be  supported,  we  think  it  would  avoid 
*' confusion  worse  confounded"  to  lay  aside  all  thoughts  on  the 
subject.5 

The  South-Western  American  said, 

We  consider  it  doubtful  whether  delegates  will  attend  the 
convention  at  Washington  in  June.  Should  there  be  a  meagre 
attendance  at  the  convention — not  a  majority  of  the  counties  in 
the  State  present  by  delegates — we  shall  not  feel  bouncj  to  stand 
by  any  nomination  made.6 

When  the  convention  assembled  at  Washington,  only  seven 
counties  were  represented.  Consequently  no  nominations  were 
made.  However,  to  preserve  the  organization  of  the  Democratic 
party,  already  commenced,  the  resolutions  of  the  convention  that 
met  at  Austin,  January  8,  1852,  were  reaffirmed,  the  next  State 
convention  was  called  to  meet  at  Austin,  January  8,  1854,  and 
&  State  central  committee  was  appointed.7 

The  prospect  of  six  Democratic  candidates  in  the  field  to 
divide  the  vote  between  them  was  too  tempting  for  the  Whigs 
to  resist.  About  July  1st,  William  B.  Ochiltree  was  announced 
as  their  candidate.  He  had  been  placed  in  the  race  by  the 
Whig  papers  in  December  preceding,  but  at  that  time  declined 
on  the  ground  that  there  was  no  reasonable  hope  for  success. 
Now,  he  outlined  his  views  on  public  questions  and  made  au 
active  canvass.  The  Democrats  clearly  saw  the  danger.  M.  T. 
Johnson  and  J.  W.  Henderson  withdrew  from  the  race  in  favor 
of  E.  M.  Pease,  and  thereby  "prevented  Judge  Ochiltree  from 
occupying  the  gubernatorial  chair. '  '8 

'Quoted  by  Galveston  Journal,  May  20,  1853. 

'Ibid.,  May  20,  1853. 

'State  Gazette,  June  25,  1853. 

*State  Times  quoted  by  Texas  Monument,  January  25,  1854.  The  vote 
for  the  different  candidates  for  governor  was  as  follows:  Pease  13,091, 
Ochiltree  9,178,  Wood  5,983,  Evans  4,677,  Chambers  2,449,  and  Dancy 
315. 


Organization  in  Texas  35 

The  Conventions  of  1854  and  1855. — Chairman  Miller  issued 
his  call,  September  20,  for  a  State  convention  to  meet  at  Austin 
on  January  9,  1854.  The  legislature  was  in  session  when  the 
convention  met,  and  members  of  that  body  were  invited  to  serve 
the  unrepresented  counties  as  delegates.  However,  it  was  con- 
cluded that,  since  another  State  convention  would  meet  prior 
to  the  election  of  governor  and  lieutenant-governor  in  1855,  it 
was  inadvisable  to  define  questions  of  State  policy.  The  last 
National  Democratic  platform  was  endorsed  and  published,  and 
another  State  committee  was  appointed  to  prepare  for  the  con- 
vention in  1855.  The  editor  of  the  Texas  Monument  correctly 
observed,  when  he  wrote  that  "the  attempt  to  organize  the 
Democracy  of  Texas  at  the  present  looks  very  much  like  an  at- 
tempt to  organize  a  large  army  in  time  of  peace."9 

Discussion  of  the  proposed  convention  of  1855  was  indulged 
in  more  generally  by  the  newspapers  than  previous  conventions 
received.  Much  of  it  was  friendly  and  aimed  to  promote  its 
success.  "The  practical  utility  of  conventions  cannot  be  de- 
nied," said  the  Cherokee  Sentinel.  "They  beget  success,  and 
without  them  we  can  expect  no  certain  and  definite  results.  Let 
the  Democracy  in  both  county  and  State  then  do  their  duty. 
Let  us  have  a  convention  to  nominate  candidates  for  both  State 
and  congressional  offices."10  "We  are  glad,"  said  the  editor  of 
the  State  Gazette,  * '  to  see  that  the  public  sentiment  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  is  gradually  settling  down  in  favor  of  the  im- 
portance of  a  State  convention." 

The  Texas  Republican  (Marshall)  said, 

Like  the  editor  of  the  [Tyler]  Telegraph,  we  are  favorable 
to  the  convention,  and  are  disposed  to  abide  its  action,  provided 
that  anything  like  a  fair  and  full  expression  of  the  Democratic 
sentiment  of  the  State  is  elicited. 

We  are  well  aware  that  it  is  difficult,  in  a  State  like  ours, 
where  the  party  is  so  largely  in  thp  ascendant,  and  where  the 
inconvenience  and  expense  of  travel  is  so  great,  to  get  people 
to  abandon  their  business  to  attend  to  conventions.  .  .  . 

We  want  the  convention  held,  not  alone  to  nominate  candidates 

'Texas  Monument,  December  21,  1853. 

"The  Cherokee  Sentinel  quoted  by  State  Gazette,  October  7,  1854. 


36 


Beginnings  of  Political  Party 


for  State  offices  and  by  that  means  prevent  confusion  in  the 
Democratic  ranks,  but  we  desire  its  convocation  for  other  and 
higher  purposes.  There  is  a  fragment  of  the  party  in  this 
State,  and  we  regard  it  as  but  a  fragment,  composed  of  men  in 
prominent  positions,  who  have  repudiated  the  old  land  marks 
of  the  party.  These  indorse  without  qualification  the  Federal 
idea  that  the  General  government  has  the  right  to  create  internal 
improvements  in  the  States.  With  them,  the  Pacific  railroad 
bill  of  General  Rusk  and  the  appropriation  to  the  Collins  line  of 
steamers  are  favorite  measures.  We  want  to  see  these  errors 
repudiated,  and  the  Democracy  organized  upon  the  platform  of 
the  late  Democratic  National  convention.1 

But  despite  these  favorable  comments,  the  wide  publicity 
given  to  the  call  of  the  convention,  and  the  selection  of  a  season 
better  suited  for  travel  than  that  at  which  former  conventions 
were  held,  only  twelve  counties  had  delegates  in  attendance  at 
Huntsville  on  April  21,  1855.  The  convention,  therefore,  con- 
tented itself  with  the  reaffirmation  of  the  National  platform, 
rcommended  the  re-election  of  Governor  Pease  and  Lieutenant- 
Governor  Dickson,  and  appointed  January  9,  1856,  as  the  date 
for  holding  the  next  State  convention. 

This  apathy  of  the  people  of  Texas  toward  things  political, 
also  shows  itself  very  markedly  in  the  vote  polled  at  the  several 
State  elections  from  1846  to  1853.  With  the  increase  of  interest 
in  politics  in  1855,  a  large  increase  in  the  vote  cast  at  the  State 
elections  is  noted. 


Year 

Total    white 

Year 

Total  vote 

population 

for  governor 

1845 

9,578 

1846 

102,961 

1847 

14,757 

1849 

21,696 

1850 

154,034 

1851 

28,309 

1853 

35,693 

1855 

45,412 

1857 

61,230 

1860 

421,411 

1859 

63,788 

*Texas  Republican,  February  24,  1855. 


Organization  in  Texas  37 

TJie  Party  Organized,  1856-1861 

The  Campaign  of  1855. — The  one  element  requisite  to  erys- 
talize  Democratic  thought  and  action — an  aggressive  opposition 
of  considerable  strength — was  quite  unexpectedly  introduced 
shortly  after  the  adjournment  of  the  convention  of  1855.  During 
the  latter  part  of  1854  brief  notices  of  the  organization  of 
Know-Nothing  councils  appeared  in  the  newspapers  from  timy 
to  time.  General  Houston  was  in  high  favor  with  this  organi- 
zation. The  aims  and  purposes  of  the  order  were  shrouded  in 
mystery.  Its  political  activity  was  carefully  concealed.  But  in 
March,  1855,  a  Know-Nothing  was  elected  mayor  of  Galveston 
over  the  Democratic  nominee.  On  June  11,  1855,  the  Grand 
Council  met  at  Washington  on  the  Brazos,  and  secretly  nom- 
inated candidates  for  State  and  congressional  offices.  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor  Dickson  was  their  nominee  for  governor. 

When  the  Democrats  learned  what  had  happened  there  was 
surprise  and  chagrin.  Many  Democrats  had  unsuspectingly 
joined  the  Know-Nothing  councils,  and  most  of  the  Democratic 
newspapers  carried  Dickson  ?s  name  at  the  head  of  their  columns. 
A  meeting  of  Democrats,  the  "Bomb-shell"  convention,  was 
held  at  Austin,  June  16,  which  declared  war  on  the  Know- 
Nothings.  Fortunately  the  Democrats  were  never  before  in  a 
better  position  to  enter  such  a  contest.  Governor  Pease  had 
made  an  excellent  record  during  his  first  term,  and  in  John 
Marshall,  editor  of  the  State  Gazette,  the  party  had  a  leader 
and  spokesman,  whose  name  will  always  be  linked  with  the  early 
history  of  the  party  in  this  State.  Marshall  was  an  experienced 
newspaper  man  before  coming  to  Texas,  in  July  1854.  The 
Southern  Argus  (Columbus,  Miss.),  characterized  him  as  follows: 
"He  is  a  good  tactician;  a  man  of  great  sagacity,  forethought, 
and  judgment,  possessing  in  short  all  the  qualifications  which 
ought  to  be  possessed  by  the  man  who  controls  the  organ  of  a 
great  State  party.  We  congratulate  the  Democracy  of  Texas 
in  securing  the  services  of  Colonel  Marshall."2  A  recent  biog- 
rapher writes  of  him  "When  Colonel  Marshall  commenced  his 
career  at  Austin,  he  did  not  climb  by  slow  degrees  the  ladder 

^Southern  'Argus  quoted  by  State  Gazette,  September  16,  1854. 


38  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

that  led  to  his  enviable  position,  but  seemingly  almost  at  a  single 
bound  he  reached  the  head  and  front  of  the  Democratic  party 
and  held  that  place  until  the  war  of  1861  commenced.  It  was 
his  prerogative  almost  from  the  beginning  to  ride  upon  the 
whirlwind  and  direct  the  storm  of  political  commotion,  to  sit 
in  the  high  place  of  power,  or  rather  influence,  and  mould  the 
destiny  of  Texas  Democracy.  His  paper  was  the  organ,  the 
monitor,  of  that  party  until  the  war  began,  when  he  laid  down 
his  pen  and  took  up  his  sword. "! 

The  editor  of  the  Texas  State  Times  (Austin),  a  Know-Noth- 
ing newspaper,  gives  following  picture  of  the  campaign : 

Never,  perhaps,  in  the  history  of  Texas  has  the  political  char- 
acter of  the  people  presented  such  an  aspect  as  it  does  at  this 
moment.  Hitherto  a  campaign  could  hardly  be  said  to  wear 
anything  of  a  political  color,  and  in  many  instances  the  pre- 
dilection of  those  who  offered  themselves  for  office  were  not  in- 
vestigated, and  men  were  chosen  in  consideration  of  services  ren- 
dered in  the  dark  and  troublesome  times,  when  side  by  side 
Democrats  and  Whigs  struggled  for  the  rights  of  many  regard- 
less of  antecedents,  against  a  wily,  treacherous,  and  cruel  despot. 

The  times  are  sadly  changed.  A  tide  of  new  men,  and  with 
them  new  measures  have  been  constantly  rolling  into  Texas, 
and  much  of  the  primitive  patriotism  of  the  country  is  sup- 
planted by  a  set  of  politicians  who  know  but  little,  and  care  but 
little,  about  the  hardships  of  the  men  of  former  days,  except 
so  •  far  as  an  allusion  to  their  deeds  can  enhance  their  own  base 
designs.  .  .  .  It  is  a  matter  worthy  of  observation  that  a 
large  majority  of  those  who  attempt  to  mould  and  lead  public 
opinion  in  Texas  at  the  present  time  are  those  who  have  sat 
down  to  the  banquet  after  all  the  dangers  and  toil  of  preparing 
it  was  over.  .  .  . 

Other  questions  have  been  foisted  upon  the  people  by  trading 
politicians;  'new  issues  have  been  sprung  for  the  purpose  of 
engendering  a  party  spirit,  by  those  who  cannot  live  out  of  the 
atmosphere  of  discord.  But  the  true  men  of  the  country,  those 
whose  devotion  to  the  land  of  their  adoption  has  been  sealed 
with  their  best  blood,  are  not  participants  in  the  state  of  an- 
archy attempted,  and  hence  the  approaching  election  is  pre- 
ceded by  scenes  never  before  enacted  in  this  State.  The  strife 
for  office  pervades  every  class  of  our  citizens,  and  so  closely  ap- 

3W.  S.  Oldham,  in  Southwestern  Historical  Quarterly,  XX,  134. 


Organization  in  Texas  39 

pear  party  lines  to  be  drawn  that  we  verily  believe  if  a  candidate 
should  offer  himself  for  precinct  constable,  he  would  be  ques- 
tioned as  to  what  policy  he  would  pursue  in  the  event  of  his 
election.  Cliques  and  clans  have  sprung  into  existence,  and 
become  so  numerous  that  everything  wears  the  aspect  of  'con- 
fusion worse  confounded.'  It  was  not  so  in  the  olden  timesr 
and  consequently  the  present  state  of  affairs  must  be  the  result 
of  the  rank  demagogueism  of  political  hucksters. 

Texas  is  only  an  abridged  map  of  the  state  of  politics  through- 
out the  Union.4 

The  campaign  of  1855  drew  taut  political  party  lines  as  in- 
dicated by  the  Times.  But  the  editor  did  not  indicate  that  the 
course  of  Know-Nothing  press  and  speakers  in  denouncing  the 
Germans  and  Mexicans,  because  they  were  foreign  born,  and  in 
charging  them  with  abolitionist  tendencies,  because  they  owned 
few  slaves,  drove  these  elements  of  our  population  into  the  ranks, 
of  the  Democratic  part}T,  accomplishing  within  a  few  months 
what  would  otherwise  have  been  the  work  of  years.  The  Know- 
Nothings  captured  a  good  many  local  offices,  a  number  of  places 
in  the  legislature,  and  the  congressman  in  the  Eastern  District. 
The  Democrats  were  thoroughly  aroused;  for  instance,  those  of 
McLennan  County  adopted  the  following  resolution,  voicing  the 
sentiments  of  many  of  their  .compatriots  similarly  situated : 

Resolved,  that  the  apparent  ascendancy  of  the  Know-Nothing 
party  in  this  county,  as  evinced  in  the  returns  of  the  last  elec- 
tion, was  owing  to  want  of  organization  on,  the  part  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  a  thorough  and  complete  secret  organiza- 
tion of  the  opposition ;  that  the  Democratic  party  of  this  county 
are  now  thoroughly  organized,  "wide  awake,"  and  duly  "sober"; 
that  they  will  continue  this  organization  and  in  future  act  in 
concert  with  the  Democracy  throughout  the  State;  and  we  do 
hereby  pledge  ourselves  that  for  the  future  McLennan  County 
will  speak  her  true  sentiments.5 

Both  parties  celebrated  their  victories  with  elaborately  planned 
barbecues  at  Austin  during  the  early  part  of  the  session  of  the 
legislature.  The  Democrats  held  theirs  on  the  2nd  and  3rd 

'Texas  State  Times,  June  30,  1855. 
*State  Gazette,  October  27,  1855. 


40  Beginnings  of  Political  Party 

of  November,  and  on  that  occasion  adopted  the  following  reso- 
lution-: 

Resolved,  by  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in,  mass  meeting  as- 
sembled, that  we  recommend  to  the  Democrats  of  each  county  to 
thoroughly  organize  the  party  in  their  midst,  and  prepare  for 
the  first  note  of  battle  for  the  presidency  in  1856,  and  that  no 
county  of  the  State  suffer  itself  to  be  unrepresented  in  the  next 
State  convention,  which  we  propose  shall  be  held  in  the  City 
of  Austin  on  the  16th  day  of  January  next.6 

The  Know-Nothings  had  their  celebration  on  November  23rd 
and  24th.  Sam  Houston  was  the  principal  speaker  on  that  oc- 
casion. 

On  the  day  of  his  inauguration  Governor  Pease  was  escorted 
to  the  Capitol  by  a  German  band.  In  his  inaugural  address  he 
took  occasion  "for  saying  a  few  words  upon  political  subjects, 
since  our  late  election  for  State  officers  is  the  "first  that  has  been 
decided  by  our  citizens  upon  political  issues  alone. "  His  ref- 
erence to  the  "heresies  of  this  new  political  party "  caused  some 
of  the  members  to  quit  the  hall  and  produced  quite  a  sensation. 

The  Conventions  of  1856-1858. — During  the  session  of  the  leg- 
islature in  January,  1856,  both  the  Democrats  and  Know-Noth- 
ings  held  their  State  conventions  at  Austin.  Both  parties  nom- 
inated full  tickets  for  State7  officers  and  presidential  electors, 
and  appointed  delegates  to  the  National  conventions.  The  Know- 
Nothing  party  did  not  hold  another  State  convention  in  Texas. 
Fifty-four  counties  had  delegates  present  at  the  Democratic 
State  convention ;  by  allowing  members  of  the  legislature  to  rep- 
resent counties  without  delegates,  the  number  of  represented 
counties  was  increased  to  ninety-one,  leaving  only  eight  unrep- 
resented. The  position  of  the  party  was  clearly  stated.  John 
Marshall  was  elected  chairman  of  the  State  central  committee, 
a  position  to  which  he  was  annually  reelected  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  war.  "We  can  now  date  the  thorough  organization  of 
the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of  Texas,"  wrote  the  editor 

'State  Gazette,  November  17,  1855. 

TThe  attorney-general,  comptroller,  and  treasurer  constituted  the 
State  ticket  in  1856. 


Organization  in  Texas  41 

of  the  State  Gazette.  "The  convention  held  on  the  16th,  17th, 
and  18th  of  January,  [1856,]  was  one  of  the  largest  ever  held 
in  Texas,  and  will  compare  for  numbers,  respectability,  and 
talent  with  any  convention  we  have  ever  attended  in  our  sister 
States."8 

In  1857,  the  State  convention  met  at  Waco,  May  4,  and  for  the 
first  time  nominated  candidates  for  governor  and  lieutenant- 
governor.  The  two-thirds  rule  was  adopted  for  making  nomina- 
tions, and  adhered  to  for  nearly  fifty  years.  The  election  of 
Runnels  over  Houston,  after  another  very  exciting  campaign, 
demonstrated  the  excellence  of  the  party's  organization.  This 
victory  so  impressed  the  public  that  the  statement  is  frequently 
met  that  the  first  regular  Democratic  State  convention  met  at 
Waco  in  1857.  There  is,  however,  no  reason  why  it  should  take 
precedence  over  the  convention  of  1856.  The  convention  of  1858 
again  met  at  Austin.  A  motion  to  admit  members  of  the  legis- 
lature was  rejected.  This  convention  took  a  new  departure,  in- 
dicative both  of  the  growth  and  tendency  of  the  organization; 
it  nominated  candidates  for  judicial  offices,  thereby  subjecting 
them  to  the  party  test,  or  as  the  proponents  expressed  it,  insur- 
ing their  "political  adherence  to  the  truths  of  Democratic  equal- 
ity  and  justice." 

The  convention  of  1859  met  at  Houston. 

The  convention  of  1860  met  at  Galveston. 

Each  of  these  conventions  nominated  candidates  for  State 
offices  and  adopted  a  platform.  The  platforms  adhered  closely 
to  the  principles  contained  in  the  National  platform  of  1856, 
and  chiefly  concerned  themselves  with  an  elaboration  of  the 
questions  involved  in  the  contest  over  slavery.  The  leaders  of 
the  Texan  Democracy  were  stanch  supporters  of  the  State  Rights 
wing  of  the  party. 

*State  Gazette,  January  19,  1856. 


PLATFORMS  OF  POLITICAL 
PARTIES  IN  TEXAS 


DEMOCRATIC  MEETING,  1846 

AUSTIN,  April  27 

A  public  meeting  of  the  Democratic  members  of  the  legislature 
and  citizens  from  different  parts  of  the  State  was  held  at  the 
Capitol  in  the  City  of  Austin,  April  27,  1846,  in  pursuance  'of 
previous  notice,  for  the  purpose  of  appointing  a  Central  Com- 
mittee, and  adopting  measures  to  secure  the  organization  of  the 
Democratic  party  throughout  the  State. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  "William  L.  Cazneau,  of 
Travis;  permanent,  John  T.  Mills,  of  Red  River.  Secretary,  E. 
M.  Pease,  of  Brazoria.1 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  John  G.  Chalmers,  of  Travis; 
Thomas  J.  Chambers,  of  Liberty ;  R.  M.  Williamson,  of  Washing- 
ton; Hiram  G.  Runnels,  of  Brazoria;  William  H.  Bourland,  of 
Lamar;  Volney  E.  Howard,  of  Bexar;  H.  J.  Jewett,  of  Robert- 
son ;  J.  A.  Greer,  of  San  Augustine ;  John  Brown,  of  Nacogdoches ; 
L.  D.  Evans,  of  Red  River;  and  F.  C.  McClarty,  of  Rusk. 

RESOLUTIONS2 

Resolved,  [1]  That  we  adhere  to  the  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party  of  the  United  States  as  now  practiced,  and  that  we  will  advocate 
and  sustain  those  principles. 

[2]  That  this  meeting  recommend  to  the  friends  of  Democracy  in 
Texas  to  hold  meetings  in  the  various  counties  for  the  purpose  of 
electing  delegates  to  meet  in  convention  on  the  first  Monday  in  Novem- 
ber, at  Washington,3  to  adopt  such  measures  as  may  be  necessary  to 
carry  out  the  principles  Of  the  Democratic  party. 

lrThe  place  of  residence  here  indicated   signifies  the  county. 

-The  proceedings  of  this  meeting  are  taken  from  the  Texas  Democrat 
(Austin,)  May  6,  1846. 

3The  outbreak  of  the  war  with  Mexico  prevented  the  holding  of  a  convention 
at  Washington  in  November,  1846. 


44  Platforms  of  Political 

[3]  That  the  chairman  appoint  some  person  for  each  county  to  act 
as  corresponding  secretary  for  such  county  with  the  Central  Com- 
mittee to  he  appointed  at  this  meeting. 

[4]  That  the  Central  Committee,  at  a  suitable  time,  prepare  an 
address  to  the  people  of  Texas  and  have  the  same  published  in  such 
newspapers  as  are  willing  to  publish  it.  • 

Central  Committee:  Hiram  G.  Runnels,  R.  M.  Williamson, 
William  H.  Bourland,  Daniel  C.  Dickson,  John  S.  Ford,  Moses 
Johnson,  James  Webb,  John  W.  Haines,  John  G.  Chalmers, 
Thomas  J.  Chambers  and  Thomas  H.  Duval. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1848 

AUSTIN,  February  21  and  22 

Pursuant  to  a  resolution  adopted  at  a  Democratic  meeting, 
held  in  the  City  of  Austin,  January  10, 1848,  the  State  convention 
convened  in  the  Hall  of  Representatives,  Monday,  February  21, 
1848.  The  object  of  the  convention  having  been  explained,  it 
was  voted  to  invite  all  persons  present,  claiming  to  .be  Demo- 
crats, to  participate  in  the  deliberations.  A  call  of  the  roll  of 
counties  showed  that  thirty-five  were  represented  by  delegates. 

Officers:  President,  George  T.  Wood.  Vice-Presidents,  John 
A.  Greer,  Samuel  Bogart,  James  W.  Henderson  and  E.  M.  Pease. 
Secretaries,  James  M.  Swisher,  John  D.  Pitts  and  Francis  L. 
Hatch. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  E.  M.  Pease,  J.  L. 
Allen,  L.  D.  Evans,  James  Davis,  John  A.  Greer,  T.  J.  Chambers, 
P.  Cuney,  and  the  senators  and  representatives  in  Congress  from 
Texas. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  B.  Miller  and  Travis 
G.  Broocks;  Eastern  congressional  district,  W.  C.  Young; 
Western  congressional  district,  M.  A.  Dooley. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  Pease,  Stuart,  Dooley,  Grimes, 
Henderson,  DeMorse,  Evans,  Fields,  Williams,  and  Hendricks. 

RESOLUTIONS1 
WHEBEAS,  By  the  spirit  and  essence  of  our  government  all  power 

lfThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Democratic  Telegraph 
and  Texas  Register  (Houston,)  March  2,  1848. 


Parties  in  Texas  45 

emanates  from  the  people,  in  whom  it  is  inherent,  they  are  the  sov- 
ereign authority  in  the  land;  it  is  their  right  and  duty  to  determine 
the  principles  and  policy  by  which  they  desire  to  be  governed,  and 
public  officers  are  but  the  agents  and  servants  charged  with  the  execu- 
tion of  the  popular  will; 

WHEREAS,  general  intelligence,  free  discussion,  and  enlightened  public 
opinion  on  all  great  public  questions  should  form  the  basis  and  rule 
of  action  in  our  National  policy,  and  our  republican  system  of  govern- 
ment presupposes  the  investigation  and  determination  by  the  people  of 
the  organic  character  of  all  important  questions  affecting  the  interests 
and  welfare  of  the  great  mass  of  the  community; 

WHEREAS,  it  has  been,  and  should  continue  to  be  the  custom  of  our 
citizens  to  avow  and  discuss  with  frankness,  independence,  and  mod- 
eration the  principles  and  policy  which  they  desire  to  prevail  in  the 
counsels  of  the  Nation  and  in  the  administration  of  its  affairs; 

WHEREAS,  "truth  has  nothing  to  fear  from  investigation"  but,  in 
common  with  enlightened  freedom  and  the  just  appreciation  and  vin- 
dication of  human  rights,  owes  its  greatest  triumphs  to  the  opposition 
and  assaults  to  which  it  has  been  subjected; 

WHEREAS,  it  is  a  time-honored  custom  for  the  freemen  of  the  Union 
to  meet  together  in  their  primary  assemblies  and  in  the  State  and 
National  conventions  to  "reason  together,"  for  council,  for  conciliation, 
and  for  harmony  and  efficiency  of  action,  in  order  that  the  public  will 
may  have  proper  direction  and  force;  and 

WHEREAS,  principles  and  men  constitute  the  rule  of  action  with  the 
true  Democracy  of  the  Union  in  all  popular  elections;  they  as  indi- 
viduals believing  it  to  be  their  right  and  duty  not  only  to  know  and 
understand  the  principles  and  policy  professed  by  the  party  with  which 
they  cast  their  votes,  but  also  that  the  men  selected  by  them  to  fill 
important  public  offices  will  honestly  and  earnestly  exert  themselves 
to  promote  the  success  of  the  measures  which  they  believe  to  be  best 
calculated  to  promote  the  general  good,  to  preserve  the  rights  and 
advance  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  people;  therefore, 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  hail  with  pleasure,  and  will  endeavor  to 
imitate  the  examples  of  the  true  Democracy  of  the  older  States  in 
assembling  together  in  State  conventions  "to  commune  together  as 
brethren"  and  exchange  fresh  vows  of  fidelity  to  our  cause  and  to 
our  glorious  Constitution,  and  proclaim  afresh  the  great  principles  of 
freedom  and  truth  upon  which  not  only  our  party  but  our  government 
and  the  rights  which  it  guarantees  to  the  citizens  are  founded. 

2.  That  "fidelity  to  the  Union"  is  fidelity  to  the  Constitution,  that 
that  instrument  secures  to  the  citizens  of  our  wide-spread  Republic  in 
every  quarter  and  with  every  variety  of  interest  equality  of  rights 
and  privileges,   protection  in  their  persons  and  property,  freedom  of 
opinion  and  of  speech,  and  the  right  to  a  full  participation  in  all  the 
benefits  and  favors  of  the  government. 

3.  That  the   principles  and  the  opinions  of  the   Democratic  party 


46  Platforms  of  Political 

are  such  as  actuated  the  patriots  of  the  American  revolution  in  their 
struggle  for  freedom,  for  equal  rights,  and  for  equal  laws;  that  they 
contemplate  clear  and  definite  limits  to  all  the  powers  of  government, 
and  the  derivation  of  all  authority  from  the  people  for  whose  use  and 
benefit  laws  are  designed  and  government  instituted;  a  literal  and  close 
construction  of  the  Constitution,  and  the  confinement  of  the  powers  of 
the  General  Government  strictly  within  the  narrow  limits  of  its  pro- 
visions; the  entire  independence  and  sovereignty  of  the  States  in  all 
matters  not  delegated  to  the  National  Government  hy  the  Constitution, 
and  the  right  of  the  States  to  adopt  such  laws  and  policy  for  the 
regulation  of  their  own  affairs  as  they  may  deem  just  and  expedient 
and  as  are  not  prohibited  by  the  Federal  Constitution,  without  hindrance 
or  interference  on  the  part  of  either  the  General  Government  or  of  the 
other  States. 

4.  That  these  principles  deny  the  right  to  tax  the  people  without 
their  own  consent  or  to  tax  them  unequally;  that  they  look  to  freedom 
of  conscience,  freedom   of  speech   and  of  suffrage,  equal  and  general 
laws,  a  strict  construction  of  all  acts  delegating  power,  and  strict  ac- 
countability in  all  public  agents,  economy  in  expenditures  for  public 
objects,  and  the  confinement  of  the  revenues  to  the  wants  of  govern- 
ment,   administered    upon    principles    of    republican    simplicity    and 
economy. 

5.  That  the   Constitution  and  Union  of  the  States  should  be  pre- 
served at  all  hazards,  that  to   them  we  owe  the  preservation  of  our 
rights  and  liberties  from  internal  as  well  as  external  dangers,  and  that 
we  hail  in  the  declaration  of  our  Democratic  brethren  of  the  North, 
that  they  cherish  with  their  devotion  to  the  Union  an  "equal  regard 
for   the   sovereignty  and   independence   of    the   several   States   in   all 
matters  not  expressly  ceded  by  them  to  the  General  Government,"  the 
evidence  of  that  unabated  attachment  to  our  country  which  has  thus 
far  preserved  it  triumphantly  from  the  assaults  of  its  enemies,  both 
at  home  and  abroad. 

6.  That  in  the  language  of  our  political  brethren  of  the  Old  Bay 
State,  who  (amid  a  degenerate  and  perverse  generation)  have  remained 
faithful   to   the   principles   and   truths   for   which   their   fathers   bled, 
"whenever  we  find  in  our  midst  any  political  party,  under  any  pre- 
tense whatever,  threatening  to  transgress  the  limits  of  our  Constitu- 
tion or  to  trample  that  Constitution  under  foot,  straining  the  powers 
of  the  Federal  government  beyond  their  legitimate  bounds,  disregard- 
ing the  value  of  the  Union,  we  should  be  faithless  to  duty,  false  to  the 
principles  and  memory  of   our   fathers,   traitors   to  our  country   and 
posterity,  did  we  not  discountenance  that  party  and  resist  its  opera- 
tions." 

7.  That  we  approve  of  the  present  .tariff  of  the  United  States,  it 
having  been  established  for  the  purpose  of  revenue  and  adjusted  so 
as   to   place   the  burthens    of  government   upon   the   property   of   the 
country,  taxing  rich  and  poor  in  proportion  to  their  ability  to  pay  and 


Parties  in  Texas  47 

levying  heavy  duties  only  on  luxuries,  incidentally  fostering  American 
industry  and  enterprise  without  the  sacrifice  of  one  department  of 
labor  for  the  benefit  of  another. 

8.  That  the  existing  tariff,  more  nearly  than  any  other  previously 
established  by  the  American  Government,  harmonizes  with  our  ideas 
of  the  true  principles  of  the  science  of  national  wealth,  freedom  and 
equality  of  commercial  enterprise,  and  the  absence  of  monopolies  and 
bounties   whereby  certain  interests  are  fostered   and  fattened  at  the 
expense  of  others — "the  rich  made  richer  and  the  poor  made  poorer." 

9.  That  we   fully   approve  the  financial   policy  of  the    Democratic 
party  and  the  present  administration  which  has  lead  to  the  overthrow 
of  a  monstrous  money  power  and  restored  to  the  country  its  constitu- 
tional currency,  the  use  of  precious  metals,  which  are  not  liable  to 
those  fluctuations  in  value,  and  those  sudden  and  ruinous  contractions 
and  expansions  in  circulation  which  characterizes  bank  issues  and  give 
to  those  who  control  them  power  over  the  property  and  labor  of  the 
industrious  citizen. 

10.  That  James  K.   Polk  has  exhibited   intelligence,   sagacity,   and 
decision  of  character,  becoming  the  President  of  the  great  American 
Union,  and  the  zeal,  fidelity,  industry,  and  prudence  displayed  by  him 
in  the  discharge  of  his  arduous  duties,  while  (in  addition  to  the  great 
labors  and  high  responsibilities  usually  devolving  upon  the  presidential 
office)  the  care  and  burden  of  directing  the  movements  of  our  armies, 
engaged  in  a  foreign  war,  and  providing  for  their  support  have  rested 
upon  him,  are  worthy  of  the  approbation  and  applause  of  the  whole 
country  and  will  secure  to  him  a  high  place  in  history,  along  with  the 
illustrous  names  of  others  who  have  preceded  him  in  the  presidential 
chair. 

11.  That  the  heroic  exertion  and  unsurpassed  success  of  our  officers 
and  soldiers  in  Mexico  have  shed  fresh  lustre  upon  the  arms  of  our 
country  and  worthily  won  the  praise  and  gratitude  of  our  Nation,  and 
that  we   believe  that   it  would   be    unjust   disparagement    of   the   un- 
parallelled  achievements  of  all  to   designate  any  as  more  worthy  of 
praise  than  their  fellows,  and  in  carrying  out  the  spirit  of  this  opinion 
we  trust  that  there  will  be,  in  all  public  assemblages,  proper  demon- 
stration of  grateful  appreciation  of  the  services  rendered  and  that  on 
the  part  of  the  government  honorable  advancement  and  distinction  in 
the  line  of  their  profession  will  be  just  reward  of  extraordinary  services, 
disproving  the  old  maxim  that  "republics  are  ungrateful." 

12.  That  the  declaration  of  war  made  by  Congress  after  the  attack 
on  the  American  troops  in  Texas,  by  the  forces  under  General  Arista, 
was  rendered  necessary  and  proper  by  every  consideration  of  patriotism 
and  National  self-respect,  and  that  to  have  withheld  that  declaration 
would  have  made  our  country  liable  to  imputations  the  most  injurious 
to  its  honor  and  to  the  respect  which  it  should  ever  maintain  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world. 

13.  That  being  involved  in  the  war  it  became  proper  and  necessary 


48  Platforms  of  Political 

to  prosecute  it  with  energy  and  vigor,  in  order  not  only  to  inculcate  a 
wholesome  respect  for  the  rights  and  the  power  of  our  Nation  but  as 
the  only  probable  means  of  securing  the  re-establishment  of  an  honor- 
able peace  with  a  nation  that  had  shown  a  disposition  to  respect  no  law 
and  no  rights  save  those  vindicated  by  force  and  compulsion. 

14.  That  it  is  the  right  and  duty  of  the  United  States  to  continue  to 
occupy  the  territory  of  Mexico  and  to  impose  upon  that  country  the 
burthens  of  the  war  until  just  and  reasonable  overtures  for  peace  are 
made  from  the  aggressor,  with  satisfactory  assurances  of  respect  for 
our  rights  in  the  future  and  suitable  indemnity  for  past  injuries  and 
wrongs. 

15.  That  "the  doctrifce  of  no  territory"  is  the  doctrine  of  no  in- 
demnity, and  if  sanctioned  would  be  a  public  acknowledgement  that 
our  country  is  wrong  and  that  war  declared  by  Congress  was  unjust 
and  should  be  abandoned,  an  admission  unfounded  in  fact  and  degrading 
to  our  National  character. 

16.  That  in  this  State  there  is  no  diversity  of  opinion  among  any 
considerable  number  of  the  people  as  to  the  justice  and  propriety  of 
the  war  with  Mexico,  that  in  this  respect  the  people  of  Texas  are  united 
and,  feeling  properly  the  wrongs  done  our  citizens  by  Mexico  and  the 
propriety  of   defending  the  integrity  of  territory  which  belongs   es- 
pecially to  Texas,   they  approve  almost   en  masse  the  action   of  the 
administration  in  the  present  contest  and  know  in  this  issue  no  party 
but  their  country. 

17.  That  on  the  question  of  domestic  slavery  we  abide  by  the  com- 
promise of  the  Federal  Constitution,  that  no  State  has  any  right  to 
interfere  with  the  domestic  institutions  of  a  sister  State  and  that  all 
interference  on  this  subject  by  Congress  or  individuals  is  unfortunate 
for  the  peace  of  the  Union  and  still  more  unfortunate  for  the  happiness 
of  the  slave. 

18.  That  we  do  not  doubt  the  determination  of  the  present  adminis- 
tration and  of  the  Democratic  party  to  respect  and  maintain  the  true 
boundaries  of  Texas.     The  map  compiled  under  the  direction  of  the 
Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States  and  used  in  the  negotiations 
and  legislation  on  the  subject  of  annexation  embraces  the  full  limits 
claimed  by  us,  and  the  resolutions  of  Congress  under  which  annexation 
was  effected  contemplated  the  existence  of  a  sufficient  quantity  of  our 
present  territory  north  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  line  for  the  forma- 
tion of  one  or  more  additional  States,  to  the  erection  of  which   [the 
consent  of]  Texas  is  made  necessary  by  the  same  resolutions. 

19.  That  on  the  subject  of  internal  improvements  by  the  Federal 
Government,  we  fully  approve   of  the  doctrines  and  sentiments  con- 
tained in  the  veto  message  of  President  Polk  on  the  River  and  Harbor 
bill. 

20.  That  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas  will  recognize  no  erratic 
movements  in  behalf  of  individuals,  but  that  clinging  to  our  principles 


Parties  in  Texas  49 

as  the  primary  object  of  party  organization  we  will  unanimously  sus- 
tain as  the  exponent  and  representative  of  those  principles  the  person, 
upon  whom  the  choice  of  the  Democratic  National  convention  may 
concentrate. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[21]  That  a  committee  of  fourteen  gentlemen  be  appointed  to  con- 
stitute a  State  Committee  for  the  State  of  Texas,  the  members  com- 
prising which  shall  be  equally  taken  from  each  congressional  district, 
but  the  chairman  thereof  and  at  least  one  other  member  comprising 
which  shall  reside  at  the  seat  of  government  The  power  and  duties 
of  said  committee  shall  be  those  which  usually  belong  to  such  com- 
mittees, to  wit:  to  call  meetings  upon  extraordinary  occasions,  to  fill 
vacancies  which  may  occur  in  any  representative  bodies  of  the  party 
which  require  prompt  action,  to  correspond  at  home  and  abroad  on 
subjects  involving  general  and  particular  interest,  and  generally  to 
represent  and  take  care  of  the  interests  of  the  party.  Said  committee 
to  continue  in  existence  until  the  holding  of  the  next  Democratic  State 
convention.2 

[22]  That  we  will  as  Texans  support  for  the  presidency  and  vice- 
presidency  of  the  United  States  such  individuals  of  the  Democratic 
party  as  will  maintain  the  Federal  compromise  on  the  subject  of  slavery 
and  maintain  the  establishment  of  our  boundary  line  as  defined  by  the 
laws  of  the  late  Republic  of  Texas. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1852 

AUSTIN,  January  8  and  9 

The  Democratic  members  of  the  legislature  met  on  November 
10,  1851,  and  adopted  a  resolution  recommending  to  the  De- 
mocracy of  the  several  counties  to  elect  delegates  to  a  State 
convention  to  be  held  at  Austin  on  January  8,  1852,  for  the 
purpose  of  appointing  delegates  to  the  National  Democratic 
convention  .and  to  nominate  presidential  electors.  The  con- 
vention assembled  on  the  date  appointed.  A  call  of  the  roll  of 
the  counties  showed  that  only  twenty-two  were  represented  by 
delegates.  Thereupon  it  was  voted  that  the  Democratic  senators 
and  representatives  of  such  counties  as  were  not  represented  by 
delegates  be  invited  to  represent  them. 

Officers:     President,   Samuel  Bogart.     Vice-Presidents,  1.  B. 

2The  names  of  the  gentlemen  appointed  on  the  State  committee  provided 
for  in  this  resolution  have  not  been  found. 


50  Platforms  of  Political 

Bigelow,  John  0.  Meusebach  and  James  Davis.  Secretaries,  F. 
L.  Hatch,  F.  J.  Parker  and  John  D.  McLeod. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  Thomas  J.  Rusk;  Mat. 
Ward,  of  Cass;  William  C.  Pollock,  of  Nacogdoches;  E.  E.  Lott, 
of  Smith;  B.  E.  Edwards,  of  Bexar;  Ed  Clark,  of  Harrison; 
H.  M.  Lawson,  of  Rusk;  E.- Mabray,  of  Bastrop;  Volney  E. 
Howard,  of  Bexar ;  Charles  DeMorse,  of  Red  River ;  J.  W.  Scott, 
of  Harris;  Z.  W.  Eddy,  of  Jasper;  M.  A.  Dooley,  of  Comal;  L. 
P.  Camp,  of  Upshur;  Samuel  Bogart,  of  Collin;  R.  Scurry;  L. 
C.  Clopton,  of  Smith;  E.  M.  Pease,  of  Brazoria;  Chas.  B.  Stewart, 
of  Montgomery;  Ashbel  Smith,  of  Harris;  Thomas  H.  Duggan, 
of  Guadalupe ;  A^  J.  Hamilton,  of  Travis ;  R.  A.  Irion,  of  Nacog- 
doches; A.  J.  Hood,  of  Cherokee. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Lemuel  D.  Evans,  of 
Harrison,  and  Guy  M.  Bryan,  of  Brazoria ;  Eastern  congressional 
district,  George  W.  Smyth,  of  Jasper;  Western  congressional 
district,  Robert  S.  Neighbors,  of  Bexar. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  James  W.  Henderson,  A.  J.  Ham- 
ilton, Lucius  C.  Clopton,  Asa  M.  Lewis,  Henry  M.  Lawson,  I.  A. 
Paschal  and  William  F.  Evans. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

WHEREAS,  the  distinctive  feature  in  the  political  creed  of  the  great 
Democratic  party  of  the  United  States  is  a  confiding  trust  in  the  in- 
telligence, the  patriotism,  and  the  discriminating  justice  of  the  Ameri- 
can people;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  time  has  arrived  when  it  behooves  the  Democracy  of 
the  State  of  Texas  to  organize  and  by  united  action  to  rally  to  the 
support  of  those  great  principles  which  lie  at  the  foundation  of  a  gov- 
ernment springing  from  and  upheld  by  popular  will;  therefore 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of  Texas,  com- 
ing together  in  a  spirit  of  concord  and  devotion  to  the  doctrines  and 
faith  of  a  free  representative  government,  do  now  avow  and  reassert, 
before  the  American  people,  the  following  declaration  of  principles 
avowed  by  the  National  Democratic  convention  of  1848:  [Here  follow 
resolutions  4-12  of  the  National  Democratic  platform  of  1848  as  printed 
in  McKee,  National  Conventions  and  Platforms  of  All  Political  Parties.'] 

2.  That  the  measures  passed  by  the  last  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  commonly  known  as  "the  Compromise  Acts,"  are  regarded  by 

Proceedings  of  tJ>°  Democratic  State  Convention,  assembled  at  Austin,  Jan. 
8,  1852.  Printed  at  the  office  of  the  South  Western  American,  1852. 


Parties  in  Texas  51 

the  Democracy  of  Texas  as  a  final  adjustment  of  the  dangerous  and 
vexed  questions  they  embrace. 

3.  That   the   principles    contained    in   the   Virginia    and    Kentucky 
resolutions   of   1798   are  fully  recognized  by  this   convention   as  pre- 
senting a  true  exposition  of  the  constitutional  rights  of  the  States  and 
of  the  General  Government  under  the  Federal  compact,  and  that  they 
are  equally  opposed  to  consolidation,  secession,  and  disunion. 

4.  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  do  present  to  the  favorable  con- 
sideration of  the  great  Democratic  party  of  the  United  States  General 
Sam  Houston,  the  hero  of  San  Jacinto,  as  a  patriot,  chieftain,  and 
statesman  eminently  worthy  to  be  the  standard  bearer  of  the  party 
in  the  approaching  canvass  for  the  Presidency;   and  while  we  would 
hail  his  nomination  with  proud  satisfaction  we  pledge  our  warm  and 
hearty  support  to  the  nominee  of  the  Democratic  National  convention. 

Central  Committee:  Washington  D.  Miller,  of  Travis,  chair- 
man; 0.  Evans,  of  Bexar;  Z.  Williams  Eddy,  of  Jasper;  Peter 
W.  Gray,  of  Harris;  A.  H.  Evans,  of  San  Augustine;  James  C 
Wilson,  of  Matagorda;  John  H.  Eeagan,  of  Anderson;  S.  H. 
Morgan,  of  Red  River;  H.  L.  Grinsted,  of  Cameron;  F.  J.  Parker, 
of  Cameron ;  Joel  L.  Ankrim,  of  El  Paso ;  Sam  Bogart,  of  Collin ; 
Joseph  Barker,  of  Bowie. 

WHIG  CONVENTIONS,  1852 

No  State  convention  was  held  by  the  Whig  party  in  1852 ;  in- 
stead conventions  were  held  in  each  congressional  district.  That 
for  the  Eastern  district  met  at  Tyler  April  20th,  and  that  for 
the  Western  district  met  at  Houston  May  6th.  The  conventions 
assembled  in  response  to  calls  issued  by  county  conventions. 

By  resolution  of  the  Tyler  convention,  all  Whigs  present  were 
invited  to  take  seats  in  the  convention  as  members  and  partici- 
pate in  the  duties  of  the  same.  Its  proceedings  follow. 

Officers:  President,  C.  C.  Mills,  of  Harrison.  Vice-President, 
Judge  Daniels,  of  Cherokee.  Secretaries,  J.  R.  Armstrong,  of 
Rusk,  and  Thos.  Lewelling,  of  Smith. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  Eastern  district:  W. 
B.  Ochiltree,  of  Nacogdoches;  B.  H.  Epperson,  of  Red  River; 
Samuel  A.  Roberts,  of  Fannin;  John  Speak,  of  Cass;  A.  J. 
Fowler,  of  Anderson ;  T.  P.  Collins,  of  Houston ;  Charles  Stewart, 
of  San  Augustine ;  Norris  Austin,  of  Sabine ;  T.  J.  Crawford,  of 
Jasper;  Joseph  Herrington,  of  Angelina;  S.  G.  Swan,  of  Rusk; 


52  Platforms  of  Political 

H.  M.  Cozart,  of  Shelby ;  William  B.  Davis,  of  Cherokee ;  S.  L. 
Earle,  of  Smith;  R.  J.  Lindsey,  of  Bowie. 

Western  district :  J.  B.  Ashe,  of  Galveston ;  James  Reily,  of 
Harris ;  Albert  Ball,  of  Galveston ;  Lewis  A.  Bryan,  of  Cameron ; 
John  Dickenson,  of  Harris. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  B.  F.  Caruthers,  of 
Travis,  and  C.  C.  Mills,  of  Harrison ;  Eastern  congressional  dis- 
trict, J.  W.  Throckmorton,  of  Collin ;  Western  congressional  dis- 
trict, J.  E.  Kirby,  of  Austin. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  W.  B.  Ochiltree,  of  Nacogdoches. 

chairman;  Trimble,  of  Red  River;  T.  T.  Gammage,  of 

Harrison;  J.  C.  Robertson,  of  Smith;  S.  G.  Swan,  of  Rusk;  C. 
C.  Mills,  of  Harrison. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

WHEREAS,  We,  the  Whigs  of  Eastern  Texas,  believe  that  it  is  right 
and  proper  that  we  should  be  represented  in  the  National  convention 
of  the  Whig  party,  proposed  to  be  held  in  June  next;  and 

WHEREAS,  We  further  believe  that  it  is  right  and  proper  that  this 
convention  should  give  such  indications  of  its  views  on  certain  great 
questions  which  will  in  all  probability  engage  the  attention  of  the 
National  Whig  convention  as  will  serve  as  a  guide  to  our  representa- 
tives therein;  therefore, 

Resolved,  [1]  That  upon  the  maintenance  of  the  great  cardinal  prin- 
ciples of  the  Whig  party  depends  the  prosperity  and  permanency  of 
our  government. 

[2]  That  the  rapid  and  immense  growth  of  our  country,  the  diversity 
of  soil,  climate,  and  products,  the  various  conflicting  interests,  which 
naturally  exist  in  a  country  so  extensive,  demand  from  the  people  a 
strong  adherence  to  the  construction  of  the  Constitution  promulgated 
by  the  early  administrations,  that  the  Congress  of  the  United  States 
has  the  right  to  make  appropriations  for  the  construction  of  works  of 
internal  improvement,  as  upon  the  drawing  together  of  the  various 
parts  by  facilities  of  intercourse  and  an  exchange  of  the  products  of 
labor  depend  the  preservation  of  these  United  States. 

[3]  That  present  appearances  indicate  that  the  Old  World  is  upon  the 
eve  of  a  great  political  revolution  and,  however  much  we  may  sym- 
pathize with  the  oppressed,  we  believe  that  the  Whig  party  without 
exception  does  recognize  the  great  principle  of  nonintervention,  as 
promulgated  by  the  immortal  Washington,  and  as  explained  by  his 

1The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Star  State  Patriot 
(Marshall,)  May  8,  1852. 


Parties  in  Texas  53 

great  disciple  Henry  Clay  in  his  admirable  address  to  Governor 
Kossuth. 

[4]  That  we  have  an  abiding  confidence  in  the  honesty,  integrity, 
and  sterling  love  of  country  of  the  great  wings  of  the  Whig  party 
throughout  the  United  States;  we  have,  therefore,  no  fears  in  pledging 
ourselves  to  the  support  of  the  nominee  of  the  Whig  National  con- 
vention, believing  that  that  convention  will  be  too  honest  to  select  as  a 
candidate  for  the  Presidency  an  abolitionist,  and  too  prudent  to  nomi- 
nate an  interventionist. 

[5]  That  we  recognize  the  Compromise  Measures  as  an  emanation 
from  Whig  policy  and  to  the  Whig  party  must  the  people  look  to  see 
them  sustained. 

[6]  That  our  delegates  in  the  National  convention  be  instructed  to 
exercise  their  own  free  and  untrammeled  choice  in  voting  for  a  can- 
didate for  the  Presidency  in  said  convention,  provided  that  in  no  in- 
stance shall  they  cast  a  vote  for  any  man  who  they  believe  will  con- 
sent to  any  repeal  or  modification  of  the  present  Fugitive  Slave  Law. 

[7]  That  this  convention  will  proceed  to  appoint  delegates  to  repre- 
sent the  State  in  the  Whig  National  convention,  and  also  an  elector 
for  the  State  at  large,  and  one  elector  for  the  First  or  Eastern  con- 
gressional district,  leaving  it  to  our  brethren  of  the  West  to  fill  out  the 
electoral  ticket,  and  to  appoint  such  number  of  delegates  to  the  National 
convention  as  they  shall  think  proper,  hereby  pledging  ourselves  cor- 
dially to  support  their  nominations. 

[8]  That  any  delegate  appointed  by  this  convention  to  attend  the 
session  of  the  National  convention  shall  have  the  right  to  appoint  a 
proxy  in  writing  to  cast  his  vote,  provided  said  proxy  shall  be  a 
citizen  of  the  State  of  Texas. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[9]  WHEREAS,  in  the  opinion  of  this  convention  the  organic  laws  of 
our  State  impose  serious  barriers  to  the  substantial  interests  and 
growing  prosperity  of  our  people,  and  that  the  agricultural  and  com- 
mercial interests  of  the  whole  State  loudly  call  for  an  alteration  in 
the  constitution;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  citizens  of  Texas  be,  and  they  are  hereby  requested 
by  this  convention  to  act  in  their  sovereign  capacity,  and  instruct 
their  representatives  in  the  next  legislature  to  take  the  necessary  steps 
to  have  the  constitution  so  altered  as  to  afford  banking  facilities  to 
the  people,  which  we  deem  to  be  of  such  vital  importance  to  the  future 
growth  and  prosperity  of  our  State. 

[10]  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  convention  judicious  works  of 
internal  improvements  are  of  primary  importance  in  developing  the 
resources  of  a  large  portion  of  our  State,  now  so  isolated  as  to  be 
comparatively  valueless  and  which  in  point  of  climate  and  productive- 
ness of  soil  is  unsurpassed  by  any  portion  of  the  United  States,  and 


54  Platforms  of  Political 

that  our  legislature  in  promoting  these  great  objects  should  at  this 
time  direct  the  means  and  energies  of  the  State  mainly  to  the  con- 
struction of  a  great  central  train  of  railroad,  running  from  East  to 
West  through  the  whole  State,  so  as  ultimately  to  form  a  link  in  a 
road  running  across  the  continent  of  America  connecting  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  waters. 

Central  Committee:  W.  B.  Ochiltree,  B.  H.  Epperson,  T.  T. 
Gammage,  Dr.  Roberts,  Josiah  Stafford. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1853 

WASHINGTON,  June  15 

The  chairman  of  the  central  committee  on  December  5,  1852, 
issued  a  call  for  a  State  convention  to  meet  at  Austin,  February 
22,  1853,  for  the  purpose  of  nominating  candidates  for  governor 
and  lieutenant-governor.  The  adjournment  of  the  legislature 
prior  to  that  date  prevented  holding  the  convention.  On  April 
4,  Chairman  Miller  issued  a  call  for  a  convention  at  Washington- 
on-the-Brazos,  June  15,  1853.  Only  seven  counties  had  delegates 
at  Washington  on  the  day  for  the  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  A.  M.  M.  Upshaw;  Secretary,  J.  W. 
Hampton. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  David  Y.  Portis,  of  Austin;  Ben- 
jamin B.  Goodrich,  of  Grimes ;  Josiah  Grant,  of  Burleson ;  M.  E. 
Abby,  of  Galveston ;  W.  D.  Thompson,  of  Milam ;  Daniel  Landes, 
of  Washington,  and  J.  W.  Hampton,  of  Travis. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

WHEREAS,  the  inclemency  of  the  season  and  the  adjournment  of  the 
legislature  at  an  earlier  day  than  that  set  apart  for  the  meeting  of 
this  convention,  on  the  22nd  day  of  February  last,  prevented  a  general 
attendance  of  the  delegates  appointed  by  the  people  thereto;  therefore, 

Resolved,  1.  That  this  convention  will  not  make  nominations  for 
the  offices  of  governor  and  lieutenant-governor,  as  contemplated  by  the 
call  of  the  Democratic  State  central  committee. 

2.  That  this  convention  will  confine  itself  to  such  action  as  may 
appear  to  be  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  the  organization,  already 
commenced,  of  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State. 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this-  convention  are  taken  from  the  Texas  State  Gazette 
(Austin,)  June  25,  1853. 


Parlies  in  Texas  55 

3.  That  we  assert  and  reaffirm  the  doctrines  and  principles  expressed 
in  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Democratic  State  convention  which 
assembled  in  the  City  of  Austin  on  the  8th  day  of  January,  1852,  to  wit: 
[Here  follow  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  convention  held  in  Austin 
on  January  8,  1852.] 

4.  That   the    Democratic    State    convention    for   the   year    1854   be 
holden  at  the  City  of  Austin,  on  Monday  the  8th  day  of  January  next. 

5.  That  the  Democratic  State  convention  be  hereafter  holden  alter- 
nately in  the  Eastern  and  Western,  divisions  of  the  State  respectively; 
the  time  and  place  for  the  said  convention  to  be  holden  in  the  Eastern 
division  to  be  fixed  by  the  next  convention  at  Austin. 

6.  As   a   thorough   organization   of   the   Democracy   throughout  the 
State  is  by  this  convention  deemed  highly  important,  be  it  resolved, 
That  the  chairman  of  the  State  central  committee  hereby  appointed 
be  requested  to  designate  one  Democrat  in  each  county  in  the  State 
to  call  a  meeting  of  the  Democracy  in  his  county  for  the  purpose  of 
organization  and  the  appointment  of  a  county  central  committee  to  act 
in  concert  with  the  State  central  committee. 

7.  That  the   following  gentlemen   constitute  the  Democratic   State 
central  committee  for  the  year  ending  on  the  8th  January,  1854,  to  wit: 
[The  names  appear  at  the  end  of  these  resolutions.] 

8.  That  an  adequate  collection  be v  now  taken  up  to  defray  the  ex- 
penses  of  publishing  in  pamphlet  form,  and  distributing  throughout 
the  State  the  proceedings  of  the  present  convention. 

9.  That  the  Democratic  editors  throughout  the  State  be  respectfully 
requested  to  give  publicity  to  the  proceedings  of  this  convention  in 
their  respective  papers. 

Additional  Resolution 

[10]  That  the  thanks  of  the  convention  are  hereby  tendered,  in  the 
name  of  our  constituents,  to  the  Hon.  Washington  D.  Miller  for  the 
able  and  efficient  manner  in  which  he  has  discharged  the  important 
duties  of  his  office  the  past  two  years,  and  in  requesting  him  to  continue 
in  that  responsible  post  we  feel  well  satisfied  that  the  Democracy  of 
Texas  have  in  him  a  sentinel  on  the  watch  towers  who  will  ever  prove 
a  true  and  reliable  guardian  of  their  cherished  principles. 

Central  Committee:  "Washington  D.  Miller,  of  Travis,  chair- 
man; J.  W.  Hampton,  of  Travis;  W.  S.  Oldhajn,,  of  Travis; 
Stephen  Crosby,  of  Travis;  Thomas  H.  Duval,  of  Travis;  John 
S.  Ford,  of  Travis ;  James  B.  Shaw,  of  Travis ;  James  M.  Swisher, 
of  Travis;  Onesimus  Evans,  of  Bexar;  J.  0.  Meusebach,  of 
Bexar;  J.  C.  Wilson,  of  Matagorda;  Z.  W.  Eddy,  of  Jasper;  S. 
H.  Morgan,  of  Red  River;  William  C.  Young,  of  Grayson;  Joel 


56  .     Platforms  of  Political 

L.  Ankrim,  of  El  Paso ;  Rufus  Doane,  of  El  Paso ;  I.  B.  Bigelo  w, 
of  Cameron;  James  H.  Durst,  of  Nueces;  Hamilton  P.  Bee,  of 
Webb;  Sam  Bogart,  of  Collin;  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,  of  Cass;  A.  W. 
Berry,  of  Collin ;  W.  G.  W.  Jowers,  of  Anderson ;  J.  W.  Hander- 
son,  of  Harris;  F.  H.  Merriman,  of  Galveston;  T.  J.  Chambers, 
of  Liberty;  Alexander  W.  Sneed,  of  Milam;  S.  Boyd,  of  Lime- 
stone; W.  F.  Henderson,  of  Navarro;  M.  A.  Dooley,  of  Comal; 
James  Shaw,  of  Burleson ;  S.  W.  Sims,  of  Bastrop ;  W.  C.  Henry, 
of  Rusk;  E.  M.  Pease,  of  Brazoria;  Jesse  Grimes,  of  Grimes;  T. 
H.  Duggan,  of  Guadalupe ;  J.  M.  Clough,  of  Harrison ;  Claiborne 
Kyle,  of  Hays;  Clark  L.  Owen,  of  Jackson;  G.  B.  Erath,  of 
McLennan ;  James  Davis,  of  Polk ;  William  H.  Parson,  of  Smith ; 
N.  B.  Charlton,  of  Tyler;  Sam  D.  Hay,  of  Walker;  H.  Yoakum, 
of  Walker;  J.  B.  Robertson,  of  Washington;  W.  R.  Scurry,  of 
Washington;  A.  M.  M.  Upshaw,  of  Washington;  George  Quinan, 
of  Wharton;  Micajah  Goodwin,  of  Navarro ;  N.  Amory,  of 
Nacogdoches;  H.  R.  Runnels,  of  Bowie,  and  D.  Y.  Portis,  of 
Austin. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1854 

AUSTIN,  January  9-11 

Chairman  Miller  issued  a  call  on  September  20,  1853,  for  the 
State  convention  to  meet  at  Austin,  January  9,  1854.  It  was 
voted  that  all  Democrats  present  from  counties  that  had  not 
appointed  delegates  be  invited  to  enroll  their  names  as  delegates. 
The  legislature  being  in  session,  the  Democratic  senators  and 
representatives  were  admitted  by  this  resolution.  Sixty-two 
counties  were  represented. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  David  C.  Dickson,  of  Grimes; 
permanent,  J.  A.  Greer,  of  San  Augustine.  Vice-Presidents, 
Sam  Bogart,  of  Collin;  W.  S.  Oldham,  of  Travis;  and  J.  C. 
Wilson  of  Matagorda.  Secretaries  pro  tempore,  J.  W.  Hampton, 
of  Travis;  permanent,  E.  R.  Peck,  of  Travis;  J.  C.  Lawhon,  of 
Newton ;  and  S.  G.  Nowlan,  of  Bexar. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  William  R.  Scurry,  of  Travis;  N. 
B.  Charlton,  of  Tyler;  J.  W.  Sims,  of  Red  River;  I.  L.  Hill,  of 
Fayette;  J.  H.  Speight,  of  Sabine ;  J.  K.  Holland,  of  Shelby,  and 
E.  R.  Hord,  of  Starr. 


Parties  in  Texas  57 


RESOLUTIONS1 

The  committee  on  resolutions  would  make  the  following  report: 
That  inasmuch  as  it  is  contemplated  that  another  convention  will 
assemble  in  1855,  prior  to  any  general  election  for  State  officers,  they 
deem  it  premature  to  adopt  any  resolutions  declaratory  of  the  principles 
and  policy  of  the  Democratic  party  of  this  State  upon  questions  of 
domestic  State  policy,  as  that  duty  will  devolve  more  properly  upon 
that  convention. 

The  cardinal  principles  of  the  Democratic  party  of  the  Union,  as 
understood  and  practiced  by  them  from  the  days  of  Jefferson  to  the 
present  hour,  have  conduced  more  than  all  things  else  combined  to 
the  progress,  prosperity,  and  renown  of  the  American  confederacy. 
Those  principles  were  reasserted  by  the  late  Democratic  convention 
at  Baltimore,  and  upon  his  cordial  endorsement  of  that  platform  was 
Franklin  Pierc-e  elected  President  of  the  United  States  by  an  unex- 
ampled majority  of  the  people.  The  committee  believe  that  those 
principles  cannot  be  too  often  reaffirmed,  or  our  fealty  to  them  too  often 
renewed.  They,  therefore,  report  the  following  resolutions  and  re- 
commend their  adoption:  [Here  follows  the  complete  National  Demo- 
cratic platform  of  1852.] 

Resolved,  [1]  That  the  administration  of  the  Federal  government 
upon  the  principles  contained  in  the  foregoing  resolutions  is  the  only 
safeguard  against  encroachment  by  the  general  government  upon  the 
sovereignty  of  the  States,  and  the  political  liberties  of  the  people,  and 
that  the  President  has  thus  far  administered  the  same  in  strict  accord- 
ance therewith. 

[2]  That  we  recognize  in  Franklin  Pierce  a  pure  and  able  statesman 
of  the  Jeffersonian  school,  whose  patriotism  and  political  integrity, 
while  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  fully  warranted  the 
Democracy  of  the  Union  in  selecting  him  to  preside  over  the  councils 
of  the  Nation,  and  whose  ability  as  a  statesman  and  fidelity  to  the 
Constitution  as  manifested  in  his  inaugural  address,  his  annual  message 
of  December  8th,  and  his  official  conduct  as  chief  magistrate,  commend 
him  to  the  American  people  as  a  true  patriot  into  whose  hands  they 
may  commit  their  political  rights  with  the  utmost  confidence  that  he 
will  watch  over  and  protect  them  with  a  vigilance,  zeal  and  fidelity 
commensurate  with  the  sacredness  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him. 

[3]  That  the  action  of  the  administration  in  the  case  of  Martin 
Koszta  is  a  realization  of  the  hope  awakened  by  the  noble  declaration 
of  the  inaugural  address  in  relation  to  the  protection  of  American 
citizens  abroad,  and  the  principles  enunciated  in  the  letter  of  Secretary 
Marcy  meet  with  the  cordial  approbation  of  the  Texas  Democracy. 

irThe  proceedings  of  thia(  convention  are  taken  from  the  Texas  State  Gazette 
(Austin,)  January  17,  1854. 


58  Platforms  of  Political 

Central  Committee:  John  S.  Ford,  of  Travis;  D.  M.  Stapp, 
of  Victoria;  Guy  M.  Bryan,  of  Brazoria;  A.  M.  M.  Upshaw,  of 
Washington;  E.  A.  Palmer,  of  Harris;  C.  G.  Keenan,  of  Walker; 
B.  E.  Edwards,  of  Bexar;  Thomas  M.  Hardeman,  of  Caldwell; 
H.  P.  Bee,  of  Webb ;  Rufus  Doane,  of  El  Paso ;  George  E.  Burney, 
of  McLennan;  W.  H.  Stewart,  of  Gonzales;  S.  H.  Morgan,  of 
Red  River ;  Samuel  Bogart,  of  Collin ;  John  R.  Burk,  of  Newton ; 
Nat  Burford,  of  Dallas;  Jeremiah  M.  Clough,  of  Harrison;  M. 
D.  Ector,  of  Rusk;  M.  M.  Potter,  of  Galveston;  J.  E.  Cravens, 
of  Anderson;  J.  P.  Henderson,  of  San  Augustine;  N.  B.  Charl- 
ton,  of  Tyler;  William  Fields,  of  Liberty;  William  C.  Young, 
of  Grayson ;  John  Long,  of  Houston ;  A.  J.  Hood,  of  Cherokee. 

GERMAN  MASS  MEETING,  1854 
SAN  ANTONIO,  May  15 

The  second  Saengerfest  was  held  at  San  Antonio  in  May,  1854. 
For  the  same  time  the  Freie  Vereine  of  Sisterdale  and  San  An- 
tonio called  a  mass  meeting  of  the  Germans  of  West  Texas  for 
the  purpose  of  expressing  their  political  principles.  The  meeting 
was  attended  by  about  two  hundred.  It  was  a  windfall  for  the 
Know-Nothings,  then  just  beginning  to  organize  in  this  State. 

Officers:  Chairman,  H.  Guenther,  of  New  Braunfels.  Vice- 
Presidents,  Fr.  Oswald,  of  San  Antonio,  and  Wm.  Keidel,  of 
Fredericksburg.  Secretaries,  Jul.  Schlickum,  of  Fredericksburg : 
A.  Siemering,  of  Sisterdale;  Dr.  Hertzberg,  of  San  Antonio;  L. 
Schuetze,  of  Coletto. 

DECLARATION    OF   PRINCIPLES1 

Indem  wir  von  der  Ueberzeugung  ausgehen,  dass  das  Volk  der  Ver- 
einigten  Staaten  weder  die  Freiheit  geniesst,  welche  ihm  die  Verfassung 
verspricht,  noch  die  Stellung  einnimmt,  welche  ihm  seine  Macht  und 
Ausdehnung  gemass,  dem  Auslande  gegeniiber,  zukommt,  und  indem 
wir  erkannt  haben,  dass  die  bestehenden  Parteien  weder  den  Willen 
noch  die  Kraft  haben,  die  politischen,  socialen  und  religiosen  Verhalt- 
nisse  der  Vereinigten  Staaten  den  Wunschen  einer  grossen  Zahl  ameri- 
kanischer  Burger  entsprechend  zu  verbessern,  haben  wir  uns  unter 

1PThe  proceedings  of  this  mass  meeting  are  taken  from  the  San  Antonio 
Zeitung,  May  20  and  27,  1854. 


Parties  in  Texas  59 

Aufstellung  einer  Reihe  von  Grundsatzen  dahin  vereinigt,  dass  wir  von 
den  sich  voraussichtlich  neu  bildenden  Parteien  mit  derjenigen  Hand 
in  Hand  gehen  werden,  welche  uns  die  meisten  Garantien  zur  Ver- 
wirklichung  unserer  Forderungen  bietet. 

Hiermit  verwahren  wir  uns  zugleich  ausdriicklich  gegen  jeden  Vor- 
wurf,  als  sei  es  unsere  Absicht,  eine  "deutsche  Partei"  zu  bilden,  und 
erklaren,  dass  unsere  Vereinigung  als  Deutsche  lediglich  einen  sprach- 
lichen  Grund  hat. 

A.     Politische  Reform 

1.  Die  Verfassung  der  Vereinigten  Staaten  ist  die  beste  der  jetzt 
bestehenden.       Sie   ist   jedoch,    wie   alles   Bestehende,    einer   weiteren 
Entwickeluug  fahig  und  bediirftig.     Wir  fordern  daher: 

a.  Directs  Wahl  der  Prasidenten  und  Senatoren  durch  das  Volk. 

b.  Wahl   der  Richter,   der  Post-,   Steuer-  und  aller   Administrativ- 
Beamten,  mit  Ausnahme  der  Kabinets-Mitglieder  und  Gesandten,  durch 
das  Volk; 

c.  Absetzbarkeit  der  Beamten,  nicht  aus  Partei-Riicksichten,  sondern 
nur  wegen  Unfahigkeit  oHer  Pflichtverletzung,  nach  Gesetz  und  Recht; 

d.  Wahlbarkeit  ohne  Riicksicht  auf  den  Wohnort  des  zu  Wahlenden; 

e.  Recht  der  Wahler,  die  Abgeordneten,  deren  Wirksamkeit  sie  nicht 
befriedigt,  durch  Majoritats-Beschluss  zuriick  zu  rufen. 

2.  Um  den  Vereinigten  Staaten  eine  wiirdige  Stellung  dem  Auslande 
gegeniiber   zu    geben   und   ihren   Einfluss   auf   die   Entwickelung   der 
Freiheit  geltend  zu  machen,  fordern  wir: 

a.  Anerkennung    und    Aufrechterhaltung    republikanischer    Staaten 
durch  thatige  Hiilfe; 

b.  Ausreichenden  Schutz  amerikanischer  Staatsbiirger  im  Auslande; 

c.  Aufrechterhaltung  der  Monroe-Doctrin ; 

d.  Aufhebung  aller  Auslieferungs-Vertrage. 

3.  Die    Streitmacht   zur   See   und   zu   Lande   1st   ein    Institut   zum 
Schutze  des  Landes  und  seiner  Burger  und  erheischt  desshalb  Aner- 
kennung und  Einrichtung  derselben  als  eines  volksthumlichen  Staats- 
korpers.     Desshalb  fordern  wir: 

a.  Nur  Burger  und  Staats-Angehorige,  welche  ihre  Declaration  seit 
mindestens  einem  Jahre  abgegeben  haben,  diirfen  Soldat  sein; 

b.  Abschaffung  jeder  Korperstrafe: 

c.  Der  Soldat  soil  in  Friedenszeiten  wie  ein  Burger  gerichtet  werden; 

d.  Aufhebung  der  Kadetten-Erziehungs-Anstalten; 

e.  Einrichtung    von    Bildungs-Anstalten    fiir   gediente    Soldaten    zu 
Offizieren  und  Staatsbildung  fiir  Offiziere  in  Theorie  und  Praxis. 

B.     Sociale  Reform 

1.  Die  Gesetzgebung  und  Gerechtigkeitspflege  haben  zum  Zweck, 
die  Rechte  des  Burgers  den  Anforderungen  des  Zeitgeistes  gemass 


60  Platforms  of  Political 

welter  zu   entwickeln  und  zu  schiitzen.     Die  Strafe  soil  nicht  welter 
gehen,  als  solcher  Schutz  erheischt.     Darum  fordern  wir: 

a.  Allgemein  giiltig-e  Criminal-  und  Civil-Gesetze,  welche  durch  Ein- 
fachheit  und   Bestimmtheit  jedem   Burger  verstandlich  sind  und   die 
Aushulfe  der  Advokaten  entbehrlich  machen; 

b.  Gegeniiberstellung   des   Klagers   dem   Beklagten   und   somit   Ab- 
schaffung  der  Grand-Jury; 

c.  Abschaffung  der  Schuldhaft; 

d.  Ein  bestimmtes  zum  Lebensunterhalt  nothwendiges  Besitzthum 
soil  dem  gerichtlichen  Verkaufe  nicht  unterworfen  sein; 

e.  Gleichstellung    der    Arbeit    mit    dem    Capital    in    alien    darauf 
beziiglichen  Gesetzen; 

f.  Abschaffung  der  Todesstrafe; 

g.  Weitere  Gesetze  zur  Beforderung  und  zum  bessern  Schutze  der 
Einwanderer; 

h.     Aufhebung  aller  Temperenz-Gesetze. 

2.  Die    Sklaverei    ist   ein    Uebel,    dessen    endliche    Beseitigung   den 
Grundsatzen  der  Demokratie  gemass,  nothwendig  ist;   da  sie  aber  nur 
einzelne  Staaten  betrifft,  so1  forderen  wir: 

Dass  die  Bundes-Regierung  sich  aller  Einmischung  in  Sachen  der 
Sklaverei  enthallt,  dass  aber,  wenn  ein  einzelner  Staat  die  Beseitigung 
dieses  Uebels,.  beschliessen  wird,  alsdann  zur  Ausfiihrung  des  Beschlusses 
die  Bundeshiilfe  in  Anspruch  genommen  werden  kann. 

3.  Grund  und  Boden  soil  kein  Gegenstand  der  Spekulation  sein,  son- 
dern  als  Mittel  zur  Verwerthung  der  Arbeitskraft  betrachtet  werden; 
deshalb  fordern  wir: 

a.  Dass  nicht  bloss  jedem  Burger,  sondern  auch  jedem  Staats- 
Angehorigen  auf  Verlangen  ein  angemessenes  Stuck  offentlichen 
Landes  zur  selbsteigenen  Benutzung  unentgeltlich  iibergeben  werde; 

b.  Aufhebung  jeder  Verausserung  von  Staatslandern  an  Andere 
als  wirkliche  Ansiedler. 

4.  Die   Steuern   haben   keinen   andern   Zweck,   als   die   Kosten   der 
Regierung  zu  bestreiten,   sind  also  lediglich  nach  der  Hohe  dieser 
Kosten  zu  bestimmen  und  miissen  den  Vermogensverhaltnissen  gemass 
moglichst  gleich  vertheilt  werden;  darum  fordern  wir: 

a.  Directe  Besteuerung; 

b.  Einkommensteuer  in  d-er  Weise,  dass  das  grossere  Einkommen 
verhaltnissmassig  hoher  besteuert  wird; 

c.  Progressive   Erbschaftssteuer; 

d.  Hohere    Besteuerung  des   uncultivirten    Landes,   um    den   Land- 
wucher  zu  beschranken; 

e.  Mb'glichste  Handelsfreiheit. 

5.  Banken   konnen   nur  den  Zweck   haben,  Unbemitt-elten   Schutz 
gegen  die  Macht  des  Kapitals  zu  gewahren  und  den  Handel  zu  unter- 
stiitzen;   darum  fordern  wir: 

a.  Aufhebung  der  Banken  in  ihrer  jetzigen  Einrichtung; 

b.  Einrichtung  von  Creditinstituten  auf  sicherer  Grundlage. 


Parties  in  Texas  61 

6.  Innere  Verbesserungen  (Internal  Improvements),  insofern  solche 
von    allgemeinem    Nutzen    sind,    miissen    zwar    der    Bundesregierung 
iiberlassen  bleiben,  doch  fordern  wir: 

a.  Ausfiihrung  derselben  durch  Privatindustrie  und  offentliche  Con- 
currenz  derselben,  um  den  bisherigen  Unterschleifen  vorzubeugen; 

b.  Oeffentliche  Ueberwachung  und  Garantie  der  Contrakte  mit  den 
Arbeitern. 

7.  Der  Staat  hat  die  Pflicht,  fur  die  Erziehung  der  Jugend  zu  repub- 
likanischen  Staatsbiirgern  Sorge  zu  tragen,  und  alle  hemmenden  Ein- 
flusse  auf   die   Erziehung  so   viel  als   moglich  zu   beseitigen;    darum 
fordern  wir: 

a.  Freie  Schulen  lediglich  aus  Staatsmitteln; 

b.  Ganzlichen    Ausschluss    des    Religionsunterrichts    und    der    Re- 
ligionsbiicher  aus  den   Schulen; 

c.  Kein  Lehrer  darf  Geistlicher  sein; 

d.  Kein  Kind  darf  dem  Unterricht  der  Freischule  entzogen  werden, 
wenn  nicht  der  Nachweis  gefiihrt  wird,  dass  ein  geniigender  Unter- 
richtsersatz  auf  andere  Weise  gesichert  gewahrt  wird; 

e.  Einrichtung  von  Universitaten,  wo  jeder  dem  Unterrichte  unent- 
geltlich  beiwohnen  kann; 

f.  Staatspriifung  fiir  Lehrer,  Aerzte  und  Apotheker. 

C.     Religiose  Reform 

Die  Religion  ist  rein  Privatsache.  Die  Vereinigten  Staaten  sind 
politische  Staaten  und  haben  kein  Recht  sich  in  Religions-Angelegen- 
heiten  zu  mischen,  weder  hemmend  noch  bevorzugend;  desshalb 
fordern  wir: 

a.  Abschaffung  des  religiosen  Eides; 

b.  Aufhebung     der    Sonntagsgesetze    und     Bettage     (Thanksgiving 
days) ; 

c.  Congress-  und  Representantenversammlungen  sollen  nicht  durch 
Gebete  eroffnet  werden. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1855 

HUNTSVILDE,  April  21 

The  short  space  that  intervened  between  the  call  for  and  the 
time  of  meeting  of  previous  conventions  was  assigned  as  a  prin- 
cipal cause  of  the  small  attendance  of  delegates.  The  call  for 
the  convention  of  1855  was,  therefore,  issued  in  January.  Never- 
theless, when  the  convention  met,  only  twelve  counties  were 
represented. 


62  Platforms  of  Political 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  Dr.  C.  G.  Keenan;  perma- 
nent, James  Davis,  of  Polk.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  Jos.  Smith- 
er;  permanent,  Wm.  D.  Schoolfield. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

W.  P.  H.  Douglass,  of  Guadalupe,  offered  the  following  pre- 
amble and  resolutions,  which  were  adopted : 

WHEREAS,  a  convention  of  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of  Texas 
convened  at  Austin,  on  the  9th  of  January,  1854,  and  the  said  conven- 
tion, comprising  delegates  from  sixty-two  counties  of  the  State,  was 
fully  prepared  and  did  express  the  known  sentiments  and  views  of 
said  Democratic  party;  and 

WHEREAS,  it  is  proposed  and  approved  that  another  State  convention 
should  be  holden  at  Huntsville,  on  the  21st  day  of  April,  1855,  for  the 
purpose  of  nominating  suitable  candidates  for  governor,  lieutenant- 
governor,  and  such  other  officers  as  it  may  deem  advisable,  and  that  in 
obedience  to  the  call  of  the  convention  a  portion  of  the  Democracy  of 
the  State  are  now  assembled,  that  it  appears  that  the  several  counties 
of  the  State  have  not  sufficiently  responded  to  the  call;  therefore, 

Resolved,  [1]  That  this  convention  decline  making  any  nominations, 
but  respectfully  suggest  the  reelection  of  the  present  incumbents,  E. 
M.  Pease  and  D.  C.  Dickson. 

[2]  That  we  freely  reaffirm,  as  sound  Democratic  doctrine,  the  reso- 
lutions of  the  Democratic  National  convention  at  Baltimore  in  1852, 
and  cordially  and  fully  indorsed  by  the  State  convention  of  Jan- 
uary, 1854. 

[3]  That  in  the  language  of  the  resolutions  of  the  convention,  the 
administration  of  the  Federal  government,  upon  the  principles  contained 
in  the  said  Baltimore  Convention,  is  the  only  safeguard  against  en- 
croachment by  the  general  government  upon  the  sovereignty  of  the 
States  and  the  political  liberties  of  the  people,  and  the  President  has 
thus  far  administered  the  same  in  strict  accordance  therewith. 

[4]  That  we  have  heard  with  feelings  of  patriotic  joy,  that  in  the 
present  attitude  of  affairs  in  Cuba,  the  menaces  and  dastardly  attacks 
of  the  Spanish  flag  upon  our  merchant  vessels,  are  to  be  retaliated  with 
the  shot  of  our  cannon,  and  that  we  heartily  sustain  the  President  In" 
sending  our  Home  Squadron  to  the  shores  of  Cuba  to  repel  in  this  de- 
cided and  emphatic  manner  the  wrongs  that  we  have  so  long  endured 
from  a  foe  whose  weakness  has  always  been  a  shield  to  protect  its 
treachery  and  cowardice  from  just  retribution. 

[5]  That  for  the  better  reorganization  of  the  Democratic  party  we 
still  insist  that  the  wisest  and  best  course  of  the  Democracy  is  to 

lrThese  proceedings  are  taken  from  the  State  Gazette  (Austin,)  May  5,  1855. 


Parties  in  Texas  63 

assemble  at  suitable  intervals  and  by  a  convention  of  the  members 
of  the  party,  from  all  parts  of  the  State,  to  interchange  their  views  in 
regard  to  the  policy  of  the  State  and  Federal  government,  and  to 
maintain  pure  and  intact  the  cardinal  principles  of  the  Democratic 
creed;  that  we,  therefore,  recommend  that  when  this  convention  ad- 
journs, it  adjourns  to  meet  again  at  Austin  on  the  9th  of  January,  1856, 
and  that  in  the  meantime  every  good  Democrat  in  the  State  seek  to 
secure  such  attendance  as  will  enable  the  party  to  fully  represent  all 
parts  of  the  State. 

MEETING  OF  THE  GRAND  COUNCIL  OF  THE  AMERICAN 

PARTY,  1855 

WASHINGTON,  June  11 

At  the  regular  meeting  of  the  Grand  Council  of  the  American 
party  at  Washington,  June  11,  1855,  the  following  resolutions 
were  adopted: 

Resolved,  [1]  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Grand  Secretary 
to  inform  all  Subordinate  Councils  throughout  the  State  of  the 
nominations  here  made  for  all  offices,  and  that  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  each  such  Subordinate  Council  to  appoint  a  committee 
of  vigilance  of  five  members  whose  object  it  shall  be  to  advance 
the  principles  of  our  order  generally  and  especially  to  secure  the 
election  of  our  entire  ticket  here  made. 

[2]  That  each  such  Council  shall  appoint  an  elector  for  its 
county  to  defend  our  principles  when  necessary  and  advance  the 
names  and  represent  the  interests  of  our  candidates. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  David  C.  Dickson,  of 
Grimes;  Lieutenant- Governor,  W.  G.  W.  Jowers,  of  Anderson; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Stephen  Crosby; 
Representative  in  congress  in  the  Eastern  district,  L.  D.  Evans, 
of  Harrison ;  Representative  in  congress  in  the  Western  district, 
JohnHancock,  of  Travis. 


"BOMB  SHELL"  DEMOCRATIC  CONVENTION,  1855 

AUSTIN,  June  16 

The  editor  of  the  State  Gfazette,  the  principal  Democratic  paper 
in  the  State,  attended  the  Huntsville  convention.     At  once  he 


64  Platforms  of  Political 

placed  the  names  of  Pease  and  Dickson  in  his  paper.  He  soon 
learned  of  the  action  taken  by  the  Grand  Council  of  the  American 
party  at  Washington.  Dickson 's  name  was  dropped,  and  a  meet- 
ing of  Democrats  was  called  for  the  afternoon  of  June  16th. 
This  meeting  denounced  all  secret  political  factions,  declared  the 
Know-Nothing  party  an  enemy  of  the  government,  pledged  its 
support  to  E.  M.  Pease  for  governor  and  P.  H.  Bell  for  Con- 
gress, but  described  Dickson  as  "the  candidate  of  another  party 
for  governor."  It  resulted  in  giving  immediately  broad  pub- 
licity to  the  secret  conclave  at  Washington ;  it  drew  a  sharp  issue 
between  the  two  parties;  and  it  caused  a  stampede  among  un- 
suspecting Democrats  who  had  joined  the  Know-Nothings.  On 
June  30th,  the  name  of  H.  R.  Eunnels  was  published  as  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  lieutenant-governor. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1856 
AUSTIN,  January  15-18 

At  a  barbecue  held  at  Austin  in  November,  1855,  to  celebrate 
the  Democratic  victory  over  the  Know-Nothings,  a  resolution 
was  adopted  which  recommended  to  the  Democrats  of  each  county 
to  organize  thoroughly  the  party  in  their  midst  and  to  prepare 
for  the  presidential  campaign  of  1856.  Each  county  was  urged 
to  send  delegates  to  the  State  convention  that  would  meet  in 
Austin  on  January  16,  1856.  The  first  call  of  the  roll  of  counties 
showed  fifty-four  represented  by  delegates  appointed  in  primary 
meetings.  A  resolution  was  then  adopted  allowing  all  regular 
members  of  the  party  from  the  unrepresented  counties  to  repre- 
sent them.  In  consequence  ninety-one  out  of  ninety-nine  counties 
in  the  State  had  regular  or  proxy  delegates.  The  large  number 
of  delegates,  over  200,  made  it  necessary  to  fix  a  basis  for  repre- 
sentation, which  was  done  by  allowing  each  county  one  vote  and 
as  many  more  votes  as  it  had  representatives  in  the  legislature. 
L.  Sherwood,  a  delegate  from  Galveston,  was  denied  a  seat  in  the 
convention  because  he  was  not  considered  sound  on  the  slavery 
question. 

Officers:  President,  Matthias  Ward,  of  Cass.  Vice-Presi- 
dents,  John  T.  Mills,  of  Lamar;  A.  G.  Weir,  of  Travis;  William 


Parties  in  Texas  65 

S.  Taylor,  of  Cherokee ;  J.  M.  Devine,  of  Bexar ;  Geo.  W.  Hill, 
of  Navarro;  J.  W.  Dancy,  of  Fayette;  and  J.  P.  Shelbourn,  of 
Austin.  Secretaries,  F.  R.  Lubbock.  of  Harris ;  Thomas  J.  John- 
son, of  Cherokee;  and  Reuben  E.  Clements,  of  Bexar. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  Eastern  congressional 
district :  Matt  Ward,  of  Cass ;  Richard  B.  Hubbard,  of  Smith ; 
W.  C.  Pollock,  of  Nacogdoches ;  Sumter  R.  G.  Mills,  of  Lamar. 

Western  congressional  district :  W.  S.  Oldham,  of  Travis ;  H. 
P.  Bee,  of  Webb ;  Jacob  Waelder,  of  Bexar ;  Guy  M.  Bryan,  of 
Brazoria. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Frank  W.  Bowden,  of 
Rusk,  and  William  R.  Scurry,  of  Victoria ;  Eastern  congressional 
district,  A.  J.  Hood,  of  Cherokee ;  Western  congressional  district, 
A^  J.  jiamilton,  of  Travis. 

Nominees  for  State  Office:  Attorney-General,  James  Willie,  of 
Washington ;  Comptroller,  James  B.  Shaw,  of  Travis ;  Treasurer, 
James  H.  Raymond,  of  Travis. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  J.  H.  Parsons,  of  Rusk;  Thomas 
N.  Waul,  of  Bexar;  Ashbel  Smith,  of  Harris;  William  S.  Taylor, 
of  Cherokee ;  William  R.  Scurry,  of  Victoria ;  Clement  R.  Johns, 
of  Hays;  Nat.  Terry,  of  Tarrant ;  John  T.  Mills,  of  Lamar ;  George 
W.  Paschal,  of  Travis ;  H.  R.  Runnels,  of  Bowie ;  H.  P.  Bee,  of 
Webb;  James  M.  Burroughs,  of  Sabine,  and  M.  M.  Potter,  of 
Galveston. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of  Texas  heart- 
ily concur  in  and  unanimously  reaffirm  the  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party  of  the  Union  and  the  Constitution,  as  embodied  in  the  following 
resolutions  of  the  National  Democratic  convention  of  1852,  as  a  true 
expression  of  their  political  faith  and  opinion,  believing  them  to  em- 
brace the  only  doctrines  which  can  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  Union 
and  the  equal  rights  of  the  States:  [Here  follow  resolutions  4-12,  16 
and  17  of  the  National  Democratic  platform  of  1852.] 

2.  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  are  opposed  to  all  secret  political 
societies,  whether  called  Americans,  Know-Nothings,  or  any  other  de- 
lusive name;  that  all  experience  has  shown  that  political  combinations, 
the  members  whereof  are  bound  together  by  oaths,  covenants,  or 

Proceedings  of  the  Democratic  State  Convention  of  the  State  of  Texas. 
Held  at  the  City  of  Austin,  Texas,  on  the  16th,  17th  and  18th  January,  1856. 
Printed  by  Stuart,  Burnett  and  Brown,  Galveston,  1856. 

5—328 


66  Platforms  of  Political 

pledges  are  opposed  to  that  freedom  of  action  which  is  the  essence  of 
political  liberty;  and  that  public  and  unrestricted  discussion  of  all 
matters  of  public  concern  is  essential  to  the  perpetuity  of  our  free 
institutions. 

3.  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  are  opposed  to  all  proscription  on 
account  of  place  of  birth  or  particular  religious  creed;   that  the  guar- 
antees, contained  in  our  State  and  Federal  constitutions,  of  freedom 
of  religious  faith  and  worship,  are  one  of  the  chief  cornerstones  of 
our  republican  edifice,  and  a  principal  support  of  our  National  liberty 
and  prosperity;    that  any  attempt  to  deny  the  right  of  our  adopted 
citizens  to  a  participation   in   the  affairs  of  the  government,   to  the 
extent   conferred    in   the   Constitution   of   the   United    States,    is   anti- 
republican,  opposed  to  the  principles  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, and  should  be  resisted  by  all  who  are  devoted  to  the  principles 
of   justice    and    equality    which    characterize    that    Constitution,    and) 
which  have  made  our  country  the  asylum  for  the  oppressed  of  every 
land,   the   persecuted   of  every   faith,   and   the  home  of  civil   and   re- 
ligious  liberty. 

4.  The  Democracy  of  the  State  of  Texas  regards  the  passage  of  the 
Kansas-Nebraska  Act  as  a  triumph  of  the  Constitution  over  fanaticism 
and  sectional  madness,  and  would  regard  its  repeal  as  a  violation  of 
the  spirit  of  the  Constitution,  and  an  outrage  upon  the  rights  of  the 
Southern  States  of  the  Union;    they  insist  upon  the  old  Democratic 
doctrines  of  States'  rights,  and  a  strict  construction  of  the  Constitu- 
tion, as  cardinal  principles  of  the  Democratic  faith;  that  the  principles 
of  nonintervention  by  the  Federal  government   is  a   doctrine   of  the 
Constitution,  alike  applicable  to  States  and  Territories;    and  any  at- 
tempt on  the  part  of  Congress  to  prohibit  slavery  in  any  territory  that 
may  hereafter  be  organized,  or  to  restore  the  Missouri  Compromise, 
or  to  repeal  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  or  to  refuse  to  admit  any  new 
State  that  may  hereafter  apply  for  admission  into  the  Union  on  ac- 
count of  slavery  being  recognized  in  its  constitution,  or  to  impose  any 
restriction  on  the  subject  of  slavery  on  any  new  State  so  applying,  not 
imposed  on  the  original  thirteen  States,  or  to  impose  any  restriction 
upon  the  trade  and  intercourse  between  the  slave  States,  or  to  abolish 
slavery    in   the    District    of   Columbia,    would   be   a    violation    of    this 
principle,   and   should   be  regarded  as  an  attempt  to  trample  on   the 
Constitution  and  dissolve  the  Union,  and  should  be  resisted  at  every 
hazard,  and  to  the  last  extremity. 

5.  That  the  citizens  of  the  Southern  States  have  the  indefeasible 
right  to  >carry  their  slaves  into  any  territory  belonging  to  the  United 
States  and  there  to  exercise  and  enjoy  all  the  rights  of  ownership  and 
property,  as  freely  and  as  fully  as  in  the  State  from  which  they  emi- 
grate;   and  that  any  interference  with,   or  obstruction  to,  the  enjoy- 
ment and  exercise  of  their  rights  as  Southern  citizens,  by  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United   States,  or  by  the  inhabitants  of  such  territory, 
would  be  a  violation  of  the  rights  of  the  Southern  States,  which  they 


Parties  in  Texas  67 

possess   as   sovereign   States,   and  coequal   members   of  the   American 
confederacy. 

6.  That  the  Democracy  of  the  State  of  Texas  indorse  and  approve 
the  principles  of  the  administration  of  Franklin  Pierce,  as  evidenced 
by  his  inaugural  address,  his  annual  and  special  messages,  and  carried 
into  practical  effect  by  the  leading  measures  of  his  administration. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[7]  That  our  delegates  in  the  convention  of  the  National  Democracy, 
to  be  assembled  at  Cincinnati  in  June  next,  be  instructed  to  support 
no  man  for  the  office  of  President  and  Vice-President,  who  may  be 
presented  to  that  convention,  who  does  not  approve  the  nonintervention 
policy  in  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Act,  and  who  does  not  stand  fair 
and  square  on  the  doctrines  and  principles  set  forth  in  the  platform 
and  resolutions  of  our  last  convention,  held  at  Baltimore  in  1852. 

[8]  That  a  majority  of  the  Austin  convention  be  required  to  make 
a  nomination;  .  .  . 

[9]  That  this  convention  will  support  no  person  as  a  nominee  for 
any  office  or  place  of  trust,  unless  fully  satisfied  by  his  acts  and 
declarations,  or  the  assurance  of  his  friends  in  this  convention,  that 
he  is  fully  united  with  the  Democratic  party  upon  all  the  issues  now 
existing  between  it  and  its  opponents,  and  that  such  nominee  will 
abide  the  decision  of  this  convention  and  support  all  of  its  nominees 
with  zeal  and  fervency. 

[10]  That  the  warmest  thanks  of  the  country  are  due  to  those 
Whigs  who  have,  independent  of  all  party  issues  and  party  prejudices, 
united  with  the  Democratic  party  in  taking  ground  against  the  fanatical 
movements  of  abolitionism  and  the  new-fangled  doctrines  of  Know- 
Nothingism,  and  we  do  most  cordially  invite  them  to  unite  with  us 
in  concert  of  action  against  the  dangerous  principles  which  are  now 
threatening  the  destruction  of  the  Constitution  and  the  ruin  of  the 
country. 

[11]  That  Col.  M.  T.  Johnson,  for  the  course  pursued  by  him  in  the 
recent  canvass  for  the  chief  executive  of  the.  State,  has  entitled  him- 
self to  the  gratitude  and  confidence  of  the  Democracy  of  the  State  of 
Texas,  and  that  this  convention  does  hereby  tender  him  their  thanks 
for  the  self-sacrificing  disposition  he  has  manifested  for  the  success 
of  Democratic  principles. 

[12]  That  we  recommend  that  the  next  State  convention  of  the 
Democratic  party  be  held  at  Waco,  on  the  first  Monday  in  May,  1857, 
for  the  purpose  of  nominating  suitable  persons  for  governor  and 
lieutenant-governor,  and  the  transaction  of  such  other  business  as  may 
be  then  and  there  before  them. 

[13]  That  the  Secret  Legion  of  Kansas,  an  organization  of  aboli- 
tionists within  the  territory  of,  and  fostered,  supported,  and  en- 
couraged by  the  abolitionists  of  the  North,  and  intended  to  control  its 


68  Platforms  of  Political 

government,  is  at  war  with  the  principles  of  the  Constitution  and 
subversive  of  free  government;  and  that  we  cordially  sympathize  with 
the  citizens  of  the  slave-holding  States,  in  inducing  real  settlers  to 
become  citizens  of  said  territory;  and  that  the  citizens  of  Missouri 
who  have  removed  into  said  territory  deserve  the  gratitude  and  warm 
support  of  all  the  friends  of  the  Union  and  the  Constitution. 

[14]  That  this  convention  do  most  fully  and  cordially  indorse  and 
approve  the  votes  of  Thos.  J.  Rusk,  Geo.  W.  Smyth  and  !P.  H.  Bell  upon 
the  Kansas-Nebraska  Act,  and  that  we  do  further  most  decidedly  dis- 
approve of  the  vote  of  Sam  Houston  upon  the  act,  as  not  in  accordance 
with  the  sentiments  of  the  Democracy  of  Texas. 

[15]  That  this  convention  congratulate  the  people  of  Texas  most 
heartily  upon  the  reelection  of  E.  M.  Pease  as  governor  of  the  State  of 
Texas,  and  that  while  they  differ  with  him  in  his  views  upon  certain 
questions  of  State  policy,  they  most  cordially  commend  him  as  a  faith- 
ful and  efficient  officer. 

Central  Committee:  John  Marshall,  of  Travis,  chairman; 
George  W.  Paschal,  of  Travis ;  Adolphus  G.  Weir,  of  Travis ;  T. 
Scott  Anderson,  of  Travis;  P.  De  Cordova,  of  Travis;  Seaborn 
G.  Sneed,  of  Travis;  George  W.  Qhiltqn,  of  Smith;  Alfred  E. 
Pace,  of  Fannin;  S.  H.  Morgan,  of  Red  River;  John  J.  Goode, 
of  Dallas ;  Thomas  Rock,  of  Tyler ;  Stephen  Powers,  of  Cameron ; 
Oscar  Farish,  of  Galveston;  James  C.  Wilson,  of  Bexar;  J.  P. 
Henderson,  of  San  Augustine;  Thomas  S.  Lubbock,  of  Harris; 
H.  L.  Grinstead,  of  Cass;  J.  H.  Speight,  of  McLennan;  E.  H. 
Gushing,  of  Brazoria;  Albert  N.  Mills,  of  Gjonzales;  William 
Woodward,  of  Washington ;  J.  T.  Harcourt,  of  Fayette ;  Walter 
A.  Andross,  of  Comal;  A.  P.  Wiley,  of  Walker,  and  J.  J.  Linn, 
of  Victoria. 

AMERICAN  (KNOW-NOTHING)  STATE  CONVENTION,  1856 
AUSTIN,  January  21  and  22 

This  was  the  first  convention,  open  to  the  public,  held  by  the 
Know-Nothing  party  in  Texas.  It  met  in  the  Hall  of  Represen- 
tatives. Fifty-three  counties  were  represented  by  delegates.  It 
was  voted  that  where  counties  had  no  citizen  present  to  represent 
them  suitable  gentlemen  present  be  requested  to  act  for  them. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  William  E.  Jones,  of  Comal; 
permanent,  John  Caldwell,  of  Bastrop.  Yice-Presidents,  Nath 


Parties  in  Texas  69 

Smith,  of  Harrison,  and  John  S.  Story,  of  Caldwell.  Secretaries, 
J.  H.  Hutchins,  of  Travis,  and  Benj.  F.  Hill,  of  Calhoun. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  S.  W.  Sims,  of  Bas- 
trop ;  J.  W.  Waddell,  of  Galveston ;  Ben  Epperson,  of  Ked  River ; 
M.  D.  Whaley,  of  Leon;  T.  A.  Harrison,  of  Harrison;  E.  R. 

Peck,  of  Travis ;  alternates,  A.  J.  Fowler,  of  Anderson ;  Gen. 

McCoy,  of  Harrison ;  S.  H.  Darden,  of  Gonzales ;  R.  Q.  Mills,  of 
Navarro ;  J.  M.  McCall,  of  McLennan. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  John  A.  Wilcox,  of 
Bexar,  and  Robert  H.  Taylor,  of  Fannin ;  Eastern  congressional 
district,  J.  W.  Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  Western  congressional  dis- 
trict, Thomas  W.  Blake,  of  Leon. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Attorney-General,  William  Sted- 
man,  of  Harrison;  Comptroller,  E.  Sterling  C.  Robertson,  of 
Bell ;  Treasurer,  William  A.  Tarlton,  of  Harrison. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  W.  E.  Jones,  of  Comal;  J.  W. 
Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  John  Hancock,  of  Travis;  John  Sayles,  of 
Washington;  T.  J.  Chambers,  of  Liberty;  Hugh  McLeod,  of 
Galveston ;  P.  W.  Kittrell,  of  Madison ;  John  S.  Ford,  of  Travis ; 
W.  A.  Tarlton,  of  Harrison ;  J.  A.  'Wilcox,  of  Bexar. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

The  American  party  of  the  State  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
declare  as  the  cardinal  principles  of  its  organization: 

1.  The  elevation  to  political  office,   executive,  legislative,   judicial, 
and  diplomatic,  of  those  only  who  are  native  Americans,  or  who  being 
citizens  of  the  Republic  of  Texas  at  the  time  of  its  annexation  to  the 
United  States,  made  citizens  thereof  by  the  act  of  both  governments. 

2.  The  preservation  and  perpetuation  of  the  Constitution  and  tne 
Federal  Union  as  the  bulwark  of  our  liberties  in  war,  and  a  prime 
source   of  National   greatness   and   individual   happiness,   and   hence: 
first,   opposition   to   all   attempts   to   weaken   or    destroy    it;    second, 
opposition  to  the  formation  or  encouragement  of  sectional  or  geograph- 
ical parties — at  this  time  the  most  threatening  adversary  to  its  stability. 

3.  A  strict  construction  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and 
the  preservation  of  all  the  rights  of  the  States,  secured  or  reserved  in 
the   Constitution;    inculcating   forbearance   and   a   harmonizing  spirit 
in  settling  apparent  or  real  conflicts  of  jurisdiction;   and  repudiating 
the  exercise  of  doubtful  powers  by  the  Federal  government. 

lrrhe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Texas  State  Times 
(Austin,)  January  26,  1856. 


70  Platforms  of  Political 

4.  The  extension  of  the  period  for  the  naturalization  of  foreigners 
to  the  term  of  twenty-one  years,  to  be  prospective  in  its  operation, 
and  the  repeal  by  the  legislatures  of  the  States,  in  which  they  exist, 
of  all  laws  conferring  the  right  of  suffrage  on  unnaturalized  foreigners. 

5.  Liberty   of   conscience   and   liberty   of   the   press.     The   right   to 
worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  conscience  being  secured  by 
the  Constitution  and  laws,  any  attempt  to  impair  or  abridge  it  would 
strike  at  the  liberties  of  the  people  and  should  be  resisted;   but  this 
inestimable  privilege  is  never  to  be  used  as  a  pretext  for  violations 
of  the  Constitution  or  laws,   or  the  practice  of  principles,  creed,  or 
system  under  the  guise  of  religious  belief,  destructive  of  the  principles 
of  free  republican  government,  or  in  conflict  with  the  laws,  and  hence, 
opposition   to   all   "higher   law"   doctrines   which   look  to   any   power, 
foreign  or  domestic,  civil,  ecclesiastic  or  otherwise,  for  rule  of  civil 
or  political  action  paramount  to  the  Constitution  and  laws. 

6.  Congress  possesses  no  power  under  the  Constitution  to  legislate 
upon  slavery  in  the  States  where  it  does  or  may  exist,  or  to  refuse  the 
admission  of  a  new  State  into  the  Union  because  its  constitution  does 
or  does   not   recognize   slavery  as   part  of   its  social  system;    nor  to 
legislate  upon  the  subject  of  slavery  in  the  Territories  of  the  United 
States;  and  any  interference  by  Congress  with  slavery  in  the  District 
of  Columbia  would  be  a  violation  of  the  spirit  and  intention  of  the 
compact  by  which   the   State   of  Maryland   ceded   the   district  to   the 
United  States,  and  a  breach  of  the  National  faith;  nor  should  Congress 
repeal  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.     And  while  we  disapprove  that  principle 
of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Act  which  confers  the  right  of  suffrage  upon 
unnaturalized  foreigners  and  that  which  recognizes  the  right  of  the 
territorial    legislature   to    establish   or   exclude   slavery,    we   cordially 
approve  the  principle  of  nonintervention  by  Congress,  and  are  opposed 
to  the  repeal  of  the  act,  and  oppose  any  further  agitation  of  the  subject 
of  slavery  in  the  Halls  of  Congress. 

7.  The  enactment  of  laws  to  prevent  the  transmission  to  our  shores 
of  felons  and  paupers  from  foreign  countries. 

8.  A  constant  and  efficient  protection   of  the  frontier  against  the 
predatory  incursions  of  the  Indians,  being  an  act  of  justice  due  to  the 
citizens  of  the  frontier  settled  thereon  and  a  measure  of  policy  neces- 
sary to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  our  State,  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
general  government  to  provide  such  protection,  and  in  default  thereof 
it  is  the  duty  of  the   State  government   to   provide  the   same   fully, 
effectually  and  promptly. 

9.  We  adhere  to  the  National  organization  of  the  American  party 
upon  the  basis   of  the   platform   of  principles  adopted   at  the   Phila- 
delphia convention   in   June,  1855,   recommending   the   next  National 
convention  to  modify  the  eighth  article  of  said  platform  by  striking 
out  the  words   "Resistance   to   the   aggressive   policy   and   corrupting 
tendencies  of   the   Roman   Catholic   church   in  our   country,"   for  the 
reason  that  it  has  been  so  much  misconstrued  as  to  cast  upon  us  the 


Parties  in  Texas  71 

imputation  of  religious  intolerance  and  a  desire  to  abridge  the  liberty 
of  conscience,  which  we  utterly  repudiate.  But  while  we  disclaim  any 
intention  to  abridge  or  impair  or  interfere  with  the  right  of  any 
citizen  of  whatever  faith  or  denomination  to  worship  God  according 
to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  we  claim  the  right,  indispensable 
to  the  security  of  free  institutions,  to  resist  and  oppose,  through  the 
ballot  box,  every  principle  or  policy,  whether  claimed  or  exercised  as  a 
right  appertaining  to  any  church  government,  or  under  pretext  of  any 
religious  belief,  hostile  to  liberty,  or  liberty  of  conscience,  or  liberty 
of  the  press,  or  liberty  of  suffrage,  or  to  any  other  essential  element 
of  liberty,  under  the  constitution  and  laws. 

10.  It  is  declared  that  all  secrecy,  obligations,  pass  words,  and 
signs  are  abolished. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[11]  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  convention  that  the  assemblage 
of  the  National  convention  of  the  American  party  for  the  nomination 
of  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-President  at  so  early  a  period  as 
the  22nd  of  February  next  is  impolitic,  and  that  the  Hon.  L.  D.  Evans, 
our  representative  in  Congress,  be  requested  to  represent  this  State  in 
said  convention  and  vote  for  an  adjournment  of  the  same  in  June  or 
July  next,  and  that  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  forwarded  by  the 
secretary  of  this  convention  to  said  representative. 

[12]  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to  consti- 
tute a  State  central  committee,  invested  with  power  to  call  a  con- 
vention of  this  party,  conduct  its  correspondence,  and  invested  with 
all  other  powers  usually  pertaining  to  such  committee,  and  further 
that  said  committee  have  authority  to  appoint  a  committee  of  five  in 
each  county  in  this  State  to  conduct  and  transact  the  business  per- 
taining to  said  party  in  the  counties  for  which  they  are  respectively 
appointed. 

Central  Committee:  John  Hancock,  G.  W.  Davis,  W.  C. 
Phillips,  Ed.  Burleson,  and  A.  W.  Moore. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1857 

WACO,  May  4-6 

The  convention  of  1857  was  the  largest  in  point  of  attendance 
of  any  held  in  this  State  up  to  that  time.  Ninety  counties  were 
represented  at  the  first  roll  call,  and  almost  three  hundred  dele- 
gates were  present.  The  basis  of  representation  adopted  in  1856 


72  Platforms  of  Political 

was  retained,  but  the  two-thirds  rule  was  applied  in  the  case  of 
nominations. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  M.  D.  Ector,  of  Rusk;  per- 
manent, Adolphus  G.  Weir,  of  Travis.  Vice-Presidents,  M.  D. 
Ector,  of  Rusk;  S.  Holland,  of  Panola;  Sam  Bogart,  of  Collin; 
and  J.  W.  Dancy,  of  Fayette.  Secretaries,  R.  T.  Brownrigg,  of 
Travis ;  Robert  W.  Rainey,  of  Guadalupe ;  and  Henry  D.  Patrick, 
of  Leon. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  H.  R.  Runnels,  of 
Bowie;  Lieutenant-Governor,  F.  R.  Lubbock,  of  Harris;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  Frank  M.  White,  of  Jackson. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  Ashbel  Smith,  of 
Harris,  chairman ;  A.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Travis ;  J.  B.  Robertson,  of 
Washington;  T.  N.  WsulTof  Bexar;  W.  B.  Ochiltree,  of  Nacog- 
doches ;  Lewis  T.  Wigf all,  of  Harrison ;  John  A.  Wharton,  of 
Brazoria ;  S.  H.  Pirkey,  of  Bowie ;  George  W.  Chilton,  of  Smith ; 
William  R.  Scurry,  of  Victoria;  F.  W.  Latham,  of  Cameron; 
T.  A.  Dwyer,  of  Webb ;  J.  M.  Steiner,  of  Hill ;  Forbes  Britton, 
of  Nueces;  John  H.  Moffatt,  of  Tyler;  Nat.  Terry,  of  Tarrant; 
A.  B.  Burleson,  of  Lampasas,  and  C.  Upson,  of  Medina. 

REPORT   OF  PLATFORM   COMMITTEE1 

Your  committee,  to  which  was  assigned  the  duty  of  preparing  the 
project  of  a  platform  of  the  Democratic  party  of  this  State,  beg  leave 
to  report: 

The  cardinal  doctrines  of  the  Democratic  party,  as  recognized  every- 
where throughout  the  United  States,  are  fully  and  distinctly  set  forth 
in  their  platform  as  promulgated  by  the  convention  which  assembled 
in  Cincinnati  on  the  5th  day  of  June,  1856.  Your  committee  has 
reaffirmed  the  principles  embodied  in  that  platform,  and  have  sub- 
mitted the  same  as  a  portion  of  this  report.  Believing  that  thes^ 
universally  admitted  principles  constitute  a  platform  of  political  doc- 
trines long  enough,  broad  enough,  strong  enough  and  explicit  enough 
for  every  Democrat  and  every  good  citizen  to  stand  upon,  your  com- 
mittee have  abstained  from  introducing  any  new  matters  of  doubtful 
authority.  They  have,  therefore,  eschewed  embodying  in  their  plat- 
form any  opinion  on  questions  of  State  policy.  Your  committee  be- 
lieves that  on  most  questions  of  State  policy  there  may  be  differences 

^Proceedings  of  the  State  Convention  of  the  Democratic  Party  of  the  State 
of  Texas,  which  assembled  at  Waco,  Monday,  May  4th,  1857.  Printed  at 
the  State  Gazette  office,  Austin,  1857. 


Parties  in  Texas  73 

of  opinion,  without  any  difference  of  opinion  on  the  fundamental  and 
immutable  principles  of  the  Democratic  party;  that  the  decision  of 
questions  of  policy  should  be  left  to  the  people  to  be  acted  on  by  them 
through  the  State  legislature,  as  their  judgment  and  circumstances 
may  determine. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Virginia  and  Kentucky  resolutions,  and  Mr.  Madi- 
son's report  thereon,  have  been  referred  to  in  the  Cincinnati  platform 
as  of  sound  doctrine  and  binding  authority  on  the  Democratic  party, 
your  committee  has  appended  the  said  resolutions  and  the  portion  of 
the  report  pertinent  to  the  matters  in  question  to  the  platform  now 
submitted.  For  the  more  clear  and  full  exposition  and  declaration  of 
the  doctrines  held  by  thei  Democratic  party  in  Texas  on  the  subject  of 
slavery  and  the  rights  of  the  Southern  States  in  the  Territories,  your 
committee  has  reported  in  the  platform  now  submitted  the  resolution 
adopted  by  the  Democratic  convention  at  Austin  in  January,  1856. 

As  the  subjects  embraced  in  the  other  articles  of  the  platform  pro- 
mulgated by  the  Democratic  convention  held  at  Austin  in  1856  are 
fully  provided  for  in  the  general  platform  herewith  submitted,  it  has 
not  been  deemed  by  the  committee  necessary  to  reiterate  them  in 
separate  articles.  All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

Resolved,  [1]  That  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of  Texas 
heartily  concur  in  and  unanimously  reaffirm  the  principles  of  the 
Democratic  party  of  the  Union  and  the  Constitution  as  embodied  in 
the  piatform  of  the  National  Democratic  convention  held  in  Cincinnati 
in  June,  1856,  as  a  true  expression  of  their  political  faith  and  opinion, 
believing  them  to  embrace  the  only  doctrines  which  can  preserve  the 
integrity  of  the  Union  and  the  equal  rights  of  the  States. 

In  pursuance  whereof,  the  Cincinnati  platform,  the  Virginia  and 
Kentucky  resolutions,  and  portions  of  Mr.  Madison's  report,  are 
hereto  appended  and  made  a  part  of  this  platform.  [Here  follow:  1. 
Resolution  5  of  the  Texas  Democratic  platform  of  1856;  2.  the  Na- 
tional Democratic  platform  of  1856,  except  the  two  resolutions  next  to 
the  end,  as  printed  in  McKee;  3.  the  Kentucky  Resolutions  of  1798;  4. 
the  Virginia  Resolutions  of  1798;  and  5.  a  portion  of  Mr.  Madison's 
report.] 

Additional  Resolutions 

[2]  That  the  next  Democratic  State  convention  be  held  at  Austin 
on  the  8th  day  of  January,  1858,  to  nominate  candidates  for  State 
treasurer,  comptroller,  and  attorney-general. 

[3]  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed,  of  which  the  Secretary 
shall  be  chairman,  to  superintend  the  printing  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  convention  in  English  and  to  contract  for  the  same.  R.  T.  Brown- 
rigg,  of  Travis,  J.  Waelder,  of  Bexar,  and  R.  K.  Hartley,  of  Galveston, 
were  appointed  the  committee.  (By  a  subsequent  resolution  the  same 
committee  was  invested  with  the  superintendence  of  the  publication  in 
German  and  Spanish.) 


74  Platforms  of  Political 

[4]  That  the  members  of  the  convention  have  witnessed  with  the 
highest  pleasure  the  unselfish  and  patriotic  course  of  M.  T.  Johnson, 
Geo.  W.  Smyth  and  Asa  M.  Lewis,  as  manifested  by  themselves  and 
their  respective  friends  in  this  canvass  and  especially  during  the 
sitting  of  the  convention,  and  that  in  their  return  home  they  carry 
with  them  the  unabated  confidence  and  best  wishes  of  the  assembled 
representatives  of  the  Democracy  of  Texas. 

[5]  That  the  thanks  of  the  Democracy  of  this  State  are  due,  and  are 
hereby  tendered  to  the  chairman  of  the  State  central  committee,  ap- 
pointed at  the  last  State  convention,  for  the  faithful  and  efficient 
manner  in  which  he  has  discharged  the  duties  devolving  upon  him. 

Central  Committee:  John  Marshall,  of  Travis,  chairman;  J. 
M.  Steiner,  of  Travis;  R.  T.  Brownrigg,  of  Travis  ;  P.  De  Cordova, 
of  Travis  ;  A.  W.  Terrell,  of  Travis  ;  I.  N.  Dennis,  of  Wharton  ; 
Asa  M.  Lewis,  of  Washington;  Sam  A.  Mavepck,  of  Bexar;  F. 

B.  Sexton,  of  San  Augustine;  J.  PTjIeaderson,  of  Harrison; 

C.  G*.  Keenan,  of  Walker;  S.  H.  Morgan,  of  Red  River;  George 
W.  Chilton,  of  Smith;  T.  M.  Harwood,  of  Gonzales;  J.  F.  Crosby, 
of  El  Paso;  E.  R.  Hord,  of  Starr;  John  P.  Border,  of  Leon; 

,  of  Nueces;  C.  R.  Johns,  of  Hays;  N.  B.  Charleton, 


of  Tyler;  Nat.  Terry,  of  Tarrant;  William  M.  Hardeman,  of 
Bell;  Columbus  Upson,  of  Medina;  Ashbel  Smith,  of  Harris; 
and  M.  D.  Ector,  of  Rusk. 

INDEPENDENTS,  1857 

Under  the  date  of  May  12,  1857,  the  Huntsville  Recorder,  in 
an  Extra,  published  following  announcement: 

"Old  Sam  in  the  Field! 

"To-day  Gen.  Sam  Houston  came  to  town  and  declared  himself  a 
candidate  for  Governor. 

"His  enemies  had  declared  if  he  ran,  the  issue  would  be  'Houston 
and  Anti-Houston,'  and  upon  that  issue  he  appealed  to  the  people. 
He  says  he  is  not  the  candidate  of  a  party,  and  if  elected  he  intends 
to  be  Governor  of  the  whole  people  —  that  he  has  been  and  ever  will  be 
a  Jackson  Democrat.  His  object  will  be  to  advance  and  promote  the 
interests  of  the  State,  and  people,  as  of  old."1 

JThis  announcement  is  taken  from  the  Trinity  Advocate  (Palestine,)  May 
20,  1857.  The  Huntsville  Recorder  is  called  a  Know-Nothing  sheet. 


Parties  in  Texas  75 

Jesse  Grimes  entered  the  race  as  candidate  for  lieutenant- 
governor,  and  Stephen  Crosby  as  candidate  for  commissioner  of 
the  general  land  office. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1858 
AUSTIN,  January  8-11 

When  the  State  convention  of  1858  assembled  at  Austin,  the 
legislature  was  in  session.  Seventy-nine  counties  had  delegates 
present  at  the  opening  of  the  meeting.  A  motion,  to  invite  the 
representatives  in  the  legislature  and  other  reliable  Democrats 
from  such  counties  as  had  no  delegates  present  to  participate  in 
the  proceedings,  was  tabled.  The  basis  of  representation  and 
voting  of  the  convention  of  1857  was  retained,  also  the  two- 
thirds  rule  in  making  nominations.  This  convention  marked  a 
new  departure  in  political  procedure  in  that  it  made  nomina- 
tions of  candidates  for  judicial  offices,  thereby  subjecting  them 
to  the  tests  of  the  party,  or  insuring  their  "political  adherence 
to  the  truths  of  Democratic  equality  and  justice." 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  John  Marshall,  of  Travis; 
permanent,  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,  of  Cass.  Vice-Presidents,  W.  S. 
Oldham,  M.  T.  Johnson,  M.  P.  Norton,  C.  B.  Sheppard,  and 
John  Marshall.  Secretaries,  R.  T.  Brownrigg  (pro  tempore 
only)  ;  P.  De  Cordova;  E.  Foster  Calhoun;  W.  L.  Chalmers;  J. 
H.  Torbett,  of  Johnson;  H.  H.  Haynie;  John  T.  Harcourt,  of 
Fayette;  and  Levi  Pennington,  of  Williamson. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Attorney-General,  M.  D.  Graham, 
of  Rusk;  Comptroller,  C.  R.  Johns,  of  Hays;  Treasurer,  C.  H. 
Randolph,  of  Houston;  Chief  Justice,  Royal  T.  Wheeler,  of 
Galveston ;  Associate  Justice,  C.  W.  Buckley,  of  Fort  Bend. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

On  motion  of  L.  T.  Wigfall,  the  following -platform  was  adopted: 
Resolved,  1.     That  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of  Texas  heart- 
ily concur  in  and  unanimously  reaffirm  the  principles  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  of  the   Union  and  the  Constitution  as  embodied  in  the 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  State  Gazette 
(Austin,)  January  16,  1858. 


76  Platforms  of  Political 

platform  of  the  National  Democratic  convention,  held  in  Cincinnati  in 
June,  1856,  and  the  State  convention  of  Texas  at  Waco,  on  the  4th  of 
May,  1857,  as  a  true  expression  of  their  poltical  faith  and  opinion, 
believing  them  to  embrace  the  only  doctrines  which  can  preserve  the 
integrity  of  the  Union  and  the  equal  rights  of  the  States. 

2.  That  recent  events  in  the  United  States  Senate  create  in  our 
minds  a  serious  apprehension  that  the  great  doctrine  of  noninterven- 
tion, as  set  forth  in  that  platform,  is  in  danger  of  being  repudiated  by 
Congress    through   the    instrumentality   of   members   of   the   National 
Democratic  party,  distinguished  alike  for  their  political  influence  over 
the  public  sentiment  of  the  North  and  their  past  declarations  in  favor 
of  said  doctrine,  and  that  we  now  consider  it  our  duty  to  set  forth  to 
the  country  the  course  that  we  shall  be  compelled  to  take  in  that 
serious  and  deplorable  emergency. 

3.  That  we  request  the  representatives  of  the  people  of  Texas,  in 
legislature  assembled,  to  provide  at  the  present  session  for  the  Execu- 
tive  of   the   State   appointing   suitable   delegates   to   a   convention   of 
Southern  States,  which  may  be  hereafter  assembled  for  the  purpose 
of  consultation  and  advice  for  the  general  welfare  of  the  institutions 
of  the  South. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[4]  That  to  insure  an  equal  voice  to  the  Democracy  of  the  whole 
State  in  future  State  conventions,  we  recommend  the  following  basis 
of  representation: 

(1)  That  each  organized  county  of  the  State,  which  may  hold  a 
Democratic  primary  meeting  and  appoint  delegates,  shall  be  entitled 
to  one  vote  in  the  convention  for  each  one  hundred  votes  and  one  vote 
for  every  fraction  of  votes  over  fifty  and  less  than  one  hundred,  which 
such   county   may  have   cast   at  the   last   preceding   election   for   the 
Democratic  State  ticket;  Provided,  however,  that  any  organized  county 
casting  less  than  one  hundred  Democratic  votes  shall  be  entitled  to 
one  vote. 

(2)  That   the   various   counties    shall   be   entitled   to   delegates   or 
seats  in  the  convention  as  follows :     Counties  entitled  to  one  vote  shall 
have  one  delegate;   all  other  counties  to  half  as  many  delegates  as  it 
may  have  votes   in  the   convention;    Provided,   that   one   delegate   be 
allowed  for  an  odd  vote,  as  for  instance,  five  votes  shall  be  allowed 
three  delegates,  eleven  votes  to  six  delegates,  two  votes  to  one  delegate, 
four  votes  to  two  delegates,  nine  votes  to  five  delegates,  etc. 

(3)  That  no   person  shall   be   allowed  to   sit  as   proxy  from   any 
county  which  may  have  a  regular  appointed  delegate  or  delegates  in 
attendance  on  the  convention,  nor  as  proxy  in  any  case  unless  his 
appointment  in  writing  be  signed  by  one  or  more  of  the  regularly  ap- 
pointed delegates  of  the  county  which  he  proposes  to  represent. 

(4)  That  no  person  shall  represent  any  other  county  than  that  of 


Parties  in  Texas  11 

his  residence,  unless  he  shall  have  been  regularly  appointed  by  a 
primary  meeting,  or  constituted  a  proxy  in  writing  as  aforesaid  by  a 
regularly  appointed  delegate  or  delegates  of  the  county  he  may  propose 
to  represent. 

[5]  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  chairman  of  the  State  Demo- 
cratic committee  at  least  four  weeks  before  the  assembly  of  each 
convention  to  publish  in  a  Democratic  paper  in  Austin  a  table  si.  ow- 
ing the  number  of  Democratic  votes  cast  by  each  county  at  the  then 
last  preceding  election,  the  number  of  votes  and  of  delegates  to  which 
each  county  may  be  entitled  in  the  convention  and  giving  notice  of 
the  time  and  place  at  which  such  convention  is  to  assemble.  The 
average  vote  for  the  Democratic  candidates  for  governor,  lieutenant- 
governor,  and  commissioner  of  the  general  land  office,  or  for  attorney- 
general,  comptroller  and  treasurer,  as  the  case  may  be,  shall  be  the 
basis  for  estimating  the  vote  of  each  county. 

[6]  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  convention  the  thanks  of  the  De- 
mocracy are  due,  and  we  hereby  tender  them,  to  Governor  E.  M.  Pease 
for  his  faithful  and  masterly  administration  of  the  government. 

[7]  That  the  next  State  convention  be  held  at  the  City  of  Houston 
on  the  first  Monday  in  May,  1859. 

[8]  WHEREAS,  Herman  Seele  proposes  to  translate,  and  F.  Lind- 
heimer  proposes  to  publish  in  German  the  proceedings  of  this  con 
vention,  therefore,  be  it  resolved,  that  the  secretaries  of  the  conven- 
tion be  requested  to  furnish  these  gentlemen  with  a  certified  copy  of  the 
proceedings. 

State  Committee?  John  Marshall,  chairman,  1.  J.  W. 
Dancy;  2.  -;  3.  A.  M.  Lewis;  4.  S.  S.  Smith;  5. 

Henry  C.  Hicks;  6.  P.  Hurrah;  7.  0.  C.  Hartley;  8.  Simpson  H. 
Morgan;  9.  A.  J.  Hood;  10.  H.  B.  Nichols;  11.  A.  C.  Hyde;  12. 
B.  McClusky,  of  Starr;  13.  D.  M.  Prendergast;  14.  Somers 
Kinney;  15.  William  Smith,  of  Orange;  16.  Nat,  Terry;  17.  R. 
T.  Posey;  18.  C.  Upson;  19.  William  M.  Hardeman;  20.  J.  W. 
Throckmorton ;  E.  M.  Pease,  of  Travis;  and  D.  C.  Dickson,  of 
Grimes. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1859 

HOUSTON,  May  2-5 
The  convention  assembled  on  the  day  appointed  by  the  last 

2The  delegates  from  each  judicial  district  chose  one  member  of  the  State 
Democratic  Committee.  The  numbers  preceding  the  names  indicate  the 
district.  The  Convention  elected  the  Chairman  and  Messrs.  Pease  and 
Dickson. 


78  Platforms  of  Political 

State  convention.  Sixty-nine  counties  were  represented  on  the 
second  day,  and  the  total  number  of  delegates  was  reported  to 
exceed  three  hundred.  The  two-thirds  rule  was  retained.  All 
voting  was  viva  voce  " according  to  good  old  Democratic  usage." 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  John  Marshall;  permanent, 
A.  J.  Hood,  of  Chprokee.  Vice-Presidents,  A.  M.  M.  Upshaw, 
of  Washington ;  R.  M.  Stell,  of  Leon ;  Edwin  Waller,  of  Austin ; 
Isaac  Parker,  of  Tar-rant;  and  A.  C.  Hyde,  of  El  Paso.  Secre- 
taries, Phineas  De  Cordova,  of  Travis;  Thomas  P.  Ochiltree,  of 
Harrison;  E.  F.  Ewing,  of  Washington;  D.  M.  Short,  of  Shelby; 
J.  H.  Torbett,  of  Johnson. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  H.  R.  Runnels,  of 
Bowie;  Lieutenant-Governor,  F.  R.  Lubbock,  of  Harris;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  Frank  M.  White,  of 
Jackson. 

Committee  on  Resolutions  and  Platform:  Geo.  W.  Chilton, 
chairman;  J.  D.  Giddings,  D.  M.  Short,  E.  T.  Branch,  T.  P. 
Aycock,  R.  T.  Graves,  C.  N.  Stanley,  Jas.  H.  Torbett,  John 
McClarty,  E.  A.  Palmer,  C.  C.  Herbert,  J.  W.  Speight,  Fletcher 
S.  Stockdale,  Geo.  W.  White,  A.  C.  Hyde,  J.  L.  Milham. 

PLATFORM1 

Resolved,  [1]  That  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of  Texas  re- 
affirm and  concur  in  the  principles  contained  in  the  platform  of  the 
National  Democratic  convention  held  at  Cincinnati  in  June,  1856,  as 
a  true  expression  of  their  political  faith  and  opinion,  and  herewith  re- 
assert and  set  forth  the  principles  therein  contained,  as  embracing  the 
only  doctrines  which  can  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  Union  and  the 
equal  rights  of  the  States;  and  that  we  will  continue  to  adhere  to 
and  abide  by  the  principles  and  doctrines  of  the  Virginia  and  Kentucky 
resolutions  of  1798  and  1799,  and  Mr.  Madison's  report  relative  there- 
to, in  the  same  good  faith  with  which  they  were  affirmed  by  the 
Cincinnati  Democratic  convention  and  afterwards  reaffirmed  and  pub- 
lished by  the  Waco  convention  in  May,  1857,  as  a  part  of  its  proceedings. 

[2]  That  the  party  also  reassert  and  adhere  to  the  principle  asserted 
in  the  Waco  platform.  [Here  follows  resolution  5  of  the  platform 
adopted  at  Waco  in  1856.] 

[3]    That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  recognize  in  the  opinion  of  th« 

^Proceedings  of  the  Democratic  Convention  of  the  State  of  Texas,  held  in 
the  City  of  Houston,  May  2d,  3rd,  4th  and  5th,  1859.  Published  by  order  of 
the  Convention.  Printed  at  the  Telegraph  office,  Houston,  1859. 


Parties  in  Texas  79 

Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  in  the  Dred  Scott  Case. a  true 
and  just  exposition  of  the  constitutional  powers  and  duties  of  the 
Federal  government  in  the  Territories  and  the  limitations  thereupon, 
and  declare  that  nothing  less  than  the  uniform  execution  of  those 
powers  and  duties  and  the  continual  observance  of  the  limitations 
thereupon,  can  do  justice  to  all  of  the  States  and  preserve  their 
equality. 

[4]  That  we  deny  the  possibility  of  the  existence  of  the  power  of 
the  legislature  of  any  Territory,  whilst  the  Constitution  prevails,  by 
unfriendly  legislation  or  otherwise  to  defeat  the  rights  of  property  in 
slaves,  or  practically  refuse  protection  thereto,  but  declare  that  it  is 
entitled  to  adequate  protection  from  the  general  government. 

[5]  That  no  new  State  ought  to  be  admitted  into  the  Union  until  it 
has  been  duly  ascertained  by  lawful  census  that  its  territory  contains 
the  number  of  inhabitants  requisite  for  one  representative  upon  the 
Federal  basis  [of  representation]. 

[6]  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  are  in  favor  of  the  acquisition  of 
Cuba,  and  that  we  regard  its  consummation  as  a  measure  which  self- 
protection  imperatively  demands  should  be  procured  at  the  earliest 
possible  time  compatible  with  our  National  honor. 

[Here  follows  the  National  Democratic  platform  of  1856,  except 
the  two  resolutions  next  to  the  end,  as  printed  in  McKee.] 

^Additional  Resolutions 

[7]  That  it  is  the  treaty  duty  of  the  general  government  to  protect 
our  suffering  frontier  from  the  continual  depredations  of  Indians,  and 
that  whenever  the  general  government  fails  to  do  so  it  is  the  duty  of 
the  State  government  to  extend  that  protection  as  speedily  as  possible, 
and  that  we  will  at  all  times  sustain  and  uphold  our  State  officers  in 
the  legal  discharge  of  this  duty. 

[8]  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  requested  in  behalf 
of  the  whole  people  of  Texas  to  use  his  best  endeavors  through  the 
treaty  making  power,  as  well  as  all  other  powers  with  which  he  is 
invested,  to  procure  an  arrangement  with  the  Republic  of  Mexico  by 
which  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  may  be  enabled  to  recover 
their  fugitive  slaves  escaping  from  the  States  and  getting  into  the 
boundary  of  our  sister  Republic. 

[9]  That  the  next  State  convention  of  the  Democratic  party  of  the 
State  of  Texas  shall  convene  in  Galveston  on  the  first  Monday  in 
April,  1860. 

State  Committee:  John  Marshall,  of  Travis,  chairman;  1. 
Judicial  District,  Gustave  Cooke,  of  Fort  Bend ;  2.  J.  M.  Steiner, 
of  Travis;  3.  J.  B.  Robertson,  of  Washington;  4.  W.  H.  Cleve- 
land, of  Bexar;  5.  D.  M.  Short,  of  Shelby;  6.  R.  H.  Graham,  of 


80  Platforms  of  Political 

Rusk;  7.  A.  P.  Wiley,  of  Walker;  8.  S.  H.  Morgan,  of  Red 
River;  9.  A.  T.  Rainey,  of  Anderson;  10.  T.  M.  Harwood,  of 
Gonzales;  11.  A.  C.  Hyde,  of  El  Paso;  12.  E.  B.  Scarborough, 
of  Cameron;  13.  Robert  Calvert,  of  Robertson;  14.  Michael  Seelig- 
son,  of  Bee;  15.  E.  T.  Branch,  of  Liberty;  16.  Nat.  Terry,  of 
Tarrant;  17.  Ed.  H.  Yontress,  of  Williamson;  18.  Luis  Huth, 
of  Medina;  19.  J.  W.  Speight,  of  McLennan. 

INDEPENDENTS,  1859 

While  the  opposition  did  not  hold  a  convention  in  1859,  an 
independent  ticket  was  placed  in  the  field  and  elected.  Sam 
Houston  made  following  terse  announcement  of  his  platform : 

INDEPENDENCE,  June  3,  1859. 
GEORGE  W.  PASCHAL,  Esq. 

Editor  Southern  Intelligencer,  AUSTIN. 
DEAB  SIB: 

On  yesterday  I  yielded  my  own  inclinations  to  the  wishes  of  my 
friends  and  concluded,  if  elected,  to  serve  the  people  as  the  Executive 
of  the  State.  The  Constitution  and  the  Union  embrace  the  principles 
by  which  I  will  be  governed  if  elected.  They  comprehend  all  the  old 
Jacksonian  National  Democracy  I  ever  professed  or  officially  practiced. 

I  am  thine  truly, 

SAM  HOUSTON.1 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1860 
GALVESTON,  April  2-5 

On  the  date  appointed  the  State  convention  assembled  at  Gal- 
veston.  Eighty-seven  counties  were  represented.  The  rail- 
roads were  given  a  vote  of  thanks  for  free  passes.  At  the  open- 
ing of  the  convention,  Major  Marshall  reviewed  the  extraordi- 
nary political  condition  of  the  country  and  impressed  upon  his 
audience  that  never  before  did  the  preservation  of  the  Union 
and' the  protection  of  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the  South  de- 
pend so  much  upon  the  Democratic  party.  W.  W.  Leland,  a 
delegate  from  Karnes  county,  was  rejected  because  he  had  been 
a  Black  Republican  before  coming  to  Texas. 

1Houston's  letter  is  taken  from  the  Harrison  Flag  (Marshall,)  June  17, 
1859. 


Parties  in  Texas  81 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  John  Marshall;  permanent, 
F.  B.  Sexton.  Vice-Presidents,  W.  B.  P.  Gaines,  Guy  M.  Bryan, 
R.  T.  Brownrigg,  John  D.  Pitts,  W.  W.  Woodward,  and  E.  T. 
Branch.  Secretaries,  Thomas  P.  Ochiltree,  Alf.  Davis,  J.  C. 
Hepperla  and  J.  A.  Quintaro. 

Delegates  to  ihe,  National  Convention:  Eastern  congressional 
district:  H.  R.  Runnels,  E.  Greer,  F.  F.  Foscue,  and  R.  B. 
Hubbard. 

Western  congressional  district:  F.  R.  Lubbock,  Josiah  F. 
Crosby,  Guy  M.  Bryan,  and  F.  S.  Stockdale. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  M.  D.  Graham,  of 
Rusk,  and  T.  N.  Waul,  of  Gonzales;  Eastern  congressional  dis- 
trict, A.  T.  Rainey,  of  Anderson ;  Western  congressional  district, 
John  A.  Wharton,  of  Brazoria. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Attorney-General,  George  M. 
Flournoy,  of  Travis;  Comptroller,  Clement  R.  Johns,  of  Hays; 
Treasurer,  Cyrus  H.  Randolph,  of  Houston. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1.  Judicial  District, 
John  F.  Harcourt,  of  Colorado;  2.  T.  H.  Duggan,  of  Guadalupe; 
3.  A.  S.  Broaddus,  of  Burleson;  4.  Charles  Ganahl,  of  Kerr;  5. 
W.  A.  Leonard,  of  Jasper;  6.  B.  F.  Williams,  of  Upshur;  7.  R, 
M.  Powell,  of  Montgomery;  8.  L.  C.  DeLisle,  of  Fannin;  9.  F. 
F.  Foscue,  of  Cherokee;  10.  F.  S.  Stockdale,  of  Calhoun,  chair- 
man ;  11.  Josiah  F.  Crosby,  of  El  Paso ;  13.  John  W.  Durant,  of 
Leon;  14.  W.  W.  Dunlap,  of  Goliad;  15.  E.  S.  Pitts,  of  Tyler; 
16.  Richard  Ward,  of  Tarrant;  17.  M.  V.  B.  Sparks,  of  Lampasas; 
19.  W.  H.  Parsons,  of  McLennan,  and  20.  J.  R.  Worrall,  of  Jack. 

PLATFORM1 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of  Texas  re- 
affirm and  concur  in  the  principles  contained  in  the  platform  of  the 
National  Democratic  convention,  held  at  Cincinnati  in  June,  1856,  as  a 
true  exposition  of  their  political  faith  and  opinion,  and  herewith  re- 
assert and  set  forth  the  principles  therein  contained  as  embracing  the 
only  doctrines  which  can  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  Union  and  the 
equal  rights  of  the  States,  and  most  unequivocally  deny  the  Squatter 
Sovereignty  interpretation  given  to  that  platform;  and  that  we  will 

^Proceedings  of  the  Democratic  State  Convention  of  Texas,  held  in  the 
City  of  Galveston  on  the  2nd  day  of  April,  1860.  Printed  at  the  "News" 
Book  and  Job  Establishment,  Galveston,  1860. 

6—328 


82  Platforms  of  Political 

continue  to  adhere  to  and  abide  by  the  principles  and  doctrines  of  the 
Virginia  and  Kentucky  resolutions  of  1798  and  1799  and  Mr.  Madison's 
report  relative  thereto. 

2.  That  in  order  to  give  greater  emphasis  to  these  principles,  as 
applicable  to  present  political  issues  and  exigencies,  we  further  and 
specifically  declare, 

First,  That  Texas,  as  an  independent  and  sovereign  State,  joined 
the  confederacy  of  the  United  States,  thereby  entering  into  a  compact 
with  each  and  all  the  States,  the  terms  and  conditions  whereof  are 
embraced  in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  one  of  them  being, 
in  effect,  that  the  State  of  Texas,  being  a  member  of  the  confederacy, 
should  exercise  through  the  government  of  the  United  States  certain 
powers  which  belong  to  her  as  a  sovereignty,  and  which  she  had  exer- 
cised through  her  own  government.  That  in  becoming  a  member  of 
the  confederacy,  Texas  parted  with  no  portion  of  her  sovereignty  but 
merely  changed  the  agent  through  whom  she  should  exercise  some  of 
the  powers  appertaining  to  it.  That  should  these  powers  be  used  at 
any  time  to  her  injury  or  wrong,  or  should  the  government  to  which 
they  are  confided  usurp  powers  not  delegated  to  it  by  her,  or  should 
that  government  fail  to  exercise  the  powers  which  are  delegated  in 
good  faith  for  the  maintenance  of  her  rights  and  the  rights  of  her 
people,  or  should  the  compact  she  has  entered  into  with  the  other 
States,  through  the  bad  faith  of  any  of  them,  fail  to  accomplish  the 
objects  for  which  it  was  formed, — in  any  of  these  cases,  of  the  ex- 
istence of  which  she  alone  can  judge  for  herself,  the  State  of  Texas 
possesses  the  full  right  as  a  sovereign  State  to  annual  the  compact,  to 
revoke  the  powers,  she  has  delegated  to  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  to  withdraw  from  the  confederacy,  and  resume  her  place  among 
the  powers  of  the  earth  as  a  sovereign  and  independent  nation. 

Second,  That  it  is  the  right  of  every  citizen  to  take  his  property  ,of 
every  kind,  including  slaves,  into  the  common  territory  belonging 
equally  to  all  of  the  States  of  the  confederacy,  and  to  have  it  protected 
there  under  the  Federal  Constitution.  Neither  Congress,  nor  a  Terri- 
torial legislature,  nor  any  human  power  has  any  authority,  either 
directly  or  indirectly,  to  impair  those  sacred  rights,  and  they,  having 
been  affirmed  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  in  the  Dred 
Scott  Case,  we  declare  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Federal  government, 
the  common  agent  of  all  the  States,  to  establish  such  government  and 
to  enact  such  laws  for  the  Territories,  and  to  change  the  same  from 
time  to  time,  as  may  be  necessary  to  insure  the  protection  and  pre- 
servation of  those  rights,  and  to  prevent  any  infringement  of  the 
same.  The  affirmation  of  this  principle  of  the  duty  of  Congress  to 
simply  protect  the  rights  of  property  is  in  no  wise  in  conflict  with  the 
heretofore  established  and  still  recognized  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party,  that  Congress  does  not  possess  the  power  to  legislate  slavery 
into  the  Territories  or  exclude  it  therefrom. 

Third,  That  while  we  declare  our  unabated  attachment  to  the  Con- 


Parties  in  Texas  83 

stitution  and  Union  of  these  States,  our  own  self-respect  demands  of  us 
as  a  party  to  affirm  that  this  Union  can  only  be  held  sacred  so  long  as 
it  secures  domestic  tranquility  and  all  the  guarantees  of  the  Constitu- 
tion are  preserved  inviolate.  That  we  regard  with  great  aversion  the 
unnatural  efforts  of  a  sectional  party  at  the  North  to  carry  on  an 
"irrepressible  conflict"  against  the  institution  of  slavery,  and  whenever 
that  party  shall  succeed  in  electing  a  President  upon  their  platform, 
we  deem  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  Texas  to  hold 
themselves  in  readiness  to  cooperate  with  our  sister  States  of  the 
South  in  convention  to  take  into  consideration  such  measures  as  may 
be  necessary  for  our  protection,  or  to  secure  out  of  the  confederacy  that 
protection  of  their  rights  which  they  can  no  longer  hope  for  in  it. 

Fourth,  That  this  government  was  founded  for  the  benefit  of  the 
white  race,  that  political  power  was  placed  exclusively  in  the  hands 
of  men  of  Caucasian  origin,  that  experience  has  taught  these  self- 
evident  truths,  that  the  enforced  equality  of  the  African  and  European 
tends  not  to  the  elevation  of  the  negro  but  to  the  degradation  of  the 
white  man,  and  that  the  present  relation  of  the  blacks  and  whites  in 
the  South  constitutes  the  only  true,  natural,  and  harmonious  relation- 
ship in  which  the  otherwise  antagonistic  races  can  live  together  and 
achieve  mutual  happiness  and  destiny.  That  we  view  with  undis- 
guised aversion  and  with  a  determined  resolution  to  resist  the  designs 
openly  proclaimed  by  the  leaders  of  sectionalism  in  the  North,  "to 
abolish  these  distinctions  of  races, — peaceably,  if  we  can;  forcibly,  if 
we  must."  We  regard  any  effort  by  the  Black  Republican  party  to 
disturb  the  happily  existing  subordinate  condition  of  the  negro  race 
in  the  South  as  violative  of  the  organic  act  guaranteeing  the  supremacy 
of  the  white  race,  and  any  political  action  which  proposes  to  invest 
negroes  with  equal  social  and  political  equality  with  the  white  race 
as  an  infraction  of  those  wise  and  wholesome  distinctions  of  nature 
which  all  experience  teaches  were  established  to  insure  the  prosperity 
and  happiness  of  each  race. 

Frontier  Protection 

[3]  The  following  resolutions  from  the  special  committee  on  frontier 
protection  were  ordered  to  be  engrossed  as  a  part  of  the  platform: 

Resolved,  (1)  That  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  looking  to  the 
actual  Indian  war  on  our  frontier,  to  the  ruthless  murder  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  and  the  enormous  destruction  and  robbery  of 
property,  stand  pledged  to  sustain  the  most  efficient  and  active  warfare 
against  the  savage  enemy;  that  they  approve  of  the  appropriation  of 
over  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  by  the  late  legislature  for  frontier 
protection,  and  demand  of  the  Governor  of  the  State  that  it  shall  be 
expended  in  an  active,  efficient  offensive  war  with  the  Indians,  and  not 
frittered  away  in  temporizing  expedients,  or  in  buying  treaties  by 


84  Platforms  of  Political 

means  of  presents,  annuities,  or  any  other  mode  of  consummating  a 
treaty  with   treacherous   savages. 

(2)  That  the  term  "friendly"  loses  all  its  meaning  when  applied  to 
the  Indians  within  the  territory  of  Texas,  and  that  any  force  raised  for 
the  protection  of  our  frontier  should  be  directed  to  pursue'  all  Indians 
to  their  destruction,  within  our  territory,  and  if  their  depredations  are 
persisted    in   to   pursue   and    chastise   them   even   beyond   our   limits 
wherever  found. 

(3)  That  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Federal  government,  by  solemn  stipu- 
lation, to  afford  sufficient  protection  to  the  lives  and  property  of  the 
citizens  of  this  State,  but  that  in  the  absence  of  efficient  protection  by 
the  general  government  the  citizens  of  this  State  stand  fully  justified 
by  the  emergency  of  existing  danger  in  adopting  such  measures  as 
will  secure  their  self-preservation. 

(4)  That  the  policy  of  contracting  the  settlement  of  the  frontier 
is  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  American  people,  the  history  of  our 
country,  and  injurious  to  the  best  interests  of  Texas. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[4]  That  while  we  decline  to  indorse  the  course  of  the  present 
Federal  administration  with  reference  to  our  frontier  and  some  other 
questions  of  National  policy,  we  deem  it  proper  at  the  same  time  to 
declare  that  the  policy  of  the  administration,  in  the  main,  and  es- 
pecially the  sentiments  expressed  by  President  Buchanan  in  his  late 
annual  message  with  reference  to  the  question  which  most  vitally 
concerns  the  South,  meets  with  our  approbation  and  endorsement. 

[5]  That  in  the  death  of  General  Mirabeau  B.  Lamar  Texas  has  lost 
one  of  her  beloved,  distinguished,  and  patriotic  sons  and  statesmen, 
ever  generous,  chivalrous,  and  true. 

[6]  A  resolution  was  adopted  instructing  the  delegates  to  the 
Charleston  convention  to  insist  upon  the  adoption  of  the  two-thirds 
rule. 

Dallas  was  chosen  as  the  place  and  the  second  Monday  in  April, 
1861,  as  the  date  for  the  meeting  of  the  next  State  convention. 

Democratic  Committee:  John  Marshall,  of  Travis,  chairman; 
1.  District,  P.  P.  Williams,  of  Colorado;  2.  Wm.  Byrd,  of  Travis; 
3.  A.  M.  Lewis,  of  Washington ;  4.  Jacob  Waelder,  of  Bexar ;  5. 
John  A.  Hall,  of  Sabine;  6.  J.  M.  Clough,  of  Harrison;  7.  A.  P. 
Wiley,  of  Walker;  8.  B.  C.  Bagby,  of  Fannin;  9.  Matt.  Dale,  of 
Anderson;  10.  Thos.  M.  Harwood,  of  Gonzales;  11.  A.  C.  Hyde, 
of  El  Paso;  12.  Ed.  Scarborough,  of  Cameron;  13.  W.  D.  Wood, 
of  Leon;  14.  W.  W.  Dunlap,  of  Goliad;  15.  E.  B.  Pickett,  of 
Liberty ;  16.  Nat  Terry,  of  Tarrant ;  17.  Thos.  Moore,  of  Burnet ; 


Parties  in  Texas  85 

18.  Francis  Richbuzer,  of  Medina;  19.  James  Harrison,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; 20.  J.  A.  Hall,  of  Jackson. 

SAN  JACINTO  BATTLE  GROUND  ASSEMBLY,  1860 

April  21 

In  pursuance  of  a  call,  issued  April  9th,  for  a  meeting  of  the 
friends  of  General  Sam  Houston,  favorable  to  his  election  to  the 
Presidency  of  the  United  States,  a  large  assembly  of  ladies  and 
gentlemen  convened  on  the  Battle  Ground  of  San  Jacinto  on 
the  21st  of  April.  Colonel  Isaac  L.  Hill,  of  Fayette  county,  one 
of  the  surviving  heroes  of  the  Battle  of  San  Jacinto,  was  called 
to  the  chair.  He  announced  that  the  purpose  of  the  meeting 
was  not  only  to  commemorate  the  ever  glorious  anniversary,  but 
also  to  tender  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  as  a  candidate 
for  the  chief  magistracy  the  name  of  the  distinguished  hero  who 
had  led  our  forces  to  victory  on  that  ground. 

Officers:  President,  Isaac  L.  Hill,  of  Fayette.  Viee-Presi- 
dents,  James  Morgan,  Andrew  Daly,  Michael  McCormic*,  Sam 
Paschal*,  Ellis  Benson*,  Thomas  Martin t,  6.  W.  Jones*,  William 
McFarland*,  C.  0.  Kelly*,  H.  G.  Pannellt,  Fenton  M.  Gibsont, 
and  Jesse  White  t,  of  Harris  county,  Andrew  Montgomery*,  J. 
J.  Greenwood  of  Grimes,  M.  C.  Rodgers  of  Walker,  John  M. 
Brown  of  Washington,  Hambleton  Ledbetter  of  Fayette,  Stephen 
Southwick  and  William  Dunbar  of  Galveston,  G.  H.  Lovet  of 
Freestone,  W.  S.  Taylor*  of  Montgomery,  T.  H.  Mundine  of 
Burleson,  A.  C.  Hydet  of  El  Paso.  Secretaries,  Andrew  Daly 
and  John  Brashear. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  D.  D.  Atchison,  of  Galveston, 
chairman;  A.  M.  Gentry,  H.  H.  Allen,  A.  McGowan,  A.  N.  Jor- 
dan, John  H.  Manley,  Stephen  Southwick,  J.  C.  Smith,  Andrew 
Daly,  D.  J.  Baldwin. 

""The  vice-presidents  whose  names  are  marked  with  a  star  were  in  the 
Battle  of  San  Jacinto ;  those  marked  with  a  dagger  were  officers  or  soldiers 
in  the  Revolution  of  1836,  or  under  the  Republic." 


86  Platforms  of  Political 

REPORT  OP  THE  COMMITTEE1 

Assembled  as  we  are  on  the  Battle  Ground  of  San  Jacinto,  a  spot 
consecrated  by  the  blood  and  valor  of  those  who  periled  their  every- 
thing in  their  country's  cause,  we  deem  this  occasion  and  the  place  as 
well  fitted  to  utter  a  few  words  to  our  fellow-citizens  upon  the  great 
questions  which  lay  at  the  foundation  of  our  National  prosperity  and 
happiness.  We  have  fallen  upon  evil  times.  Political  jobbers  have 
maneuvered  and  squabbled,  when  they  should  have  labored  for  the 
public  good;  they  have  invented  new  questions  to  distract  the  public 
mind;  they  have  arrayed  one  section  of  our  common  country  against 
another;  they  have  sown  discord  where  confidence  and  good  will  would 
have  prevailed  but  for  their  wicked  efforts,  until  the  glorious  fabric 
of  good  government  which  has  secured  an  unexampled  prosperity  to 
our  people  has  been  greatly  endangered  if  not  well  nigh  demolished. 

We  are  tired  of  being  bartered  off,  and  "compromised"  by  party 
conventions  and  cliques,  and  think  it  high  time  that  the  voters  of  the 
United  States  of  America  should  for  once,  at  least,  take  the  matter  of 
choosing  their  Chief  Magistrate  into  their  own  hands  without  consult- 
ing sectional  or  partisan  leaders  from  any  quarter.  The  time  has  now 
arrived  when  all  conservative  men  of  whatever  section  who  love  their 
country  should  unite  on  a  common  platform  of  reciprocal  justice  for 
the  preservation  of  the  Constitution  and  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union; 
therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  present  attitude  of  the  two  leading  parties 
of  the  United  States,  standing  upon  opposite  geographical  divisions 
and  respectively  seeking  success  by  appeals  to  sectional  prejudices, 
creates  an  imminent  necessity  for  the  people  of  all  the  States  to  rally 
around  some  presidential  candidate  of  National  character,  whose  public 
services  have  been  devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  whole  country 
and  whose  name  shall  inspire  confidence  in  the  hearts  of  all  Union 
loving  patriots;  under  whose  banners  they  can  form  from  every  portion 
of  our  beloved  Union,  forgetting  sectional  and  partisan  rancor  and 
coming  up  shoulder  to  shoulder  to  sustain  and  perpetuate  our  liberties 
as  did  the  patriots  of  old  to  establish  them. 

2.  That  we  recommend  to  the  conservative  people  of  the  Nation 
our  distinguished  fellow-citizen  General  Sam  Houston  as  the  Peoples' 
candidate  for  the  Presidency,  assured  that  his  devotion  to  the  Consti- 
tution and  the  Union,  his  illustrious  life,  and  great  public  services 
give  a  better  guarantee  for  the  wisdom  and  patriotism  of  his  adminis- 
tration than  any  platform  that  parties  can  construct.  The  people 
know  him  to  be  a  true  and  safe  man  who  loves  his  country  and  rejoices 
in  the  advancement  of  every  part  of  it;  one  of  the  few  left  of  the  old 


proceedings  of  the  San  Jacinto  Battle  Ground  Assembly  are  taken 
from  the  Harrison  Flag  (Marshall,)  May  11,  1860,  which  copied  them  from 
the  Houston  Republic. 


Parties  in  Texas  8? 

school  of  patriots  and  statesmen  who  would  exert  all  of  his  power  to 
arrest  the  growth  of  the  spirit  of  disunion  and  check  the  increasing 
tide  of  extravagance  and  corruption  now  so  rapidly  undermining  the 
principle  upon  which  our  government  was  founded.  Under  such  an 
administration  tranquility  and  confidence  must  be  restored  at  home, 
respect  commanded  abroad,  while  political  freedom,  social  happiness, 
and  material  prosperity,  the  fruits  of  peace  and  order,  will  be  assured 
to  our  distracted  neighbor  Mexico,  under  a  judicious  American  pro- 
tectorate, alike  demanded  as  a  measure  of  salvation  to  a  rapidly 
decaying  government,  ready  to  lapse  into  barbarism,  or  fall  a  prey  to 
European  despotism,  and  for  the  preservation  of  our  political  and 
commercial  interests  on  this  continent. 

3.  That  we  call  upon  all  conservative  men,  of  all  parties  and  in  all 
sections  of  our  Union,  whether  assembled  in  conventions  or  otherwise, 
to  weigh  well  the  present  condition  of  the  country  and  to  unite  with 
us   in   crushing   out   every   species   of   fanaticism,   in   an  earnest  and 
sincere  effort  to  recall  the  Nation  to  a  sense  of  impending  dangers  in- 
voke their  assistance  by  falling  in  line  with  us  under  the  Constitution 
and  the  Union. 

4.  That  we  recommend  to  our  fellow-citizens  the  following  electors 
for  the  State  at  large  to  be  voted  for  in  November  next:     Hon.  Geo.  W. 
Smyth,  of  Jasper;  Col.  M.  T.  Johnson,  of  Tarrant;  Col.  Sam  Bogart,  of 
Collin,   elector   for  the   Eastern,  and   Hon.   Jesse   Grimes,   of   Grimes 
county,  elector  for  the  Western  congressional  district. 

5.  That  we   recommend   to   our  friends   throughout  the   State  the 
selection  of  efficient  electors  for  each  Judicial  District  who  will  take 
the  field  and  canvass  from  the  stump  their  respective  districts. 

Committee  of  Correspondence:  John  H.  Manley,  A.  M.  Gen- 
try, H.  H.  Allen,  D.  J.  Baldwin,  Stephen  Southwick,  Jesse  White, 
E.  F.  Williams,  A.  N.  Jordan,  A.  Daly,  John  W.  Harris. 

HOUSTON'S  ACCEPTANCE 

The  National  Constitutional  Union  convention  met  at  Balti- 
more, May  9,  1860.  Sam  Houston  and  John  Bell  were  the  lead- 
ing candidates  for  the  nomination.  On  the  first  ballot  Hous- 
ton received  fifty-seven  and  Bell  sixty-eight  votes ;  on  the  second 
and  final  ballot  Houston  received  sixty-eight  and  Bell  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-eight  votes.  In  view  of  these  facts  the  follow- 
ing letter  of  acceptance  is  all  the  more  remarkable. 


88  Platforms  of  Political 

AUSTIN,  TEXAS,  May  24,  I860.1 
MESSRS.  D.  D.  ATCIIISON  AND  J.  W.  HARRIS, 

GENTLEMEN:  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  14th  instant,  I  will  say 
that  I  have  responded  to  the  people  at  San  Jacinto,  and  consented  to 
let  my  name  go  before  the  country  as  the  People's  candidate  for 
President. 

In  yielding  to  the  call  of  my  fellow-citizens  of  Texas,  in  June  last,  to 
become  a  candidate  for  Governor,  I  said:  "The  Constitution  and  the 
Union  embrace  the  principles  by  which  I  will  be  governed  if  elected. 
They  comprehend  all  the  old  Jackson  National  Democracy  I  ever  pro- 
fessed or  officially  practiced."  These  have  ev-er  guided  my  action. 
I  have  no  new  principles  to  annouce. 

Thine  truly, 

SAM  HOUSTON. 

CONSTITUTIONAL  UNION  ELECTORS.   1860 

The  Constitutional  Union  men  in  Texas  were  placed  in  an 
awkward  predicament  by  the  persistence  of  Sam  Houston  as  a 
candidate  for  the  Presidency  after  the  nomination  of  John  Bell. 
Houston  had  been  their  first  choice,  but  his  course  clearly  meant 
the  loss  of  Texas  to  their  cause.  Meetings  were  held  at  Marshall 
and  at  Austin  at  which  Bell  was  indorsed,  and  the  following 
candidates  for  presidential  electors  were  nominated.  On  August 
18,  1860,  General  Houston  addressed  a  letter  to  "my  friends  in 
the  United  States"  in  which  he  announced  his  withdrawal  from 
the  candidacy  for  the  Presidency. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  William  Stedman,  of 
Rusk,  and  Geo.  W.  Paschal,  of  Travis;  Eastern  congressional 
district,  Ben  H.  Epperson,  of  Eed  Eiver ;  Western  congressional 
district,  John  R.  Robson,  of 

SECESSION  CONVENTION,  1861 

AUSTIN,  January  28 

The  results  of  the  presidential  election  of  1860  caused  a  wide- 
spread demand  in  Texas  for  a  convention  of  the  people  to  con- 
sider the  grave  issue  confronting  them.  Numerous  petitions 
were  addressed  to  Governor  Houston  asking  him  to  convene  the 

1(This  letter  is  copied  from  the  Harrison  Flag,  June  8,  1860. 


Parties  in  Texas  89 

legislature  preliminary  to  a  convention.  He  refused  to  do  so. 
Early  in  December  an  address  to  the  people  of  Texas  was  pre- 
pared at  Austin  and  signed  by  prominent  citizens  from  different 
parts  of  the  State.  It  recommended  the  election  on  January  8, 
1861,  of  delegates  to  a  State  convention  to  assemble  at  Austin 
on  January  28th.  On  December  17,  Governor  Houston  issued 
a  proclamation  calling  the  legislature  to  meet  on  January  21st. 
The  legislature  and  the  convention  met  on  the  days  appointed, 
and  the  former  promptly  gave  its  approval  and  assent  to  the 
latter.  On  February  1  the  convention  adopted  the  Ordinance 
of  Secession  by  a  vote  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  to  six,  and 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  prepare  an  address  to  the  people 
of  Texas  setting  ,forth  the  causes  of  secession.  The  convention 
remained  in  session  one  month  and  transacted  much  important 
business. 

Officers:  President,  0.  M.  Roberts,  of  Smith;  Secretary,  R. 
T.  Brownrigg,  of  Travis. 

Committee  on  Address:  John  Henry  Brown,  George  M.  Flour- 
noy,  Jno.  A.  Wilcox,  M.  D.  Graham,  and  A.  P.  Wiley. 

ADDRESS 

A  declaration  of  the  causes  which  impel  the  State  of  Texas  to  secede 
from  the  Federal  Union. 

The  government  of  the  United  States,  by  certain  joint  resolutions, 
bearing  date  the  1st  day  of  March,  in  the  year  A.  D.  1845,  proposed 
to  the  Republic  of  Texas,  then  a  free,  sovereign  and  independent  nation, 
the  annexation  of  the  latter  to  the  former,  as  one  of  the  coequal  States 
thereof. 

The  people  of  Texas,  by  deputies  in  convention  assembled,  on  the 
fourth  day  of  July  of  the  same  year,  assented  to  and  accepted  said 
proposals  and  formed  a  constitution  for  the  proposed  State,  upon 
which  on  the  29th  day  of  December  in  the  same  year,  said  State  was 
formally  admitted  into  the  Confederated  Union. 

Texas  abandoned  her  separate  national  existence  and  consented  to 
become  one  of  the  Confederated  States  to  promote  her  welfare,  insure 
domestic  tranquility  and  secure  more  substantially  the  blessings  of 
peace  and  liberty  to  her  people.  She  was  received  into  the  confed- 
eracy with  her  own  constitution,  under  the  guarantee  of  the  Federal 
Constitution  and  the  compact  of  annexation,  that  she  should  enjoy 
these  blessings.  She  was  received  as  a  commonwealth  holding,  main- 
taining, and  protecting  the  institution  known  as  negro  slavery — the 
servitude  of  the  African  to  the  white  race  within  her  limits — a  rela- 


90  Platforms  of  Political 

tion  that  had  existed  from  the  first  settlement  of  her  wilderness  by 
the  white  race,  and  which  her  people  intended  should  exist  in  all 
future  time.  Her  institutions  and  geographical  position  established 
the  strongest  ties  between  her  and  other  slaveholding  States  of  the 
Confederacy.  Those  ties  have  been  strengthened  by  association.  But 
what  has  been  the  course  of  the  government  of  the  United  States,  and 
of  the  people  and  authorities  of  the  nonslaveholding  States,  since  our 
connection  with  them? 

The  controlling  majority  of  the  Federal  government,  under  various 
pretences  and  disguises,  has  so  administered  the  same  as  to  exclude 
the  citizens  of  the  Southern)  States,  unless  under  odious  and  unconsti- 
tutional restrictions,  from  all  the  immense  territory  owned  in  com- 
mon by  all  the  States  on  the  Pacific  Ocean,  for  the  avowed  purpose 
of  acquiring  sufficient  power  in  the  common  government  to  use  it  as 
a  means  of  destroying  the  institutions  of  Texas  and  her  sister  slave- 
holding  States.  '•"$•' 

By  disloyalty  of  the  Northern  States  and  their  citizens  and  the 
imbecility  of  the  Federal  government,  infamous  combinations  of  in- 
cendiaries and  outlaws  have  been  permitted  in  those  States  and  the 
common  Territory  of  Kansas  to  trample  upon  the  Federal  laws,  to  war 
upon  the  lives  and  property  of  Southern  citizens  in  that  Territory, 
and  finally,  by  violence  and  mob  law,  to  usurp  the  possession  of  the' 
same  as  exclusively  the  property  of  the  Northern  States. 

The  Federal  government,  while  but  partially  under  the  control  of 
these  our  unnatural  and  sectional  enemies,  has  for  years  almost  en- 
tirely failed  to  protect  the  lives  and  property  of  the  people  of  Texas 
against  the  Indian  savages  on  our  border,  and  more  recently  against 
the  murderous  forays  of  banditti  from  the  neighboring  territory  of 
Mexico;  and  when  our  State  government  has  expended  large  amounts 
for  such  purpose,  the  Federal  government  has  refused  reimbursement 
therefor,  thus  rendering  our  condition  more  insecure  and  harassing 
than  it  was  during  the  existence  of  the  Republic  of  Texas. 

These  and  other  wrongs  we  have  patiently  borne  in  the  vain  hope 
that  a  returning  sense  of  justice  and  humanity  would  induce  a  dif- 
ferent course  of  administration. 

When  we  advert  to  the  course  of  individual  nonslaveholding  States, 
and  that  of  a  majority  of  their  citizens,  our  grievances  assume  far 
greater  magnitude. 

The  States  of  Maine,  Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  Connecticut,  Rhode 
Island,  Massachusetts,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Wisconsin, 
Michigan  and  Iowa,  by  solemn  legislative  enactments,  have  deliber- 
ately, directly  or  indirectly  violated  the  3rd  clause  of  the  2nd  section 
of  the  4th  article  of  the  Federal  Constitution,  and  laws  passed  in  pur- 
suance thereof;  thereby  annulling  a  material  provision  of  the  compact, 
designed  by  its  framers  to  perpetuate  amity  between  the  members 
of  the  confederacy  and  to  secure  the  rights  of  the  slaveholding  States 
in  their  domestic  institutions — a  provision  founded  in  justice  and  wis- 


Parties  in  Texas  91 

dom,  and  without  the  enforcement  of  which  the  compact  fails  to  ac- 
complish the  object  of  its  creation.  Some  of  those  States  have  imposed 
high  fines  and  degrading  penalties  upon  any  of  their  citizens  or  offi- 
cers who  may  carry  out  in  good  faith  that  provision  of  the  compact,  or 
the  Federal  laws  enacted  in  accordance  therewith. 

In  all  the  nonslaveholding  States,  in  violation  of  that  good  faith 
and  comity  which  should  exist  between  entirely  distinct  nations,  the 
people  have  formed  themselves  into  a  great  sectional  party,  now 
strong  enough  in  numbers  to  control  the  affairs  of  each  of  those  States 
based  upon  the  unnatural  feeling  of  hostility  to  these  Southern  States 
and  their  beneficent  and  patriarchal  system  of  African  slavery,  pro- 
claiming the  debasing  doctrine  of  the  equality  of  all  men,  irrespective 
of  race  or  color — a  doctrine  at  war  with  nature,  in  opposition  to  the 
experience  of  mankind,  and  in  violation  of  the  plainest  revelations 
of  the  Divine  Lawv  They  demand  the  abolition  of  negro  slavery 
throughout  the  Confederacy,  the  recognition  of  political  equality  be- 
tween the  white  and  the  negro  races,  and  avow  their  determination  to 
press  on  their  crusade  against  us,  so  long  as  a  negro  slave  remains 
in  these  States. 

For  years  past  this  abolition  organization  has  been  actively  sowing 
the  seeds  of  discord  through  the  Union,  and  has  rendered  the  Federal 
Congress  the  arena  for  spreading  firebrands  and  hatred  between  the 
slaveholding  and  nonslaveholding  States. 

By  consolidating  their  strength,  they  have  placed  the  slaveholding 
States  in  a  hopeless  minority  in  the  Federal  Congress,  and  rendered 
representation  of  no  avail  in  protecting  Southern  rights  against  their 
exactions  and  encroachments. 

They  have  proclaimed,  and  at  the  ballot  box  sustained,  the  revolu- 
tionary doctrine  that  there  is  a  "higher  law"  than  the  Constitution 
and  laws  of  our  Federal  Union,  and  virtually  that  they  will  disregard 
their  oaths  and  trample  upon  our  rights. 

They  have  for  years  past  encouraged  and  sustained  lawless  organi- 
zations to  steal  our  slaves  and  prevent  their  recapture,  and  have 
repeatedly  murdered  Southern  citizens  while  lawfully  seeking  their 
rendition. 

They  have  invaded  Southern  soil  and  murdered  unoffending  citizens, 
and  through  the  press  their  leading  men  and  a  fanatical  pulpit  have 
bestowed  praise  upon  the  actors  and  assassins  in  these  crimes,  while 
the  governors  of  several  of  their  States  have  refused  to  deliver  parties 
implicated  and  indicted  for  participation  in  such  offences,  upon  the 
legal  demands  of  the  States  aggrieved. 

They  have,  through  the  mails  and  hired  emissaries,  sent  seditious 
pamphlets  and  papers  among  us  to  stir  up  servile  insurrection  and 
bring  blood  and  carnage  to  our  firesides. 

They  have  sent  hired  emissaries  among  us  to  burn  our  towns  and 
distribute  arms  and  poison  to  our  slaves  for  the  same  purpose. 

They   have   impoverished   the   slaveholding   States   by   unequal   and 


92  Platforms  of  Political 

partial  legislation,  thereby  enriching  themselves  by  draining  our  sub- 
stance. 

They  have  refused  to  vote  appropriations  for  protecting  Texas 
against  ruthless  savages,  for  the  sole  reason  that  she  is  a  slaveholding 
State. 

And,  finally,  by  the  combined  sectional  vote  of  the  seventeen  non- 
slaveholding  States,  they  have  elected  as  President  and  Vice-President 
of  the  whole  Confederacy  two  men  whose  chief  claims  to  such  high 
positions  are  their  approval  of  these  long  continued  wrongs,  and  their 
pledges  to  continue  them  to  the  final  consummation  of  these  schemes 
for  the  ruin  of  the  slaveholding  States. 

In  view  of  these  and  many  other  facts,  it  is  meet  that  our  own  views 
should  be  distinctly  proclaimed. 

We  hold  as  undeniable  truths  that  the  governments  of  the  various 
States,  and  of  the  Confederacy  its-elf,  were  established  exclusively  by 
the  white  race,  for  themselves  and  their  posterity;  that  the  African 
race  had  no  agency  in  their  establishment;  that  they  were  rightfully 
held  and  regarded  as  an  inferior  and  dependent  race,  and  in  that  con- 
dition only  could  their  existence  in  this  country  be  rendered  beneficial 
or  tolerable. 

That  in  this  free  government  all  white  men  are  and  of  right  ought  to 
te  entitled,  to  equal  civil  and  poltical  rights;  that  the  servitude  of  the 
African  race,  as  existing  in  these  States,  is  mutually  beneficial  to  both 
bond  and  free,  and  is  abundantly  authorized  and  justified  by  the  ex- 
perience of  mankind,  and  the  revealed  will  of  the  Almighty  Creator, 
as  recognized  by  all  Christian  nations;  while  the  destruction  of  the 
existing  relations  between  the  two  races,  as  advocated  by  our  sectional 
enemies,  would  bring  inevitable  calamities  upon  both  and  desolation 
upon  the  fifteen  slaveholding  States. 

By  the  secession  of  six  of  the  slaveholding  States,  and  the  certainty 
that  others  will  speedily  do  likewise,  Texas  has  no  alternative  but  to 
remain  in  an  isolated  connection  with  the  North,  or  unite  her  destinies 
with  the  South. 

For  these  and  other  reasons,  solemnly  asserting  that  the  Federal 
Constitution  has  been  violated  and  virtually  abrogated  by  the  several 
States  named,  seeing  that  the  Federal  government  is  now  passing 
under  the  control  of  our  enemies  to  be  diverted  from  the  exalted  ob- 
jects of  its  creation  to  those  of  oppression  and  wrong,  and  realizing 
that  our  own  State  can  no  longer  look  for  protection  but  to  God  and 
her  own  sons — We,  the  delegates  of  the  people  of  Texas,  in  Conven- 
tion assembled,  have  passed  an  ordinance  dissolving  all  political  con- 
nection with  the  government  of  the  United  States  of  America  and  the 
people  thereof  and  confidently  appeal  to  the  intelligence  and  patriot- 
ism of  the  freemen  of  Texas  to  ratify  the  same  at  the  ballot  box,  on 
the  23rd  day  of  the  present  month. 

Adopted  in  Convention  on  the  2nd  day  of  February,  in  the  year  of 


Parties  in  Texas  93 

our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-one  and  of  the  inde- 
pendence of  Texas  the  twenty-fifth. 

"O.  M.  Roberts,  (President,)  Edwin  Waller,  L.  A.  Abercrombie,  W. 
A.  Allen,  Jas.  M.  Anderson,  T.  S.  Anderson,  James  R.  Armstrong, 
Richard  L.  Askew,  W.  S.  J.  Adams,  Wm.  C.  Battle,  S.  W.  Beazley, 
John  Box,  H.  N.  Burditt,  Jas.  M.  Burroughs,  Jno.  I.  Burton,  S.  E. 
Black,  W.  T.  Blythe,  Amzi  Bradshaw,  R.  W.  Brahan,  A.  S.  Broaddus, 
Jno.  Henry  Brown,  Robt.  C.  Campbell,  Lewis  F.  Casey,  Wm.  Cham- 
bers, T.  J.  Chambers,  Jno.  G.  Chambers,  N.  B.  Charlton,  Geo.  W. 
Chilton,  Isham  Chisum,  Wm.  Clark,  Jr.,  J.  A.  Clayton,  Chas.  L. 
Cleveland,  A.  G.  Clopton,  Richd.  Coke,  James  E.  Cook,  Jon  W. 
Dancy,  A.  H.  Davidson,  C.  Been,  Thos.  J.  Devine,  Thos.  G.  Daven- 
port, Jas.  J.  Diamond,  Wm.  W.  Diamond,  Jno.  Donelson,  Jos.  H. 
Dunham,  Edward  Dougherty,  H.  H.  Edwards,  Elbert  Earley, 
John  N.  Fall,  Drury  Field,  Jno.  H.  Feeney,  George  Flournoy,  Spen- 
cer Ford,  Jno.  S.  Ford,  Thos.  C.  Frost,  Amos  P.  Galloway,  Charles 
Ganahl,  Robt.  S.  Gould,  Robt.  Graham,  Malcolm  D.  Graham,  Peter 
W.  Gray,  Jno.  A.  Green,  John  Gregg,  Wm.  P.  Hardeman,  Jno.  P. 
Hayes,  Philemon  T.  Herbert,  A.  W.  O.  Hicks,  Thos.  B.  J.  Hill,  Alfred 
M.  Hobby,  Jos.  L.  Hogg,  J.  J.  Holt,  Jas.  Hooker,  Edward  R.  Hord, 
Russell  Howard,  A.  C.  Hoyl,  Thos.  P.  Hughes,  J.  W.  Hutcheson,  Jno. 
Ireland,  Thos.  J.  Jennings,  F.  Jones,  W.  C.  Kelly,  T.  Koester,  C.  M. 
Lesueur,  F.  W.  Latham,  Pryor  Lea,  Jas.  S.  Lester,  Jno.  Littleton,  M. 
F.  Locke,  Oliver  Lofton,  Thos.  S.  Lubbock,  P.  N.  Luckett,  Henry  A. 
Maltby,  Jesse  Marshall,  James  M.  Maxey,  Lewis  W.  Moore,  Wm.  Mc- 
Craven,  Wm.  Mclntosh,  Gilchrist  McKay,  Thos.  M.  McCraw,  Wm. 
Goodloe  Miller,  Albert  N.  Mills,  Thos.  Moore,  Thos.  C.  Moore,  Charles 
de  Montel,  B.  F.  Moss,  John  Muller,  Thos.  J.  Nash,  A.  Nauendorf,  T. 
C.  Neel,  Allison  Nelson,  Jas.  F.  Newsom,  W.  M.  Neyland,  E.  B. 
Nichols,  A.  J.  Nicholson,  E.  P.  Nicholson,  Jas.  M.  Norris,  Alfred  T. 
Obenchain,  W.  B.  Ochiltree,  W.  S.  Oldham,  R.  J.  Palmer,  W.  M. 
Payne,  W.  K.  Payne,  Wm.  M.  Peck,  W.  R.  Poag,  Alex.  Pope,  David 
Y.  Portis,  D.  M.  Prendergast,  Walter  F.  Preston,  F.  P.  Price,  A.  T, 
Rainey,  John  H.  Reagan,  C.  Rector,  P.  G.  Rhome,  E.  S.  C.  Robertson, 
J.  C.  Robertson,  J.  B.  Robertson,  Wm.  P.  Rogers,  James  H.  Rogers, 
Edward  M.  Ross,  John  Rugeley,  H.  R.  Runnels,  E.  B.  Scarborough, 
Wm.  T.  Scott,  Wm.  Read  Scurry,  James  E.  Shepard,  Sam  S.  Smith, 
Gideon  Smith,  Jno.  D.  Stell,  Jno.  G.  Stewart,  Charles  Stewart,  F.  S. 
Stockdale,  Wm.  H.  Stewart,  Pleasant  Taylor,  B.  F.  Terry,  Nathaniel 
Terry,  E.  Thompson,  Jas.  G.  Thompson,  W.  S.  Todd,  Jas.  Walworth, 
R.  H.  Ward,  Wm.  Warren,  J.  C.  Watkins,  Jno.  A.  Wharton,  Jos.  P. 
Wier,  Jno.  A.  Wilcox,  A.  P.  Wiley,  Ben  Williams,  Jason  Wilson,  Philip 
A.  Work. 

R.  T.  Brownrigg,  Secretary. 
Wm.  Dunn  Schoolfield  and  R.  W.  Lunday,  Asst.  Secretaries. 


94  Platforms  of  Political 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1861 

DALLAS,  May  27 

The  outbreak  of  hostilities  between  the  North  and  the  South 
left  little  inclination  for  holding  county  conventions  to  select 
delegates  to  a  State  convention.  Less  than  thirty  counties  sent 
delegates  to  Dallas.  It  was,  therefore,  "deemed  unwise  and  im- 
politic to  make  any  formal  nominations  for  the  offices  of  gov- 
ernor, lieutenant-governor  and  commissioner  of  the  general  land 
office." 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  John  M.  Crockett,  of  Dallas; 
permanent,  T.  M.  Likens.  Vice-Presidents,  John  M.  Crockett 
and  B.  F.  Ross.  Secretaries,  R.  W.  Lunday,  W.  J.  Sparks, 
Junius  W.  Smith  and  W.  H.  Thomas. 

CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION,  1866 

AUSTIN,  February  7- April  2 

During  the  war  the  military  overshadowed  the  civil  authority ; 
training  camps  for  soldiers  replaced  political  conventions.  With 
the  fall  of  the  Confederacy,  organized  government  ceased  in 
Texas.  After  an  interregnum  of  several  months,  the  provisional 
governor,  A.  J.  Hamilton,  arrived  at  Galveston  July  21st.  It 
was  one  of  his  chief  duties  to  provide  for  the  assembling  of  a 
constitutional  convention  to  be  elected  by  the  loyal  voters  of 
Texas.  Provision  was  made  for  registering  the  voters,  and  when 
the  major  portion  had  registered  the  Governor,  on  November  15, 
ordered  an  election  for  delegates  to  be  held  January  8,  1866. 
The  delegates  assembled  at  Austin  February  7th.  Stanch 
Unionists,  former  Secessionists  and  a  sufficient  body  of  mod- 
erates to  wield  the  balance  of  power  composed  the  convention. 
There  was  great  divergence  of  opinion  between  the  extreme 
groups  in  regard  to  the  action  that  should  be  taken  upon  the 
important  questions  resulting  from  the  war :  the  right  of  secession, 
slavery,  the  war  debt,  the  status  of  the  freedmen,  etc.  The 
position  taken  upon  these  questions  gave  rise  to  groups  called 


Parties  in  Texas  95 

Radicals  and  Conservatives,  which  became  the  nuclei  of  new 
political  organizations.  The  convention  provided  for  the  hold- 
ing of  a  general  election  in  June,  and  before  it  adjourned  each 
party  held  a  caucus,  put  forward  candidates,  and  made  prepara- 
tions for  the  campaign. 

RADICAL  UNION  CAUCUS,  1866 

AUSTIN,  March  [31?] 

A  caucus  of  the  Radical  members  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, composed  of  the  following  delegates,  agreed  upon  the 
declaration  of  principles  and  indorsed  the  candidates  set  forth 
below : . 

Members  of  Caucus:  Albert  H.  Latimer,  of  Red  River;  I.  A. 
Paschal,  of  Bexar;  A.  P.  McCormick,  of  Brazos;  H.  Ledbetter, 
of  Fayette;  Hardin  Hart,  of  Hunt;  E.  Degener,  of  Bexar;  W. 
P.  Bacon,  of  El  Paso;  A.  P.  Shuford,  of  Wood;  X.  B.  Saunders, 
of  Bell;  W.  M.  Varnell,  of  Jackson;  L.  B.  Camp,  of  Goliad; 
Daniel  Murchison,  of  Comal ;  James  E.  Ranck,  of  Mason ;  Edmund 
J.  Davis,  of  Webb;  M.  L.  Armstrong,  of  Lamar;  G.  C.  Benge, 
of  Cherokee;  F.  J.  Parker,  of  Cameron;  A.  Smith,  of  Lamar; 
Robert  H.  Taylor,  of  Fannin;  J.  B.  Thomas,  of  Cameron;  J.  W. 
Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  B.  G.  Shields,  of  Falls;  S.  M.  Young,  of 
Llano. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  E.  M.  Pease,  of  Travis ; 
Lieutenant-Governor,  B.  H.  Epperson,  of  Red  River;  Attorney- 
General,  C.  C.  Binkley,  of  Grayson;  Comptroller,  James  Shaw, 
of  Burleson;  Treasurer,  Sam  Harris,  of  Travis;  Commissioner 
of  the  General  Land  Office,  F.  M.  White,  of  Jackson;  Judges  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  William  E.  Jones,  of  Bexar,  James  H.  Bell, 
of  Williamson,  C.  Galdwell,  of  Grimes,  William  Stedman,  of 
Rusk.  William  H.  Johnson,  of  Lamar. 

DECLARATION    OP    PRINCIPLES 

To  the  Voters  of  Texas: 

Inasmuch  as  you  will  be  called  on  to  elect  State,  district  and  county 
officers  on  the  fourth  Monday  in  June  next,  we  take  the  liberty  re- 
spectfully to  present  to  your  consideration  the  propriety  of  uniting  in 


96  Platforms  of  Political 

such  a  declaration ,  of  principles,  and  in  the  support  of  such  men  as 
will  be  most  likely  to  secure,  for  the  State  of  Texas,  representation  in 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States  and  the  full  enjoyment  of  all  her 
constitutional  rights  and  privileges. 

"We  are  just  'emerging  from  an  unnecessary  and  unhappy  war,  which 
has  brought  poverty,  distress,  and  almost  every  form  of  calamity  upon 
the  people  of  the  South.  We  have  reason  to  fear  that  there  are  yet 
amongst  us  many  who  propose  to  pursue  such  a  course  in  the  future 
as  will  justify  what  has  been  done  in  the  past,  and  thus  furnish  the 
fuel  for  continued  strife  and  agitation,  at  the  expense  of  the  liberty, 
the  tranquility,  and  the  prosperity  of  the  people. 

We  want  peace;  we  want  a  firm  and  regular  administration  of  the 
laws,  in  the  courts  of  the  country,  for  the  protection  of  life  and 
property.  We  wish  to  see  order  restored  throughout  our  State;  we 
wish  for  the  security  of  the  domestic  fireside;  we  wish  industry  to  be 
undisturbed,  so  that  the  losses  of  the  past  can  be  repaired;  we  wish 
to  see  the  Union  restored  in  fact  as  well  as  in  theory;  we  wish  the 
hearts  of  all  the  people  to  warm  once  more  with  love  for  the  Union 
and  the  government  established  by  our  fathers,  that  they  may  be  in 
the  future,  as  they  were  in  the  past,  the  Union  and  government  of  a  free, 
prosperous,  powerful,  and  happy  people.  We  wish  our  beloved  State 
to  regain  as  soon  as  possible,  her  position  as  a  member  of  the  Federal 
Union,  that  her  people  may  have  a  voice  in  the  councils  of  the  Nation, 
and  share  the  benefits  of  fostering  and  beneficent  legislation. 

To  these  ends,  fellow-citizens,  we  cordially  invite  all  men  who  love 
the  Union  and  who  desire  its  permanent  power  and  glory,  without 
respect  to  past  differences,  to  unite  in  the  following  declaration  of 
principles: 

1.  That   we    are    unalterably    devoted   to    our    republican    form    of 
government,  as  established  by  the  patriots  of  '76,  and  that  we  denounce 
the  assumption   of   those   who   seek   to   justify   the   late   rebellion   by 
declaring  that  republican  institutions  have  proved  to  be  a  failure;  that 
we  have  no  sympathy  with  monarchies  or  imperialists,  but  fondly  hope 
that  our  free  institutions  may  endure  to  the  latest  posterity;  to  which 
end  we  pledge  ourselves  to  contribute,  as  much  as  in  us  lies,  by  a 
hearty  and  undeviating  support  of  the  constitutional  authority  of  the 
government  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  State. 

2.  That  we  fully  recognize  the   supremacy  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States,  and  of  the  laws  made  in  pursuance  thereof;   that 
we  believe  it  was  wisely  ordained  that  they  should  be  the  supreme 
law  of  the  land,  in  all  the  States  of  the  Union,  anything  in  the  constitu- 
tion or  laws  of  the  States  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding;   that  we 
regard  the  Union  of  the  States,  under  the  Constitution,  as  the  best 
guarantee  of  civil  liberty  to  the  American  people,  and  that  under  the 
powerful  and  benign  influence  of  the  Union  we  and  our  posterity  may 
reasonably  hope  to  enjoy  the  fullest  protection  for  life  and  property, 
and  the  largest  measure  of  prosperity  and  happiness. 


Parties  in  Texas  97 

3.  That  we  hold  the  Act  of  Secession,  adopted  in  convention,  at 
the  City  of  Austin,  on  the  1st  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1861,  to  have  been 
in  violation  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  con- 
stitutional obligation  of  the  State  of  Texas  to  the  other  States  of  the 
Union  and,  therefore,  null  and  void  from  the  beginning. 

4.  That  we  feel,  in  its  full  force,  the  obligation  which  rests  upon 
the  whole  people  of  the  United  States  to  maintain  the  National  credit, 
and  to  that  end  we  pledge  ourselves  to  give  a  hearty  support  to  the 
National   government   in   all   proper   efforts   for   the   liquidation   and 
discharge  of  the  public  debt;   and  we  will  oppose  every  effort  to  re- 
pudiate the  same,  and  every  effort  to  burden  the  loyal  people  of  the 
United  States  with  the  debt  of  the  Confederate  States  or  any  portion 
of  it. 

5.  That  we  have  unabated  confidence  that  the  wisdom  and  patriot- 
ism of  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  of  the  representatives  of 
the  people  in  Congress  assembled  will  prove  adequate  to  the  task  of 
guiding  the  country  safely  through  the  perils  and  difficulties  of  the 
present  time,  and  of  restoring  the  States  to  their  constitutional  rela- 
tions to  each  other,  in  such  manner  that  the  great  principles  of  con- 
stitutional liberty  will  be  at  the  same  time  vindicated  and  preserved. 

6.  That  we  acquiesce  sincerely  in  the  act  of  the  Nation  abolishing 
slavery,  and  that  we  will  endeavor  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the 
freed  people  in  our  midst  by  treating  them  with  justice,  and  by  accord- 
ing to  them,  not  grudgingly  but  willingly  and  heartily,  the  rights  which 
are  now,  or  may  hereafter  be,   secured  to  them  by  the  Constitution 
and  the  laws. 

7.  That  we  proclaim  anew  the  liberty  of  speech  and  of  the  press, 
and  the  right  of  the  people  to  assert  and  publish  their  opinions  upon 
all  subjects  touching  the  public  welfare;   that  upon  the  preservation 
of  these  inestimable  rights  depend  the  permanent  existence  and  value 
of  republican  government;  that  their  suppression  in  this  State,  during 
the  past  five  years,  was  both  ruinous  and  despotic,  and  that  we  hold  it 
to  be  one  of  the  highest  duties  of  the  people  to  rally  to  their  reassertion, 
and  to  fix  them  upon  immovable  foundations. 

8.  That  our  form  of  government  reposes  upon  the  intelligence  of 
the  people,   and  that  an  honest  and   patriotic  devotion  to   its   great 
principles  is  entirely  consistent  with  individual  freedom  of  opinion; 
that  we  fully  recognize  the  fact  that  very  grave  questions  are  now,  for 
the  first  time,  presented  to  the  people,  and  that  we,  therefore,  freely 
tolerate  differences  of  opinion  upon  all  subjects  not  embraced  within 
the  foregoing  propositions. 

Upon  these  principles,  fellow-citizens,  we  think  that  all  lovers  of  the 
Union  may,  and  ought  to  unite. 


r— 328 


98  Platforms  of  Political 

CONSERVATIVE  UNION  CAUCUS,  1866 

AUSTIN,  t  April  2 

A  caucus,  composed  in  the  main  of  Conservative  delegates  to 
the  Constitutional  Convention,  was  held  to  checkmate  the  action 
of  the  Radical  caucus.  The  following  persons  attended  and 
signed  the  letter  below : 

Members  of  Caucus:  John  Hancock,  J.  K.  P.  Record,  M.  T. 
Johnson,  0.  M.  Roberts,  J.  W.  Henderson,  H.  P.  Mabry,  C.  C. 
Herbert,  H.  R.  Runnels,  John  D.  Nash,  J.  W.  Whitfield,  J.  M. 
Lindsay,  W.  C.  Dalrymple,  J.  M.  Hurt,  A.  M.  Gentry,  J.  K. 
Bumpass,  A.  W.  Nelson,  J.  M.  Norris,  A.  Harwood,  F.  A.  Hill, 
W.  R.  Anderson,  A.  J.  Ball,  R.  F.  Slaughter,  Benjamin  R.  Tyus, 
Wells  Thompson,  A.  W.  Moore,  W.  M.  Walton,  Benton  Ran- 
dolph, J.  H.  Parsons,  A.  W.  Terrell,  C.  S.  West. 

To  HON.  J.  W.  THROCKMOBTON  AND  HON.  GEO.  W.  JONES  r1 

GENTLEMEN:  The  undersigned  representing,  as  they  believe,  the 
views  of  the  people  in  various  portions  of  the  State,  without  distinc- 
tion as  to  past  party  affiliations,  desire  ^permission  to  use  your  names 
for  the  positions  of  Governor  and  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State  of 
Texas  at  the  next  election. 

Knowing  you  to  be  opposed  to  the  radicalism  of  the  day,  which  is 
persistently  sought  to  be  imposed  upon  the  people  of  Texas,  and  being 
fully  satisfied  of  your  opposition  to  negro  suffrage,  and  the  hasty  and 
inconsiderate  elevation  of  the  negro  to  political  equality;  knowing 
also  that  you  indorse  the  good  faith  of  the  people  of  Texas,  in  their 
professions  of  loyalty  to  the  general  government,  and  appreciating 
their  earnest  desire  for  our  State  to  be  restored  to  her  former  Federal 
relations  at  the  earliest  practicable  period; 

And  believing,  as  we  do,  that  the  great  mass  of  the  people  of  Texas 
indorse  President  Johnson  in  his  policy  of  restoration,  which  is  based 
on  the  Constitution,  we  desire  that  you,  whom  we  know  to  entertain 
the  same  views  of  his  policy,  should  become  the  standard  bearers  of 
the  Conservative  Union  men  of  the  State  in  the  coming  election. 

Though  you  have  persistently  refused  to  allow  your  names  to  be 
used  in  this  connection,  the  events  of  the  last  few  days,  we  believe, 
render  it  necessary  that  you  should  yield  to  our  wishes  on  this  sub- 
ject. These  events  speak  trumpet-tongued  to  every  patriot  in  the 
land.  The  radical  branch  of  the  Republican  party  of  the  North,  who 

lThe  Daily  Herald   (San  Antonio,)   April  10,  1866. 


Parties  in  Texas  99 

closed  the  doors  of  Congress  against  Southern  representatives,  who 
have  declared  their  intention  to  reduce  us  to  a  condition  of  territorial 
vassalage,  and  to  place  us  below  the  level  of  those  who  were  once  our 
slaves,  have  their  adherents  in  our  very  midst.  They  have  had  their 
caucuses,  adopted  their  platforms,  nominated  their  candidates  for  the 
principal  offices  in  the  State,  and  are  determined  to  aid  and  abet 
Stevens,  Sumner,  and  Phillips,  in  their  opposition  to  the  policy  of  the 
President,  in  their  raids  against  constitutional  liberty,  and  in  the 
establishment  of  a  consolidated  despotic  government.  , 

We  assure  you  that  this  call  is  not  confined  to  a  few  persons,  nor 
to  any  particular  locality,  but  comes  from  every  portion  of  the  State; 
from  men  who  are  determined,  if  possible,  to  preserve  the  country  and 
its  institutions  from  the  machinations  of  those,  who  in  the  last  hours 
of  the  Convention  defeated  the  resolution  indorsing  the  policy  of  the 
President,  and  are  determined  to  bind  us,  hand  and  foot,  and  surrender 
us  to  the  Radical  Republicans,  or  prolong  indefinitely  Provisional  and 
Military  Rule. 

THROCKMORTON'S    ACCEPTANCE 

AUSTIN,  April  3,  1866.1 
MESSRS.    HANCOCK,    RECORD,    JOHNSON,    MABRY,    HENDERSON,    HERBERT, 

RUNNELS,  NASH,  and  others: 

GENTLEMEN:  Your  communication  of  the  2nd  inst,  requesting  that 
I  should  become  a  candidate  for  Governor  of  the  State,  at  the  ensuing 
election,  on  the  fourth  Monday  in  June  next,  has  just  been  handed  me, 
and  in  reply  I  have  the  honor  to  say  that  I  recognize  the  obligation 
that  rests  upon  every  individual  to  respond  to  the  wishes  of  the  people 
when  their  interest  or  free  institutions  are  endangered,  and  fully  con- 
curring with  you  in  the  views  and  sentiments  you  have  expressed, 
I  yield,  regardless  of  my  inclinations  or  interest,  to  your  request  and 
authorize  you  to  use  my  name  as  the  candidate  of  the  Conservative, 
Union  sentiment  of  Texas,  for  Governor. 
I  have  the  honor,  Gentlemen,  to  be 

Very  respectfully, 

J.  W.  THROCKMORTON. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1867 
HOUSTON,  July  4  and  5 

By  the  passage  of  the  Reconstruction  Acts  of  March,  1867, 
the  President's  plan  of  reconstruction  was  set  aside.  The  re- 
constructing of  civil  government,  therefore,  had  to  be  begun 

*The  Daily  Herald  (San  Antonio,)   April  10,  1866. 


100  Platforms  of  Political 

over  again.  The  negro  was  given  the  ballot  to  assist  in  the  pro- 
cess. A  large  number  of  ex-Confederates  was  disfranchised. 
Registration  of  voters  began  about  the  middle  of  May. 
The  conservative  white  men  were  slow  to  register.  The  freed- 
man  showed  great  eagerness  to  do  so.  The  Radicals  lost  no  time 
in  seeking  to  enlist  the  colored  voters  on  their  side.  Mass  meet- 
ings were  held,  local  organizations  perfected,  and  a  State  con- 
vention was  held  in  Houston  in  July.  The  convention  was  over- 
whelmingly African  in  its  composition;  the  white  delegates  did 
not  exceed  twenty  in  number,  while  the  colored  numbered  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty.  The  absence  of  Union  men  was  con- 
spicuous. Only  twenty-six  counties  had  delegates  present. 

Officers:      President,   E.  M.  Pease.      Vice-Presidents,  Jesse 
Stencil,  of  Galveston;  G.  T.  Ruby,  of  Galveston;  — 
Burl        ,  of  Harris;  "William  Richie,  of  Navarro;  and  W.  B. 
Moore,  of  Bexar.     Secretaries,  William  R.  Fayle,  Charles  W. 
Winn,  and  Scipio  P.  McKee. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  S.  P.  Butler,  of 
Walker;  W._C.J£ravis,  of  Lavaca;  A.  J.  Evans,  of  McLennan; 
Jessie  Stencil,  of  Galveston;  JohnJEI.  Lippard,  of  Hill;  C.  M. 
Winn,  of  Navarro;  B.  W.  Hall,  of  Freestone;  G,  R.  Scott,  of 
Travis;  W^JHosran,  of  Anderson;  S.  Mullin,  of  Falls;  J.  Rein- 
hart,  of  Grimes;  J.  H^Bell,  Williamson;  W.  E.  Horn,  of  Whar- 
ton;  H.  Ledbetter,  of  Fayette;  R.  Haywood,  of  Washington; 
W.  B.  Moore,  of  Bexar ;  A.  Henry,  of  Chambers ;  Oscar  Kneese, 
of  Caldwell;  A.  Wade,  of  Gonzales;  E.  Cross,  of  Comal;  C.  B. 
Sabin,  of  Harris ;  J.  F.  Gordon,  of  Guadalupe ;  S.  Curtis,  of  Fort 
Bend ;  D.  Gregory,  of  Fort  Bend. 

PLATFORM1 

WHEREAS,  The  Loyal  men  of  Texas,  without  distinction  of  race  or 
color,  believe  it  to  be  their  duty,  under  the  circumstances  of  the 
country,  to  organize  for  the  purpose  of  more  effectually  aiding  in  the 
reconstruction  of  our  State  government,  in  accordance  with  the  Re- 
construction Act  passed  by  the  Thirty-ninth  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  on  the  2nd  of  March,  1867,  and  the  Supplementary  Act,  passed 
by  the  Fortieth  Congress  on  the  23rd  of  March,  1867;  and  to  that  end 
have  now  assembled  in  convention;  and, 

JThe  platform  is  copied  from  the  Tri-Weekly  Austin  Republican,  October 
26,  1867. 


Parties  in  T.exas 


101 


WHEREAS,  it  is  proper  that  we  should  publicly  declare  the  views  and 
principles  upon  which  we  propose  to  act,  and  by  which  we  intend,  as  a 
party,  to  be  guided;  therefore, 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  recognize  the  National  Republican  party  as 
the  means  under  Providence  of  saving  our  country  and  government 
from  the  calamity  of  successful  rebellion,  and  of  incorporating  into 
our  National  legislation,  as  a  living  and  fruitful  principle,  the  declara- 
tion of  our  fathers,  that  all  men  are  created  equal;  that  they  are 
endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  unalienable  rights,  among  which 
are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness;  that  our  gratitude  is 
due  to  this  party  for  their  great  services  in  the  cause  of  free  govern- 
ment and  human  liberty;  that  we  do  now  take  our  place  in  its  ranks, 
and  call  upon  every  man  in  Texas,  who  loves  the  Union  or  desires  its 
perpetuity,  to  rally  to  its  support. 

2.  That  we  do  not  hesitate  to  declare  ourselves  unconditional  Union 
men;    not  because   we   would   invite  from   the   National   government 
oppressions  and  wrongs,  but  because  we  see  in  the  past  abundant  evi- 
dence of  a  determination  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  the  United  States 
to   preserve   a   free   republican   government;    because   the   policy   and 
temper  of  the  National  government  appear  to  us  to  have  been  always 
parental,  inspiring  us  with  confidence  that  we  will  never  be  called  upon 
to  submit  to  measures  not  directed  by  a  supreme  regard  for  the  general 
safety  and  welfare  of  the  Nation;  and  because  we  esteem  union  as  the 
fundamental  condition  of  the  greatness,  prosperity,  and  happiness  of 
the  American  people. 

3.  That  we  pledge  ourselves  to  a  hearty  support  of  the  reconstruc- 
tion measures  enacted  by  the  Thirty-ninth  and  Fortieth  Congresses  of 
the  United  States,  and  that  we  will  do  all  that  in  us  lies  to  secure  the 
reorganization  of  our  State  government  in  free  accordance  with  the 
principles  of  the  said  acts  of  Congress. 

4.  That  we  deem  the  continuance  in  the  civil  offices  of  the  State 
of  those  who  actively  participated  in  the  late  rebellion,  and  who  are 
hostile  to  the  Reconstruction  Acts  passed  by  Congress,  as  constituting 
an  impediment  to  the  execution  of  those  acts  in  their  true  spirit  and 
intent,  which  is  insuperable. 

5.  That  as  a  measure  of  State  policy,  we  will  endeavor  to  establish, 
at  the  earliest  practicable  time,  a  system  of  free  common  schools  for 
the'  equal  benefit  of  all   children   and   youths   of  the   scholastic   age, 
without  distinction  of  race  or  color,  to  be  supported  by  equal  and  uni- 
form  taxation,   until   a   school   fund   can  be   made   available   for   this 
purpose. 

6.  That  we  will  also  advocate  the  enactment  of  an  equitable  law 
by  which  those  of  our  citizens,  without  respect  to  race  or  color,  who 
have  never  received  any  portion  of  the  public  lands  of  the  State,  may 
secure  homesteads  out  of  our  vacant,  unappropriated  public  domain. 

7.  That  we  appreciate  the  disposition  which  has   been  manifested 
by  Major  General  Sheridan  and  Brevet  Major  General  Griffin  to  extend 


102  Platforms  of  Political 

protection  to  the  lives  and  property  of  the  people  of  Texas,  and  that 
we  respectfully  invite  their  consideration  of  the  necessity  which  still 
exists  for  the  adoption  of  active  measures  to  increase  this  protection, 
and  to  secure  freedom  of  speech  and  of  the  press  throughout  the  State. 

8.  That  we  deem  it  due  to  ourselves  to  declare  that  the  charge 
which  is  confidently  made  against  us,  of  a  desire  to  induce  the  general 
government  to  deal  harshly  with  those  who  participated  in  the  late 
rebellion,  is  a  foul  slander,  propagated  for  party  and  unpatriotic  pur- 
poses; that  we  have  constantly  and  deeply  regretted  that  a  contuma- 
cious spirit  of  hostility  to  the  government  has  survived  the  overthrow 
of  the  rebellion,  and  has  manifested  itself  by  opposition,  by  a  majority 
of  our  citizens,  to  measures  deemed  necessary  by  Congress  to  the 
National' security;  that  we  earnestly  desire  to  see  a  spirit  of  concord 
amongst  all  the  people;  that  we  hail  with  gratification  every  evidence 
of  the  return  of  such  a  spirit;  but  we  will  make  no  further  attempt,  by 
any  compromise  of  our  principles,  to  conciliate  the  enemies  of  the 
National  government. 

Central  Committee:  J.  L.  Haynes,  chairman,  A.  H.  Longley, 
William  Alexander,  Ed.  Wilkinson,  and  Henry  Dickinson. 

CONSERVATIVE  RECONSTRUCTIONS  STATE  CONVEN- 
TION, 1868 

HOUSTON,  January  20 

The  day  after  the  call  for  a  convention  of  the  Conservatives 
was  issued  from  Houston,1  a  group  of  Conservative  Reconstruc- 
tionists  met  in  Galveston  and  on  the  4th  of  January  issued  an 
address,  calling  a  State  convention  to  meet  at  Houston  on  Jan- 
uary 20th.  The  object  of  the  convention  was  represented  to  be 
a  free  interchange  of  opinion  from  which  there  might  arise  a 
practical  organization  to  aid  in  the  early  restoration  of  the 
State  into  the  Union  and  to  adopt  measures  to  warrant  the  re- 
opening of  the  registration  of  voters2.  An  additional  purpose 
was  specified  in  a  letter  of  T.  H.  McMahon,  leader  of  the  move- 
ment, issued  about  ten  days  later:  namely,  to  consider  whether 
we  should  not  organize  to  defeat  the  Africanization  of  our  be- 
loved commonwealth,  as  contemplated  by  the  program  of  the 
Radicals3.  The  signers  of  the  call  included  both  former  Con- 
federates and  Union  men,  and  in  general  represented  the  sup- 

1See  page  105  below. 

2The  call  is  printed  in  Flake's  Daily  Bulletin  (Galveston),  January  5,  1868. 

*Ibid.,  January  14,  1868. 


Parties  in  Texas  10IJ 

porters  of  the  President.  The  attendance  was  very  small — about 
thirty;  the  deliberations  were  not  harmonious;  and  efforts  to 
induce  the  Conservative  convention  to  adopt  their  resolutions 
failed. 

Officers:  George  Hancock,  chairman;  J.  C.  Cowan,  secretary; 
General  Byrne,  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions. 

RESOLUTIONS4 

The  loyal  Union  citizens  of  the  State  of  Texas  in  mass  convention 
assembled  deem  it  but  just  to  announce  unhesitatingly  the  sentiments 
that  actuate  them  in  assembling  in  the  interests  of  an  early  restoration 
of  the  practical  relations  of  the  State  towards  the  Federal  government, 
made  necessary  under  the  existing  Reconstruction-  Acts  of  Congress; 
therefore,  they  respectfully  present  for  the  consideration  of  the  intelli- 
gent and  patriotic  voters  of  the  State  the  following  preamble  and 
resolutions  for  their  approval: 

WHEREAS,  the  early  fathers  of  the  Republic  announced  as  the  corner 
stone  and  origin  of  the  Nation  the  principles  set  forth  in  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  and  after  the  acknowledged  independece  of  the 
Nation  from  the  mother  country,  established  the  existing  government, 
as  is  exhibited  in  the  preamble  and  Constitution  of  the  United  States: 
therefore, 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  fully  indorse  and  proclaim  our  unalterable 
allegiance  in  the  wisdom  of  the  Declaration'  of  Independence,  and  the 
kindred  necessity  of  the  faithful  obedience  of  all  the  privileges,  rights, 
and  immunities  conferred  upon  all  citizens  as  made  incumbent  on 
them  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  the  laws  thereunder. 

2.  We  hold  that  the  adoption  of  such  a  line  of  public  policy  by  the 
people  of  this  commonwealth  will  not  only  cause  an  early  restoration 
of  the  State,  but  will  redound  to  the  welfare  of  the  people  by  their  full 
enjoyment  of  a  republican  form  of  government  as  guaranteed  by  the 
Constitution,  and  the  adoption  also  of  such  a  liberal  State  constitution 
as  will  guide  the  future  legislation  of  the  State  in  the  interests  of  a 
complete  development  of  all  its  resources  and  wealth,  a  liberal  policy 
towards  immigration,  public  lands,  railroads,  and  public  school  system, 
which  are   freely  acknowledged   to   have   done   so   much  towards   the 
heretofore  prosperity  of  sister  States. 

3.  The  late  Civil  War  having  been  settled  by  the  arbitrament  of  the 
sword,  we  deem  it  to  be  fruitless  and  valueless  to  continue  in  the 
engendering  spirit  of  such  sanguinary  conflicts  or  to  reflect  upon  the 
causes  which  produced  the  same,  for  we  hold  the  only  necessity  made 
incumbent  upon  all  citizens  is  the  free  and  undeniable  acceptance  of 
all  the  results  as  determined  by  the  sword  and  the  immediate  abroga- 

4The  resolutions  are  copied  from  Flake's  Daily  Bulletin,,  January  21,  1868. 


104  Platforms  of  Political 

tion  of  the  ideas  of  the  rebellion  which  can  alone  give  to  a  suffering 
people  a  speedy  and  acknowledged  restoration  of  their  personal  and 
political  rights  and  privileges  in  this  or  any  community  of  the  Federal 
government. 

4.  That  we  yield  to  none  in  our  indorsement  and  desire  for  the 
adoption  of  healthful  State  laws  that  will  give  to  all  men  equal  and 
exact  justice  before  the  law. 

5.  That  a  committee  be  appointed  by  the  president  of  this  conven- 
tion, of  which  the  Hon.  John  Hancock,  of  Austin,  shall  be  chairman, 
whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  prepare  and  issue  to  the  citizens  of  the 
State   an   appropriate   address   urging   the   people   to   rise   from   thein 
lethargy,  and  accepting  all   the  privileges  and  conditions  vouchsafed 
to  them  by  the  Reconstruction  Acts  of  Congress.     Therefore,  we  pledge 
to   the  "patriotic   General   commanding   this   military   district   our   de- 
termination to  faithfully  and  loyally  maintain  the  obligation  we  have 
taken,  that  in  the  execution  of  the  laws  his  declaration  of  the  supremacy 
of  the  civil  law  is  a  sufficient  guarantee  that  we  rely  upon  in  pur- 
suing the  path  of  restoration  under  his  control,   in  accordance  with 
the  true  spirit  of  the  law,  and  not  to  meet  partisan  views  and  pur- 
poses, and  we  are  pleased  to  learn  that  the  Chief  Executive  of  the 
Nation  has  seen  proper  to  give  his  approval  to  this  declaration  by  an 
official  message. 

6.  That  a  State  central  committee  be  appointed  by  the  president  of 
this  convention,  consisting  of  two  citizens  of  each  county,  who  indorse 
this  platform  of  principles  and  the  other  objects  we  have  in  view,  and 
that  after  the  selection  of  such  a  committee  it  will  immediately  or- 
ganize so  that  the  people  of  this  State  may  be  placed  under  a  thorough 
organization,  which  course  alone  will  guarantee  a  complete  victory  to 
our  labors  in  the  interests  of  an  early  restoration  of  the  Lone  Star 
into  the  sisterhood  of  the  Union. 

Committee  to  confer  with  tlie  Conservatives:  George  Han- 
cock, General  Byrne,  G.  H.  Giddings,  Ham.  Stuart,  Geo.  W. 
Carter. 

CONSERVATIVE  STATE  CONVENTION,  1868 

HOUSTON,  January  20-22 

Registration  of  voters  had  ceased  September  28th.  On  De- 
cember 18,  1867,  General  Hancock  ordered  that  an  election  be 
held  at  each  county  seat  from  February  10th  to  14th  to  deter- 
mine whether  a  constitutional  convention  should  be  called  and 
to,  select  delegates  to  the  same.  At  the  same  time  he  ordered  that 


Parties  in  Texas  ]05 

the  registry  lists  should  be  reopened  and  revised  during  the  Last 
five  days  of  January.1  The  Conservatives,  who  had  manifested 
little  active  interest  in  the  course  of  events,  were  thus  confronted 
with  the  necessity  of  determining  at  once  upon  a  line  of  action. 
On  January  2nd,  a  call  was  issued  from  Houston  for  a  State 
convention.  Considering  the  grave  aspect  of  political  affairs, 
said  the  signers  of  the  call,  we  deem  it  advisable  that  the  con- 
servative people  of  the  State  should  counsel  together  as  to  the 
course  most  expedient  to  adopt  in  relation  to  the  approaching 
election.2  The  signers,  with  one  exception,  were  former  Confed- 
erates. The  attendance  was  not  large,  but  larger  than  that  of 
its  contemporary,  the  Conservative  Eeconstructionist  Convention. 
No  credentials  were  required.  The  proceedings  were  marked 
by  several  contests.  The  appointment  of  a  committee  on  resolu- 
tions was  opposed  by  those  who  favored  acceptance  of  the  Con- 
servative Reconstructionist  platform.  Some  wished  to  declare 
for  affiliation  with  the  Democratic  party;  others  declared  that 
the  object  of  the  convention  was  to  unite  all  conservative  white 
voters  for  the  maintenance  of  white  supremacy.  The  committee 
on  resolutions  found  it  difficult  to  formulate  a  report,  and  a  long 
debate  was  provoked  by  the  second  resolution. 

Officers:  President,  Champe  Carter.  Vice-Presidents,  John 
H.  Reagan,  of  Anderson;  Ashbel  Smith,  of  Harris;  Sam  Mav- 
erick, of  Bexar  ;  Hamilton  Stuart,  of  Galveston  ;  and  J.  W.  Hen- 
derson, of  Harris.  Secretaries,  D.  W.  Shannon,  pro  tempore; 
S.  B.  Barron,  permanent. 

Committee  to  Confer  with  the  Conservative  Reconstructionists  : 
C.  C.  Gillespie,  J.  W.  Henderson,  J.  C.  Chew,  C.  J.  Evans,  J.  W. 
Elam,  J.  S.  Stuart,  and  B.  Trigg. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  Ashbel  Smith,  chairman;  P.  W. 
Giray,  of  Harris;  Hamilton  Stuart,  of  Galveston;  George  Han- 
cock, of  Travis  ;  W.  H.  Parsons,  of  McLennan  ;  D.  C.  Giddings, 
of  Washington;  S.  A.  Maverick,  of  Bexar;  W.  W.  Croft,  of 
Navarro;  C.  J.  Evans,  of  Brazos;  J.  H.  Reagan,  of  Anderson; 
Peter  McGreel,  of  Smith;  B.  Trigg,  of  Bastrop;  J.  T.  Joyce,  of 
Austin;  J.  S.  Sullivan,  of  Fort  Bend;  and  E.  W.  Cave,  of  Harris. 


Reconstruction  in  Texas,  195-6. 
2The  call  is  printed  in  Flake's  Daily  Bulletin,  January  5,  1868. 


106  Platforms  of  Political 

RESOLUTIONS3 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  question  of  African  supremacy  arises  far 
above  all  questions  of  party,  and  is  vital  to  the  future  interests  of  this 
State;  as  subordinate  to  that,  we  cheerfully  concur  with  all  parties 
who  are  opposed  to  the  Africanization  of  the  State. 

2.  That  believing  it  to  be  the  determination  of  the  Radical  party 
to  create  a  convention,  and  yet  desiring  to  express  our  opposition  to 
the  Africanization  of  Texas,  we  recommend  the  people  of  the  State 
entitled  to  register,  to  do  so  and  to  vote  against  a  convention,  and,  to 
guard  against  the  contingency  of  its  being  successfully  carried,  to 
vote  at  the  same  time  for  the  election  of  delegates  to  the  convention 
on  the  basis  of  creating  a  constitution  without  negro  suffrage,  and 
asking  Congress  to  accept  the  same,  believing  that  we  should  only  be 
recognized  as  in  the  Union  on  a  footing  of  equality  with  the  other 
States,  and  that  the  Northern  people  will  demand  no  more. 

3.  That  the  resolutions  of  the  mass  meeting  of  loyal  Union  citizens, 
assembled  in  this  city  on  the  20th  inst,  submitted  to  us  for  considera- 
tion, meet  the  approval  of  this  convention  in  their  general  spirit  and 
desire  to  defeat  the  Africanization  of  this  State,  and  to  secure  its 
restoration  to  civil  government  in  the  Union. 

4.  That  representing  as  we  believe,  and  know  we  do,  the  true  feel- 
ings and  sentiments  of  the  masses  of  this  State,  especially  the  soldiers 
of  the  late  Confederate  army,  that  in  their  name  and  on  their  behalf, 
we  return  our  profound  acknowledgments  to  the  large  majorities  of 
the  conservative  people  of  the  Northern  States,  for  the  late  manifesta- 
tions of  their  devotion   to  constitutional  liberty,   their  sympathy  for 
our  threatened  political  misfortunes,  their  assurances  of  our  ultimate 
relief  and  our  restoration  to  equal  political  rights  with  themselves; 
and  in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  all  Texas,  we  do  hereby  extend  to 
all  white  emigrants  from  those  States,  desiring  homes  in  the  South- 
west, the  assurance  of  a   cordial  welcome,  and  that  full  freedom  of 
speech  and  sentiment,  and  protection  of  person  and  property,  are  and 
will  be  as  securely  guaranteed  to  all  such,  of  whatever  opinion,  as  we 
claim  and  desire  for  ourselves.    And  we  further  acknowledge  to  our 
Northern   conservative   friends,   that   as   a   people   we   have   manfully 
accepted  all   the   results   of  the  war,   with  the   exception   of  African 
domination;   and  from  that  dire  National  calamity,  we  appeal  to  the 
men  of  our  race  and  kindred  in  the  North  in  whose  hands  rests  this 
issue,  to  save  us  and  themselves  and  our  common  posterity. 

5.  That  while  we  are  unalterably  opposed  to  negro  supremacy  we 
are  in  favor  of  securing  to  them  the  full  protection  of  all  their  rights 
of  person  and  of  property,  under  just  laws  bearing  equally  upon  all. 

6.  That  this  convention  do  proceed  to  appoint  a  State  Executive 
Committee,    to    consist   of   five    delegates   who   shall    continue    in   the 

8The  resolutions  are  copied  from  Flake's  Daily  Bulletin,  January  23,  1868. 


Parties  in  Texas  107 

discharge  of  their  duties  until  after  the  elections  in  relation  to  re- 
construction shall  have  been  held,  or  until  a  State  convention  shall 
otherwise  order,  with  power  to  fill  vacancies  and,  if  necessary,  to 
appoint  another  or  other  Chairman;  and  that  we  recommend  to  the 
citizens  of  each  county  in  this  State  to  form  county  conservative 
committees,  and  to  organize  precinct  committees  in  each  election  pre- 
cinct, such  county  and  precinct  organizations  to  continue  in  operation 
until  after  the  elections  relating  to  reconstruction  shall  have  been 
concluded,  with  power  to  supply  vacancies  in  their  several  organiza- 
tions. And  we  appeal  to  all  citizens  who  sympathize  with  the  objects 
of  this  convention  to  cooperate  actively  and  earnestly  with  these  or- 
ganizations. 

7.  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  to  prepare  an  address  to 
the  people  of  Texas  in  behalf  of  the  principles  set  forth  in  these 
resolutions.4 

State  Executive  Committee:  John  Hancock,  of  Travis,  chair- 
man; J.  W.  Henderson,  of  Harris;  S.  A.  Maverick,  of  Bexar; 
Richard  Coke,  of  McLennan;  Hamilton  Stuart,  of  Galveston; 
L.  D.  Evans,  of  Harrison ;  J.  W.  Throckmorton,  of  Collin ;  James 
H.  Starr,  of  Nacogdoches ;  and  R.  S.  Gould,  of  Leon. 

RECONSTRUCTION  CONVENTION,  1868-1869 

AUSTIN,  June  1- August  31,  1868,  and 
December  7,  1868,  to  February  6,  1869 

At  an  election  held  February  14  and  15,  1868,  to  determine 
whether  or  not  a  constitutional  convention  should  be  held,  a 
large  majority  was  in  favor  of  the  convention.  Tt  was  the  first 
election  in  Texas  at  which  negroes  voted.  The  vote  for  the  con- 
vention was  44,689  (whites,  7,757;  blacks,  36,932)  :  against  the 
convention  11,440  (whites,  10,622;  blacks,  818). 

The  convention  assembled  June  1st;  it  numbered  ninety  dele- 
gates. Of  this  number  nine  were  negroes ;  only  about  ten  were 
Democrats.  Although  almost  entirely  Republican,  these  dele- 
gates were  nearly  equally  divided  into  two  groups;  one  group, 
inclined  to  moderate  action,  was  led  by  A.  J.  Hamilton,  former 
provisional  governor ;  the  other  group,  inclined  to  extreme  radi- 

*Committee  to  Prepare  Address:  John  H.  Reagan,  G.  W.  Carter,  W.  H. 
Parsons  and  E.  W.  Cave.  The  address  Is  printed  in  Flake's  Daily  Bulletin, 
January  25,  1868. 


108  Platforms  of  Political 

cal  measures,  was  led  by  Edmund  J.  Davis,  president  of  the 
convention.  This  division  showed  itself  from  the  beginning; 
time  served  only  to  widen  the  breach ;  and  it  marked  the  separa- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  into  two  factions. 

The  chief  subjects  of  discord  between  the  two  factions  were 
(1)  the  ab  initio  queston,  L  e.,  declaring  void  all  acts  of  govern- 
ment in  Texas  during  the  war;  (2)  the  division  of  the  State; 
and  (3)  the  disfranchisement  of  some  thirty  thousand  whites, 
i.  e.,  all  those  who  had  been  in  any  way  connected  with  secession. 
Upon  each  of  these  questions  the  Conservatives  received  the  sup- 
port of  the  Democrats  and  were  enabled  to  frustrate  the  plans 
of  the  Radicals. 

When  the  convention  terminated,  the  contest  between  the  two 
factions  was  transferred  to  "Washington.  The  Radicals  tried 
to  persuade  Congress  and  the  administration  that  the  new  con- 
stitution should  be  set  aside,  and  that  they  should  be  empowered 
to  formulate  another  embodying  their  views  upon  the  subjects  of 
disagreement.  The  Conservatives  were  able  to  meet  all  their 
arguments  successfully.  But,  though  the  Radicals  failed  in 
their  main  purpose,  they  did  so  far  succeed  as  to  cause  the  Con- 
servatives to  be  suspected  of  having  entered  into  a  coalition  with 
the  Democrats  and  former  Secessionists  of  Texas.  As  a  result. 
President  Grant  postponed  the  time  for  voting  upon  the  new 
constitution  from  the  first  Monday  in  July  until  November  30, 
1869.  Conservative  office  holders  were  displaced  by  Radicals. 
The  election  machinery  was  placed  exclusively  in  the  hands  of 
the  latter. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1868 
BRYAN,  July  7-9 

The  Reconstruction  convention  assembled  at  Austin  on  June 
1,  1868.  Assuming  that  this  convention  would  speedily  prepare 
a  constitution  which  would  pave  the  way  for  the  readmission  of 
Texas  to  the  Union,  and  there  being  then  in  progress  a  presi- 
dential campaign,  the  executive  committee  of  the  Conservative 
party  issued  a  call  for  a  convention  to  meet  at  Bryan  on  July  7th. 


Parties  in  Texas  J09 

Conservative  meetings  were  held  in  the  several  counties  to  select 
delegates.  The  attendance  was  large. 

Officers:  President,  J.  W.  Throckmorton.  Vice-Presidents, 
Epperson,  Burney,  Maxcy,  Boone,  Whitfield,  Reagan,  McCul- 
lough,  Stuart,  Davis,  Daniels,  Harris,  Burnet,  Vaughn  and  Fos- 
cue.  Secretaries,  Clark,  Jones,  McGary,  Kinney,  Chase,  Haschall 
and  Chambers. 

Presidential  Electors:1  State  at  Large,  B.  H.  Epperson,  of 
Red  River,  and  John  Hancock,  of  Travis;  1st  Congressional 
district,  Wm.  Stedman,  of  Harrison;  2nd  Congressional  district, 
David  Culberson,  of  Marion;  3rd  Congressional  district,  G.  W. 
Jones,  of  Bastrop ;  4th  Congressional  district,  C.  Upson,  of  Bexar. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  G.  W.  Carter, 
chairman;  B.  H.  Bassett,  William  Armstrong,  W.  S.  Rather,  A. 
Berny,  E.  T.  Broughton,  G.  A.  Howell,  H.  H.  Boone,  W.  H. 
Crank,  D.  A.  Nunn,  J.  S.  Ferguson,  E.  S.  Jamison,  H.  D.  March- 
bank,  J.  E.  Anderson  and  Somers  Kinney. 

PLATFORM2 

The  Democracy  of  the  State  of  Texas,  by  their  delegates  in  con- 
vention assembled,  declare: 

1.  That  the  conservative  people  of  the  State  believe  that  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  National  Democratic  party  contain  those  guarantees  of 
constitutional  liberty  and  regulated  government  essential  to  the  main- 
tenance of  the  Union  under  the  Constitution,  and  that  the  success  of 
these   principles   gives   the   only  assurance  of  averting   Radical   rule, 
anarchy,  and  despotism;   and  we  declare  the  Democracy  of  the  State 
an  integral  part  of  the  Democracy  of  the  Union;  and  that  we  will  rally 
under  its  time-honored  banner  with  all  the  energy  and  enthusiasm  of 
a  people  who  hope,  through  its  triumphs,  once  more  to  enjoy  the  bless- 
ings of  civil  government  and  equality  in  the  Union,  and  to  escape  the 
disfranchisement,  negro  supremacy,  degradation  and  ruin  now  threat- 
ened by  the  Radical  party. 

2.  That  we  acquiesce   in  good  faith  in  the  abolishment  of  negro 
slavery,  the  repudiation  of  the  war  debt  of  the  State,  and  its  abandon- 
ment of  the  doctrine  of  secession  as  a  peaceable  remedy  for   State 

*The  tardy  progress  of  the  Reconstruction  Convention  in  preparing  a  con- 
stitution delayed  the  readmission  of  Texas :  so  that  no  election  for  presidential 
electors  was  held. 

2The  platform  is  copied  from  Flake's  Daily  Bulletin  (Galveston,)  July  12, 
1868.  Cf.  Appleton's  Annual  Cyclopedia,  1868,  p.  731. 


110  Platforms  of  Political 

grievances,  as  results  of  the  war  finally  settled,  and  do  not  propose  to 
disturb  or  change  the  result. 

3.  That  it  is  our  purpose  to  adhere  in  good  faith  to  our  renewed 
allegiance  to  the  Constitution  and  government  of  the  United  States, 
and  to  cultivate  fraternal  good  will  with  the  people  of  all  parts  of  the 
country;    and   we   repel   with    indignation   the   charges    of   disloyalty 
falsely  made  against  us  by  the  Radical  party  for  the  purpose  of  per- 
petuating military  despotism  over  us,  and  as  a  pretext  for  the  dis- 
franchisement  of  those  who  do  not  agree  with  their  political  opinions, 
and  to  maintain  themselves  in  political  power  in  disregard  of  right 
and  of  the  popular  will. 

4.  That  we  earnestly  desire  the  restoration  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  to  its  original  supremacy  and  vigor,  and  the  faith- 
ful enforcement  of  the  Federal  Jaws  within  their  sphere   in   all  the 
States  of  the  Union;   that  we  earnestly  seek  to  be  restored  to  all  the 
rights  of  local  self-government;   that  we  earnestly  desire  the  reestab- 
lishment  of  the  civil  law  administration  by  constitutional  courts,  and 
to  see  its  supremacy  established  over  the  military;   that  we  are  un- 
alterably opposed  to  the  consolidation  of  the  powers  of  the  Federal 
government  in  the  legislative  department,  or  to  the  encroachment  of 
the  legislative  upon  the  executive  and  judicial  departments;   that  we 
deplore  the  unlimited  and  irresponsible  military  despotisms  which  now 
exist  in  the  States  of  the  American  Union,  and  we  earnestly  appeal  to 
the  people  of  the  States  now  represented  in  Congress  to  remove  the 
odious   and   oppressive   tyranny   from   over   us;    that   we   declare   the 
practical  operation  and  usual  effect  of  the  Freedmen's  Bureau  estab- 
lished amongst  us  is  to  cultivate  and  stimulate  discontent,  with  both 
the  white  and  black  races,  and  calculated  to  promote  differences  of 
opinion  and  contests  between  the  races  which  may  prove  disastrous  to 
both  and  highly  injurious  to  the  whole  country.     That  we  declare  it  to 
be  our  deliberate  conviction  that  there  exists  no  necessity  for  con- 
tinuing the  disfranchisement  of  any  portion  of  the  white  people  of 
the  Southern  States,  and  that  the  continued  disfranchisement  of  the 
large  number  of  intelligent  classes  now  deprived  of  political  rights, 
while  the  rights  of  suffrage  and  the  holding  of  office  are  conferred 
upon  all  the  negroes,  must,  in  the  nature  of  things,  endanger  the  sta- 
bility of   government,   the   peace   and   security   of   society,   and   prove 
destructive  to  good  order  and  happiness  amongst  us.    That  we  enter- 
tain no  feelings  of  ill  will  or  hostility  to  the  negro  race  amongst  us, 
and  that  we  desire  to  see  them  protected  by  the  laws  of  the  State  in 
all  their  rights  of  person  and  of  property,  and  will  do  whatever  we 
can  to  promote  their  improvement  in  knowledge  and  virtue,  this  being 
alike  necessary  for  the  general  welfare  and  for  the  happiness  of  both 
races. 

5.  That  we  adhere  to  the  constitutional  doctrine  that  the  power  to 
regulate  the  question  of  suffrage  in  the  States  rests  exclusively  with 


Parties  in  Texas  111 

the  States  themselves,  and  we  therefore  deny  that  Congress  has  any 
constitutional  power  whatever  to  enact  laws  on  that  subject. 

6.  That  we   need  more  population,  labor,  and  capital,  as  well  as 
peace  and  civil  government,  for  the  development  of  the  resources  of 
our  great  State,  and  that  our  true  policy  is  to  invite  immigration  and 
capital  from  the  Northern  States  and  Europe,  and  to  assure  them  of 
a  friendly  welcome,  and  we  declare  that  statements  that  immigrants 
from  the  Northern  States  are  not  received  with  friendship  and  connot 
expect  security  for  life   and  property  amongst  us  are  made  by  the 
Radical   party   for   poltical   effect   and   are   wilful   perversions   of   the 
truth. 

7.  That  we  are  in  favor  of  an   economical  administration   of  the 
government — State  and  National — and  are  opposed  to  a  greater  collec- 
tion of  taxes  than  will  support  government  so  administered. 

8.  That  a   well   devised   system   of   internal    improvements   by  the 
State  is  necessary  for  the  speedy  and  proper  development  of  her  great 
producing   interests   and   the   general   prosperity   of  her   people;    we, 
therefore,  deem  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  State  government  to  adopt  such 
a  liberal  and   enlightened   internal   improvement  policy  as  will   best 
secure  these  blessings  in  the  shortest  time  possible. 

9.  That  we  are  oppsed  to  and  condemn  the  present  Radical  scheme 
for  the  dismemberment  of  the  State  of  Texas,  which  is  solely  for  party 
purposes  and  plunder. 

Resolved,  [10]  That  while  opposed  to  the  ratification  of  any  con- 
stitution embodying  the  sentiments  and  designs  of  the  Radical  party, 
yet  should  the  Reconstruction  Convention,  now  assembled  at  Austin, 
assume  to  create  a  State  government  and  provide  for  the  election  of 
officers,  it  is  expedient  and  proper  that  the  people  of  the  State  par- 
ticipate in  the  same  and  endeavor  to  prevent  the  control  of  our  local 
affairs  passing  into  their  hands. 

Resolved,  [11]  That  the  president  of  this  convention  communicate 
to  Andrew  Johnson,  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  such  lan- 
guage as  may  seem  to  him  best  and  proper,  the  thanks  of  the  people 
of  Texas  for  his  defence  of  the  Constitution,  his  efforts  to  secure  to  the 
people  of  the  South  the  benefits  of  civil  government,  and  particularly 
for  his  late  proclamation  of  amnesty. 

State  Executive  Committee:  William  M.  Walton,  of  Travis, 
chairman ;  John  Hancock,  of  Travis ;  Robert  Josselyn,  of  Travis ; 
J.  W.  Throckmorton,  of  Collin ;  J.  W.  Henderson,  of  Harris ;  H. 
Stuart,  of  Galveston;  S.  A.  Maverick,  of  Bexar;  G.  E.  Burney, 
of  McLennan;  J.  H.  Starr,  of  Nacogdoches;  J.  H.  Reagan,  of 
Anderson;  R.  S.  Gould,  of  Leon;  B.  H.  Epperson,  of  Red  River; 
J.  D.  Giddings,  of  Washington;  S.  Powers,  of  Cameron;  E.  B. 
Pickett,  of  Liberty;  R.  W.  Bieckham,  of  Comal;  Daniel  Landes, 


112  Platforms  of  Political 

of  Austin;  F.  B.  Sexton,  of  San  Augustine;  G.  W.  Jones,  of 
Bastrop;  J.  W.  Whitfield,  of  Lavaca;  G.  W.  Smith,  of  Colorado; 
Geo.  J.  Durham,  of  Travis,  Secretary. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1868 

AUSTIN,  August  12-14 

On  May  29,  1868,  J.  L.  Haynes,  chairman  of  the  Republican 
State  executive  committee,  issued  a  call  for  a  State  convention 
to  meet  at  Austin  on  July  4th,  "for  the  purpose  of  approving 
the  nominations  of  the  National  Republican  convention  of  Chi- 
cago, and  for  the  nomination  of  presidential  electors  and  State 
officers."1  After  the  assembling  of  the  Reconstruction  Conven- 
tion, the  Republican  members  requested  the  State  chairman  to 
postpone  the  meeting.  He  did  so,  and  fixed  the  time  of  meeting 
for  August  12th.2  The  members  of  the  Reconstruction  Conven- 
tion actively  participated  in  the  State  convention,  to  the  extent 
of  making  their  differences  an  issue  before  that  body.  One  hun- 
dred and  two  counties  were  represented. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  J.  L.  Haynes;  permanent, 
James  H.  Bell.  Vice-President,  W.  V.  Tunstall.  Secretaries, 
the  secretaries  of  the  Reconstruction  Convention. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  G.  W.  Paschal, 
chairman,  E.  J.  Davis,  E.  M.  Pease,  A.  J.  Hamilton,  J.  L.  Bur- 
nett, A.  P.  McCormick,  Wm.  R.  Fayle,  B.  F.  "Williams,  and  B. 
0.  "Watrous. 

PLATFORM3 

Resolved,  [1]  That  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  cordially  ratify 
and  indorse  the  National  platform  of  principles,  adopted  by  the  Re- 
publican convention  in  Chicago,  on  the  21st  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1868,  as 
follows:  [Here  follows  the  National  Republican  platform  of  1868 
in  full.] 

AND  WHEREAS,  since  the  adoption  of  said  platform  and  its  universal 
ratification  by  the  Republican  party,  the  ratification  of  the  Fourteenth 
Constitutional  Amendment  has  been  completed  by  the  required  num- 

1PThe  call  is  published  in  the  Daily  Austin  Republican,  June  1,  1868. 

2/6id.,  August  22,  1868. 

8The  platform  is  copied  from  the  Daily  Austin  Republican,  August  15,  1868. 


Parties  in  Texas  113 

ber  of  States,  and  it  has  been  lawfully  proclaimed  as  a  part  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  reads  as  follows:  [Here 
follows  a  verbatim  copy  of  the  Fourteenth  Amendment.] 

Resolved,  [2]  That  we  recognize  our  platform  of  principles  as  en- 
joining upon  every  Republican  the  maintenance  of  the  Union  by  all  the 
measures  for  reconstruction,  including  the  qualifications  for  suffrage 
and  office  now  established,  the  denunciation  of  every  form  of  National 
repudiation,  the  equalization  of  taxation  as  near  as  may  be,  the  main- 
tenance of  National  citizenship  as  now  defined  in  the  Constitution, 
and  the  protection  of  every  citizen  in  all  his  rights  at  home  and 
abroad,  sympathy  wi'th  and  a  cordial  invitation  to  the  oppressed  of 
every  land,  equal  representation  based  upon  suffrage  as  well  as  num- 
bers, the  preservation  of  the  Constitution,  including  the  Thirteenth 
and  Fourteenth  Constitutional  Amendments — peaceably  if  we  can, 
forcibly  if  we  must — and  finally  equal  rights  to  every  citizen  before  the 
law,  and  a  government  in  harmony  with  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. 

[3]  That  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  will  regard  every  effort  to 
overthrow  the  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth  Constitutional  Amedments, 
or  to  disregard  the  same  and  the  governments  of  the  States  estab- 
lished under  the  Reconstruction  Laws,  except  in  the  manner  provided 
for  the  amendment  of  the  National  compact,  as  a  treasonable  resistance 
to  organic  law,  and  an  attempt  to  destroy  the  equal  rights  of  citizens 
of  the  United  States;  and  we  would  meet  such  a  war  upon  the  Consti- 
tution with  all  the  force  necessary  to  preserve  the  Union,  the  Constitu- 
tion, and  the  lawfully  established  governments  thereunder  as  they  are. 

[4]  That  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  will  do  all  in  its  power  to 
carry  into  effect  the  Reconstruction  Laws  of  Congress,  and  it  will  give 
a  cordial  support  to  the  constitution  to  be  adopted  by  the  Convention, 
which  shall  be  republican  in  form  and  consistent  with  the  require- 
ments of  Congress,  like  those  other  rebel  States  whose  constitutions 
have  been  approved,  and  which  are  now  happily  in  possession  of  all 
the  advantages  and  benefits  of  the  Union. 

[5]  That  we  cordially  approve  of  the  nominations  of  General  Ulysses 
S.  Grant  and  Schuyler  Colfax  for  the  Presidency  and  Vice-Presidency, 
that  we  regard  the  success  of  this  ticket  as  the  only  possible  security 
for  peace  and  prosperity,  and  while  we  deplore  our  inability  to  cast 
the  vote  of  Texas  for  these  candidates,  we  will  give  them  all  the  moral 
support  in  our  power,  and  will  hail  their  triumph  as  the  victory  of 
loyalty  and  devotion  to  the  Union  over  the  allies  of  treason  and  the 
opponents  to  the  success  of  the  National  cause. 

[6]  That  we  regard  the  Republican  party  as  essentially  the  party  of 
progress  and  of  liberal  principles,  as  the  friend  of  the  poor  and  the 
defender  of  equal  rights,  as  the  only  party  under  whose  administration 
the  misguided  Southern  States  may  hope  for  the  capital  and  the  aid 
necessary  to  reinvigorate  their  industry,  to  rebuild  their  dilapidated 
and  decayed  public  works,  to  extend  to  them  the  facilities  of  com- 

8—328 


114  Platforms  of  Political 

merce  and  interstate  and  international  communication,  to  protect  (.he 
weak  against  the  strong,  and  to  secure  the  benefits  of  law  and  order 
to  all;  and,  as  such,  we  cordially  invite  the  misguided  men  who  fol- 
lowed blind  guides  to  their  ruin,  to  its  folds,  as  coworkers  in  the  great 
work  of  producing  peace  and  harmony,  and  developing  the  vast  re- 
sources of  our  country;  and  we  will  demand  no  other  evidences  of 
reformation  than  the  cordial  support  of  the  principles  of  our  National 
platform  and  the  earnest  declaration  that  they  demand  no  rights  for 
themselves,  which  they  are  not  willing  to  accord  to  any  other  citizen 
of  the  United  States. 

Additional  Resolution 

WHEREAS,  It  is  yet  uncertain  what  State  officers  will  be  elected  under 
the  constitution,  now  being  formed  by  the  State  Convention,  and  at 
what  time  an  election  will  be  ordered  for  the  ratification  of  the  con- 
stitution and  the  election  of  officers  under  it;  therefore, 

Resolved  [7]  Tha>  it  is  inexpedient  at  this  time  to  make  any  nomina- 
tions for  State  officers  and  members  of  Congress. 

MINORITY  REPORT 

The  following  minority  report  was  presented,  but  rejected, 
whereupon  delegates  to  the  number  of  thirteen  withdrew. 
Among  the  bolters  were  E.  J.  Davis,  E.  Degener,  and  James  P. 

Newcomb. 

AUSTIN,  TEXAS,  August  13,  1868. 
To  THE  HON.  J.  H.  BELL,  President  of  the  Republican  Convention: 

The  undersigned,  one  of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions,  begs  leave  to 
report  that  while  he  agrees  with  the  majority  of  said  Committee  in  re- 
gard to  the  resolutions  reported  by  the  same,  it  is  his  opinion  that  the 
two  resolutions  herewith  reported  should  have  been  added. 

In  his  opinion,  these  additional  resolutions  (or  something  of  their 
nature)  express  the  sentiments  of  a  large  majority  of  the  loyal  people 
of  this  State  in  regard  to  the  matters  at  issue,  and  besides  are  neces- 
sary to  set  at  rest  questions  that  are  disturbing  the  Union  party,  and 
may  possibly  cause  estrangement  among  those  that  should  be  friends. 

In  the  vote  on  the  adoption  of  these  additional  resolutions,  Mr. 
Williams,  of  the  Committee,  agreed  with  the  undersigned  on  the  first 
resolution,  and  Messrs.  Williams  and  Watrous  on  the  second.  The 
other  members  present  (all  except  Mr.  Hamilton  being  present)  were 
adverse  to  the  adoption  of  the  same. 

Respectfully, 

E.  J.  DAVIS. 

Resolved,  [1]  That  in  the  opinion  of  the  Convention  the  rebel  State 
.legislatures  so-called,  which  were  organized  after  the  pretended  act 


Parties  in  Texas  115 

of  secession,  had  no  binding  or  legal  authority  to  make  laws  for  the 
government  of  the  people  of  this  State,  and,  therefore,  that  all  pre- 
tended legislation  during  the  late  rebellion  was  null  and  void  from  the 
beginning;  Provided,  that  where  under  such  pretended  legislation 
lands  in  small  parcels  have  passed  into  the  possession  of  actual  resi- 
dents, it  is  the  opinion  of  this  Convention  that  it  would  be  good  policy 
to  confirm  such  possession. 

Resolved,  [2]  That  the  pretended  laws  of  said  pretended  legislature 
authorizing  payment  in  so-called  State  warrants  of  interest  due  from 
railroads  to  the  school  fund,  were  in  fraud  of  the  rights  of  the  chil- 
dren of  this  State,  and  the  pretended  payments  made  thereunder 
(amounting  in  total  to  upwards  of  $320,000)  were  null  and  should  not 
be  regarded  in  making  settlement  with  said  railroads. 

State  Executive  Committee:  John  L.  Haynes,  of  Travis, 
chairman;  E.  M.  Wheelock,  Secretary  and  Treasurer;  1.  Judicial 
District,  W.  J.  Phillips,  of  Wharton ;  2.  Julius  Schutze,  of  Bas- 
trop;  3.  Benj.  0.  Watrous,  of  Washington;  4.  Thomas  H.  Strib- 
ling,  of  Bexar;  5.  J.  K.  P.  Record,  of  Dallas;  6.  William  Phillips, 
of  San  Augustine;  7.  C.  C.  Binkley,  of  Grayson;  8.  Donald 
Cameron,  of  Marion;  9.  L.  W.  Cooper,  of  Houston;  10.  W.  M 
Varnell,  of  Jackson;  11.  W.  W.  Mills,  of  El  Paso;  12.  R.  B. 
Kingsbury,  of  Cameron;  13.  R.  M.  Bankhead,  of  Walker;  14. 
John  McClain,  of  Nueces;  15.  Dr.  J.  0.  Shelby,  of  Liberty;  16. 
Francis  Kettner,  of  Mason ;  17.  A^J.  Evans,  of  McLennan. 

RADICAL  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION,   1868 

AUSTIN,  August  14  and  15 

The  delegates  who  withdrew  from  the  regular  Republican 
convention  proceeded  to  hold  a  convention  of  their  own.  Al- 
though the  number  was  small,  the  committee  on  credentials  re- 
ported that  "the  delegates  who  answered  to  their  names  and 
those  acting  with  the  convention,  representing  all  parts  of  the 
State,  possessed  the  proper  credentials." 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  G.  W.  Whitmore;  perma- 
nent, D.  F.  Davis,  of  McLennan.  Secretaries,  A.  P.  Bennett  and 
H.  M.  Taylor. 


116  I'latf«rms   of  Political 

PLATFORM1 

Mr.  Talbot,  from  the  Committee  on  Platform,  introduced  the  follow- 
ing resolutions: 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  Republicans  of  Texas  indorse  the  platform 
and  ratify  the  nominations  of  the  convention  held  in  Chicago,  on  the 
21st  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1868. 

2.  That  we  will  do  all  in  our  power  to  carry  out  the  Reconstruction 
Laws,  and  restore  peace  and  civil  government  in  Texas. 

3  and  4.  [Resolutions  3  and  4  are  verbatim  copies  of  Resolutions 
1  and  2  of  the  Minority  Report,  p.  114,  115.] 

5.  That,  in  the  opinion  of  this  Convention,  a  liberal  policy  in  the 
matter  of  the  regulation  of  the  elective  franchise,  a  policy  the  dictate 
of  prudence  rather  than  revenge,  will  be  best  calculated  to  bring  about 
harmony  and  acquiescence  in  the  beneficent  provisions  of  the  Recon- 
struction Acts. 

6.  That,  in  the  opinion  of  this  Convention,  the  organic  law  of  this 
State  should  embrace  no  prescriptive  provisions  looking  to  long  pro- 
bationary terms  of  residence  as  necessary  qualification  for  office.    This 
Convention  believing  that  exclusive  regulations  of  this  sort  will  have 
a  tendency  to  create  the  impression  abroad  that  the  Republicans  of 
Texas  are  jealous  of  the  influx  of  strangers. 

7.  That   the   establishment   of  just   and   liberal   provisions   in   our 
organic   law,   placing   our   State   among  the  most   progressive   of  the 
Union,  with  a  rigid  and  exact  enforcement  of  the  laws,  will  encourage 
emigration,  promote  prosperity,  and  at  an  early  day  suppress  lawless- 
ness and  violence. 

8.  That  the  encouragement  of  manufactures  and  internal  improve- 
ments, under  «ome  general  and  effective  system,  should,  in  our  opinion, 
be  made  a  part  of  the  organic  law.     But  of  first  importance  is  the 
establishment  and  support  of  a  complete  common  school  system,  and 
we  recommend  that  all  money,  claims,  and  property  belonging  to  the 
school  fund   should   be   collected  without   delay  and   appropriated    to 
this  purpose  and  that  other  means,  if  wanting,  should  be  supplied. 

On  motion  of  Hon.  E.  J.  Davis,  of  Nueces,  the  resolutions  were 
unanimously  adopted. 

State  Executive  Committee:  M.  C.  Hamilton,  of  Travis;  E. 
Degener,  of  Bexar;  G.  W.  Smith,  of  Marion;  P.  W.  Hall,  of 
Robertson;  C.  W.  Bryant,  of  Harris;  A.  Bledose,  of  Dallas;  GK 
W.  Whitmore,  of  Smith;  J.  W.  Talbot,  of  "Williamson;  B.  F. 
Williams,  of  Colorado ;  N.  Patten,  of  McLennan ;  and  G.  T.  Ruby, 
of  Galveston. 

1FThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  San  Antonio 
Express,  August  21,  1868. 


Parties  in  Texas  LIT 


CONSERVATIVE  REPUBLICANS,  1869 

When  the  Reconstruction  Convention  adjourned,  rival  delega- 
tions carried  the  contest  to  Washington.  The  Conservatives 
were  led  by  A.  J.  Hamilton,  James  H.  Bell  and  J.  L.  Haynes, 
chairman  of  the  State  executive  committee;  the  Radicals  were 
headed  by  E.  J.  Davis  and  M.  C.  Hamilton.  The  former  urged 
the  holding  of  an  election  in  Texas  during  the  summer  to  ratify 
the  constitution  and  to  elect  State  officers.  The  Radicals  bent 
all  their  energies  toward  a  postponement  of  the  election  till  fall 
in  order  to  gain  time  in  which  to  perfect  new  plans. 

While  in  Washington,  A.  J.  Hamilton,  on  March  18?  an- 
nounced his  candidacy  for  the  office  of  governor.  J.  L.  Haynes 
called  a  meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee  to  meet  at 
Austin  on  April  20th.  M.  C.  Hamilton  from  Washington  issued 
a  call  for  a  State  convention  to  meet  at  Galveston  on  May  10th. 
The  executive  committee  was  poorly  attended  but  after  can- 
vassing the  replies  sent  by  absent  members  decided  not  to  call  a 
State  convention.  The  following  ticket  was  agreed  upon  and 
announced  about  June  1st:  For  Governor,  A.  J.  Hamilton,  of 
Travis ;  for  Lieutenant- Governor,  A.  H.  Latimer,  of  Red  River ; 
for  Comptroller,  Armistead  T.  JVTonroe,  of  Houston ;  for  Treas- 
urer, James  W.  Thomas,  of  Collin;  for  Commissioner  of  the 
General  Land  Office,  Joseph  Spence,  of  Travis. 

MORGAN  HAMILTON  CONVENTION,  1869 

GALVESTON,  May  10 

"The  Republican  State  convention,  agreeably  to  the  pub- 
lished call  of  the  State  executive  committee,  met  in  Galveston. ' ' 
Fifteen  counties  were  represented  by  delegates. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  George  T.  Ruby;  perma- 
nent, B.  Rush  Plumley,  of  Galveston.  Vice-Presidents,  J.  G. 
Tracy,  of  Harris ;  Sheppard  Mullins,  of  Bosque ;  P.  W.  Hall,  of 
Robertson;  A.  Bledsoe,  of  Dallas;  Sanford  Mason,  of  Galves- 
ton ;  John  Keppard,  of  Harris ;  Joseph  Fitz-Simmons,  of  Nueces. 


118  Platforms  of  Political 

Secretaries,  G.  W.  Honey,  of  Galveston ;  W.  H.  Mann,  of  Galves- 
ton;  Richard  Allen,  of  Harris. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  G.  T.  Ruby,  John 
McLane,  of  Nueces,  J.  G.  Tracy,  A.  Bledsoe,  F.  Schlikam,  of 
Cameron,  P.  W.  Hall,  S.  Mullins.  W.  A.  Taylor,  and  the  Presi- 
dent. 

TENTATIVE  PLATFORM1 

[This  platform  was  not  adopted,  but  was  "referred  to  the  meeting  of 
the  1st  Monday  in  June,"  to  which  day  the  convention  adjourned.] 

WHEREAS,  It  is  proper  and  commendable  for  the  people  of  a  republic 
to  come  together  and  consult  upon  all  subjects  of  a  political  nature, 
and  give  to  the  world  their  opinions  and  wishes  upon  all  matters  of 
public  concern;  therefore,  the  loyal  Republicans  of  Texas,  sincerely 
attached  to  our  National  government,  do  resolve: 

1.  That  we  most  heartily  approve  of  the  proposed  Fifteenth  Amend- 
ment to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  we  will  use  our 
best  endeavors  to  cause  the  adoption  of  the  same  by  this  State.     We 
believe  the  principle  so  broadly  laid  down  in  the  proposed  Fifteenth 
Amendment,  that  the  general  government  should  and  of  right  ought 
to  establish  the  suffrage  throughout  the  entire  limits  of  the  United 
States  upon  a  uniform  basis,  is  just  and  right  in  itself,  and  we  plant 
our  standard  upon  it. 

2.  That   this   Convention   heartily  joins   in   the   sentiments   of  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  as  enunciated  in  his  inaugural  address, 
when  he  said  "let  us  have  peace,"  and  to  the  end  that  peace  and  har- 
mony may  prevail  in  our  ranks  we  are  willing  to  make  every  reason- 
able concession  to  the  members  of  our  party  who  differ  from  us  on 
minor   questions   of  policy,   always   maintaining   inviolate   the   funda- 
mental principles  as  enunciated  in  the  doctrines  of  the  National  Re- 
publican party. 

3.  That  the  thorough  organization  of  the  Republican  party  of  Texas 
is  imperative,  and  that  we  look  with  disfavor  upon  the  attempt  of  men, 
claiming  fealty  to  that  party,  to  enter  the  coming  momentous  contest 
without  holding  .conventions  and  permitting  an  expression  of  the  voice 
of  the  people  through  them. 

4.  That  it  is  the  duty  of  all  patriotic  Republicans  to  abide  by  the 
action  of  all  conventions  which  may  be  held  for  State,  county,  legisla- 
tive, or  congressional  offices. 

5.  That  information  from  loyal  men,  colored  and  white,  embracing 
all  portions  of  the  State,  convinces  us  that  the  loyal  imen  will  not  lbe 
permitted  to  cast  their  ballot  as  their  sentiment  may  dictate,  without 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Daily  Austin, 
Republican,  May  18  and  19,  1869. 


Par  ties  in  Texas  11  ^ 

submitting  them  to  persecution,  violence,  and  murder;    therefore,  re- 
BOlved, 

6.  That  we  earnestly  ask  General  Reynolds,  commanding  this  dis- 
trict, to  station  United  States  troops  at  every  county  seat  on  the  day* 
of  the  election,  so  far  as  possible. 

7.  That  we  look  with  horror  upon  the  reports  from  many  portions- 
of  the  State  of  the  murder  of  colored  men  by  rebels  upon  the  plea 
that  they  are  caught  in.  the  act  of  cattle;  skinning  and  horse  stealing, 
and  that  these  terrible  outrages  call  loudly  upon  the  authorities,  to- 
whom  we  look  for  protection,  for  summary  and  speedy  redress. 

8.  That  we  urge  the  President  to  submit  the  suffrage  clause  con- 
tained in  the  proposed  constitution  separately  from  the  other  portions- 
of  the  same  instrument. 

9.  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  body  those  acts  of  the  late  Recon- 
struction  Convention,   which   are   known   as   "Declarations"    and   gen- 
erally included  in  the  term  "private  legislation,"  form  no  part  of  the 
constitution,  and  for  as  much  as  they  have  not  been  printed  and  are 
unknown  to  the  mass  of  the  people  of  the  State,  we  respectfully  request 
the  Major  General  commanding  to  recommend  that  the  President  of 
the  United  States  do,  in  his  order  of  the  election,  declare  them  to  form 
no  part  of  the  question  thus  submitted  and  voted  upon. 

10.  That  this  Convention  request  the  commanding  general   to  ask 
the  President  to  put  off  the  election  till  fall. 

RADICAL  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION,  1869 

HOUSTON,  June  7  and  8 

The  Houston  Union  and  the  San  Antonio  Express  had  called 
a  convention  of  dissatisfied  Republicans  to  meet  at  Houston  May 
24th.  J.  G-.  Tracy,  editor  of  the  Union  and  prime  factor  in  this 
move,  attended  the  Hamilton  Convention.  When  the  Hamilton 
Convention  adjourned  to  meet  on  the  first  Monday  in  June  at 
Houston,  Tracy  promised  to  change  the  date  of  his  convention 
so  as  to  correspond.  By  the  time  the  first  Monday  in  June 
arrived  nothing  distinctive  was  left  of  the  Hamilton  Conven- 
tion; it  was  all  of  Tracy's  following.  "At  that  convention  three- 
years  ago,  fifteen  white  men  and  some  thirty  colored  men  were 
all  that  mustered. ' n  The  absence  of  the  old  leaders  of  the  party 
was  particularly  noticeable.  About  thirty  counties  were  repre- 
sented. 

Officers:    President,  J.  G.  Tracy.     Vice-Presidents,  John  Dixr 

*J.  G.  Tracy's  address  to  the  Republican  Convention,   1872. 


120  Platforms  of  Political 

J.  S.  Mills,  Richard  Allen,  Erastus  Carter,  Murry  Cole,  and  W. 
E.  Parker.  Secretaries,  George  W.  Honey,  J.  W.  McDonald 
and  John  Keppard. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  E.  J.  Davis,  of  Nueces; 
Lieutatiant-Governor,  J.  W.  Flanagan,  of  Husk;  Comptroller, 
W.  Frank  Carter,  of  Parker ;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land 
Office,  Jacob  Kuechler,  of  Bexar;  Treasurer,  W.  D.  Price,  of 
Travis. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  P.  Butler,  G.  T. 
Ruby,  W.  A.  Saylor,  Kichard  Allen,  A.  Siemering,  R.  P.  Tendick, 
and  P.  W.  Hall. 

PLATFORM2 

Resolved,  1,  That  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  heartily  accepts 
the  conditions  of  reconstruction  embraced  in  the  several  Reconstruction 
Acts  of  Congress,  and  will  in  the  future,  as  heretofore,  fully  sustain 
the  same  in  word  and  spirit. 

2.  That  the  amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
known  as  the  Fourteenth  and  Fifteenth  Amendments,  are  necessary  to 
the  pacification  of  the  country,  and  the  security  of  the  equal  civil  and 
political   rights  of  all   classes  of  the  people.     The  Republican  party, 
therefore,  pledges  itself  to  the  prompt  adoption  of  those  amendments. 

3.  That  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Chicago  convention  on  May 
20th,  1868,  where  not  modified  by  the  proposed  Fifteenth  Amendment, 
are  accepted  by  the  Republicans  of  Texas  as  the  embodiment  of  cor- 
rect principles  of  public  policy.    That  the  Republicans  of  Texas  es- 
pecially commend  the  spirit  of  the  additional  resolutions  adopted  in 
that  convention  at  the  instance  of  Hon.  Carl   Schurz;    and  we  will 
cheerfully  accept  the  assistance  of  such  of  our  fellow  citizens  as  served 
in  the  late  rebellion,  but  who  now  frankly  and  honestly  co-operate  with 
us  in  restoring  the  peace  of  the  country,  and  reconstructing  our  State 
government  on  the  basis  of  impartial  justice  and  equal  rights. 

4.  That  the  payment  of  the  debt  incurred  in  preservation  of  the 
unity  of  the  Nation,  to  the  last  dollar,  is  in  our  opinion  the  sacred  duty 
of  the  American  people,  and  the  Republicans  of  Texas  will  condemn  all 
attempts  to  evade  in  any  manner  the  payment  of  this  debt  according 
to  the  intent  of  the  creators  of  the  same. 

5.  That  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  earnestly  desires   the  en- 
couragement of  internal  improvement  and  immigration,  and  will,  as  a 
party,  press  the  adoption  of  measures  having  these  ends  in  view.    That 
in  connection  herewith,  we  condemn  the  demagogical  use  of  the  term 
of  "carpetbagger"  and  other  terms  of  reproach  applied  to  strangers  who 

2The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are   taken  from  the  Houston   Union 
June  9,  1869. 


Parties  in  Texas  121 

may  come  among  us,  designed  to  keep  alive  the  prejudices  of  the  igno- 
rant and  deter  immigration. 

6.  That  while  the  constitution  submitted  to  the  people  is  in  some 
respects  imperfect  and  objectionable,  it  is  believed  on  the  whole  to 
propose  the  main  object  of  constitutional  government,  viz.:     The  equal 
civil  and  political  rights  of  all  persons  under  the  law.    This  conven- 
tion, therefore,  recommends  the  ratification  of  the  same. 

7.  That  the  preservation  of  the  unity  and  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party  is  essential  to  the  safe  progress  of  reconstruction  in 
this  State,  and  they  believe  that  to  effect  this  reconstruction  a  great 
work  has  yet  to  be  performed.     They,  therefore,  warn  the  loyal  people 
of  Texas  that  opposition  to  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
Is  the  result  of  an  insidious  design  of  the  enemy  purposing  the  prac- 
tical surrender  of  the  State  to  the  disloyal. 

8.  That  the  Republicans  of  Texas  heartily  express  unqualified  con- 
fidence in  the  administrative  abilities  and   integrity  of  the  honored 
head  of  our  government,  President  Grant,  and  in  the  patriotism  and 
wisdom  of  the  majority  in  Congress. 

9.  That  to  this  end  we  earnestly  Invite  the  cooperation  and  support 
of   all   good   citizens,   advocates   of   peace,   law,   and   order,   and  who 
believe  in  the  principles  of  the  party  of  union,  progress,  liberty,  and 
reform,  which  has  done  so  much  for  the  pacification  and  well  being  of 
the  country. 

Additional  Resolution 

[10]  That  the  commanding  general  of  this  military  district,  Major 
General  J.  J.  Reynolds,  deserves  the  approval  of  the  loyal  people  of  the 
United  States  for  his  activity  in  ferreting  out  and  bringing  to  justice 
the  murderers  of  the  patriot,  George  Smith,  and  for  the  measures  he 
has  adopted  for  the  security  of  life  and  property  and  the  establishment 
of  peace. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  G.  Tracy,  of  Harris,  chair- 
man; A.  B.  Hall,  of  Harris,  Treasurer;  John  W.  McDonald,  of 
Harris,  Secretary;  1.  Judicial  District,  W.  G.  Phillips,  of  Whar- 
ton;  2.  M.  C.  Hamilton,  of  Travis;  3.  G.  T.  Ruby,  of  Galveston; 
4.  Dr.  D.  C.  Marsh,  of  El  Paso;  5.  A.  Bledsoe,  of  Dallas;  6.  J. 
W.  Flanagan,  of  Rusk ;  7.  F.  W.  Sumner,  of  Grayson ;  8.  G.  T. 
Garland,  of  Marion;  9.  G.  H.  Slaughter,  of  Smith;  10.  W.  M. 
Varnell,  of  Victoria;  11.  N.  Patton,  of  McLennan;  12,  blank; 
13.  P.  W.  Hall,  of  Robertson ;  14.  A.  Siemering,  of  Bexar ;  15. 
H.  C.  Pedigo,  of  Tyler. 


322  Platforms   of  Political 


DEMOCRATS,  1869 

While  the  Republicans  were  contending  among  themsebes 
over  the  ratification  of  the  proposed  constitution  and  the  elec- 
tion of  State  officers,  the  Democrats  were  debating  what  attitude 
they  ought  to  adopt  toward  the  same  matters.  The  Houston 
Telegraph  favored  supporting  the  constitution  and  A.  J.  Hamil- 
ton for  Governor;  it  opposed  calling  a  State  convention  or  or- 
ganization in  any  way,  on  the  ground  that  a  Democratic  success 
would  again  defeat  the  reconstruction  of  the  State  as  it  did  in 
1866.  Since  Republicans  must  be  elected,  expediency  dictated 
that  the  Conservatives  be  supported,  but  this  support  should  be 
given  in  a  way  to  avoid  the  charge  of  fusion.  A  number  of  the 
Democratic  papers  disapproved  of  this  course. 

CONVENTION  OF  DEMOCRATIC  EDITORS,  1869 

BRENHAM,  September  29  and  30 

A  small  number  of  editors  of  Democratic  newspapers  gathered 
at  Brenham,  nominated  a  State  ticket  and  adopted  the  platform 
below.  J.  W.  Henderson,  a  member  of  the  State  executive 
committee  appointed  in  1868,  was  present  but  did  not  partici- 
pate in  the  convention.  He  gave  the  Associated  Press  following 
dispatch:  "The  so-called  Democratic  Convention  at  Brenham 
consisted  of  five  editors.  The  Democratic  party  through  its 
Executive  Committee  refused  to  call  a  convention  or  make  any 
nomination  for  Governor.  The  Democratic  party  has  no  sym- 
pathy, or  connection  with  this  work." 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  For  Governor,  Hamilton  Stuart, 
of  Galveston;  Lieutenant-Governor,  James  Armstrong,  of  Jas- 
per; Comptroller,  Edward  Downey,  of  Cameron;  Commissioner 
of  the  General  Land  Office,  James  P.  Hector,  of  Guadalupe: 
Treasurer,  Isaac  G.  Killough,  of  Fayette. 


Parties  in  Texas 

PLATFORM1 

WHEREAS,  a  large  number  of  the  representatives  of  the  Democratic 
press  of  Texas,  assembled  in  convention,  have  deemed  it  necessary  in 
the  present  crisis  to  obtain  a  reorganization  of  the  Democratic  party; 
therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  [1]  That  the  military  government  forced  upon  the  people 
of  this  State  is  in  derogation  of  their  liberties  and  prejudicial  to  their 
material  and  moral  well  being. 

[2]  That  we  have  not  assembled  in  a  spirit  of  captious  opposition  to- 
the  plan  of  reconstruction  devised  by  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  and  will  accept  peacefully  the  rule  of  the  majority. 

[3]  That  we  are  unalterably  opposed  to  the  proposed  constitution  of 
the  State  of  Texas  and  to  the  amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States. 

[4]  That  the  convention  which  framed  the  proposed  constitution  far 
exceeded  the  requirements  of  Congress  as  set  forth  in  the  Reconstruc- 
tion Acts,  thereby  forcing  upon  the  people  a  studied  system  of  political 
vassalage,  utterly  destructive  of  free  government  and  their  inherent 
vested  rights  under  the  Federal  Constitution. 

[5]  That  the  voluntary  surrender  of  vital  political  principles  will 
give  encouragement  to  the  aggressions  of  licentious  power,  and  lead 
to  evils  of  incalculable  magnitude. 

[7]  That  the  right  to  regulate  the  franchise  was  reserved  to  the 
people  and  States  in  the  American  system  of  republican  government, 
and  its  surrender  to  a  centralized  power  is  totally  destructive  of  it. 

[8]  That  we  are  in  favor  of  encouraging  European  and  American  im- 
migration, and  pledge  them  our  protection,  irrespective  of  both  place 
and  political  principles. 

[9]  That  a  system  of  internal  improvements  for  developing  the  re- 
sources of  the  State  should  be  devised,  and  most  liberally  encouraged 
by  grants  of  public  domain. 

[10]  That  we  are  in  favor  of  the  immediate  establishment  of  a 
system  of  public  schools  for  the  separate  education  of  the  white  and 
colored  children  of  the  State,  to  be  so  organized  as  not  to  violate  the 
social  laws  governing  the  races,  and  so  diffusive  in  their  character  as 
to  secure  equal  benefits  to  all. 

[11]  That  we  prefer  the  continuation  of  military  government  to  the 
restoration  of  the  State  on  the  proposed  dishonorable  terms,  and 
deem  it  infinitely  less  objectionable  than  Radical  State  misrule. 

State  Executive  Committee :  J.  D.  Elliott,  Victor  W.  Thomp- 
son, W.  B.  Cross,  Somers  Kinney,  D.  S.  McGary. 

'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  Civilian, 
October  7,  1869. 


124  Platforms  of  Political 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1871 

AUSTIN,  January  23-26 

In  accordance  with  the  call  of  W.  M.  Walton,  chairman  of 
the  executive  committee  of  the  Bryan  convention,  and  J.  D. 
Elliott,  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Brenham 
convention,  the  Democrats  assembled  at  Austin  on  January  23, 
1871.  Between  fifty  and  sixty  counties  were  represented  by 
delegates.  It  was,  therefore,  voted  to  request  the  Democratic 
representatives  and  senators  in  the  legislature  to  represent 
counties  whose  delegates  were  not  present.  The  following  basis 
of  representation  was  adopted :  each  county  represented  was  al- 
lowed one  vote  in  the  convention  and  one  additional  vote  for 
each  5000  inhabitants,  and  one  vote  for  each  fractional  excess  of 
5000  inhabitants. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  S.  H.  Darden,  of  Caldwell; 
permanent,  Nat  Terry,  of  Tarrant.  Vice-Presidents,  A.  J. 
Booty,  J.  P.  Douglass,  H.  R.  Latimer,  W.  H.  Pyle,  W.  H.  Ham- 
man,  J.  W.  Henderson,  H.  E.  McCulloch  and  J.  D.  Elliott. 
Secretaries,  A.  E.  Cotton,  E.  M.  Bacon,  and  J.  A.  Hooper. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:     Ashbel  Smith,  of 

Harris,  chairman;  E.  B.  Pickett,  Thos.  J.  Devine,  W.  B.  Wright, 

James  M.  Anderson,  H.  E.  McCulloch,  W.  H.  Hamman,  E.  L. 

Dohoney,  A.  J.  Booty,  B.  L.  Fulton,  S.  G.  Sneed,  E.  T.  Brough- 

•ton,  S.  P.  Donley,  J.  E.  Dillard,  L.  W.  Moore,  A.  J.  Ball. 

PLATFORM1 

WHEREAS,  It  becomes  necessary  from  time  to  time  for  the  friends  of 
constitutional  government  to  reassert  their  devotion  to  it,  and  to  pro- 
claim the  principles  upon  which  it  should  be  administered;  and  when 
its  enemies  obtain  power  to  expose  their  usurpation,  to  the  end  that 
the  whole  people  may  be  aroused  to  action  to  protect  their  rights  at 
the  ballot  box;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  have  an  abiding  confi- 
dence in  the  devotion  of  the  National  Democratic  party  to  the  correct 

^Proceedings  of  the  Democratic  State  Convention,  held  in  the  Representative 
Hall  in  Austin,  on  the  23,  24,  25,  and  26  Jan.,  1871.  State  Gazette  Job 
Office,  1871. 


Parties  in  Texas  ]25 

principles  of  government,  and  we  pledge  ourselves  to  cooperate  with 
it,  as  an  integral  part  thereof,  in  its  future  efforts  to  restore  the  gov- 
ernment in  its  administration  to  the  principles  on  which  it  was  founded 

2.  That  we  rely  upon  the  honesty  and  capacity  of  the  people  for 
self-government. 

3.  That  the  Constitution,  as  formed  by  the  free  voice  of  the  States, 
is  the  foundation  of  the  powers  of  the  government. 

4.  That  the  powers  of  the  General  Government  are  restricted  to  the 
express   grants  of  the   Constitution,   and  all    powers   not  granted  are 
reserved  to  the  States  and  the  people  thereof. 

5.  That    the    regulation    of   suffrage    and    elections    belongs    to   the 
respective   States,   and   any   interference   by  the  General  Government, 
with  intent  to  control  either,  is  a  gross  usurpation  of  power;  and  the 
use  of  the  military  at  elections  to  overawe  the  people,  and  prevent  a 
fair  and  full  expression  of  their  political  sentiments,  is  utterly  sub- 
versive of  free  government  and  should  be  resisted  by  all  proper  means 
until   the   evil    is   abolished,   and   an   honest   and    untrammeled   ballot 
restored. 

6.  That  the  abolition  of  slavery  as  a  result  of  the  war  is  accepted 
as  a  fixed  fact,  and  it  becomes  our  duty,  by  State  legislation,  to  pro- 
vide for  the  security  and  well  being  of  all  classes  of  men,  native  or 
foreign  born,  white  or  black. 

7.  That  the  immigration  of  the  white  races  from  all  quarters  of  the 
world  should  be  encouraged,  and  there  should  be  no  unreasonable  im- 
pediments or  delay  to  naturalization  and  citizenship,  the  Democratic 
party  having  been  uniformly  in  favor  of  a  liberal  policy  toward  all 
persons  of  foreign  birth  who  in  good  faith  seek  a  home  in  our  favored 
land. 

8.  That  we  will  yield  obedience  to  the  Constitution  and  laws. 

9.  That    we,    the    Democratic    party   of   Texas,    are    in    favor    of   a 
judicious,  liberal,  and  uniform  system  of  internal  improvements. 

10.  That  the  Radical  State  government  of  Texas  has  forfeited  all 
claims  to  the  respect  of  mankind  by  its  unconstitutional  and  oppressive 
enactments,  and  to  the  end  that  the  citizens  of  this  State,  and  of  the 
United  States,  may  fully  comprehend  the  grievances  we  are  suffering, 
from   the   wrongs   and   usurpations   of   said   Radical   government,    we 
charge  them  as  follows: 

(1)  In  violation  of  the  Federal  and  State  constitutions,  the  legisla- 
ture of  this  State  has  conferred  on  the  governor,  in  obedience  to  his 
own  dictation,  the  power  to  suspend  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  declare 
the  civil  laws  suspended,  close  the  courts,  refuse  to  our  citizens  the 
right  of  trial  by  jury,  and  subject  them  to  trial  by  a  court  martial, 
composed  of  men  who  know  nothing  of  the  rules  of  law  and  evidence, 
and  this  in  times  of  profound  peace. 

(2)  They   have,   in   violation   of  the   constitution,   likewise   at   the 
governor's    dictation,    given    the    power,    by    aid    of    a    police    force, 
appointed  by  himself  and  officered  by  men  of  his  own  appointment,  to 


Platforms  of  Political 

subject  our  citizens  to  seizure  of  their  persons  and  property,  and  sub- 
jected their  houses  to  unreasonable  search,  without  warrant  and  with 
no  probable  cause  supported  either  by  oath  or  affirmation. 

(3)  That  said  police  have,  without  warrant,  or  oath,  or  affirmation 
charging  an  offense,  and  even  when  no  offense  had  been  committed, 
arrested  and  imprisoned  our  citizens,  and  have  extorted  from  them,  as 
the  terms  of  release,  a  large  sum  of  money,  refusing  them  the  benefit 
of  counsel  or  trial  and  without  being  confronted  by  their  accusers  or 
the   witnesses   against   them,    and   under   a   threat   of   trial   by   court 
martial,  if 'they  refuse  the  required  sum. 

(4)  The  legislature  has  by  enactment,  in  violation  of  a  plain  consti- 
tutional provision,  authorized  the  governor  to  remove  officers  elected 
by  the  people,  and  appoint  men  of  his  own  choice  in  their  place,  which 
power  he  has  repeatedly  exercised. 

(5)  The  legislature  has  authorized  the  governor  to  appoint  thirty- 
five  district   attorneys,   when  the   constitution  of  the   State  provides 
that  they  shall  be  elected,  and  he  has  exercised  this  power  and  causes 
these  officers,  so  illegally  appointed,  to  be  paid  in  the  aggregate  forty- 
two  thousand  dollars  annually  out  of  the  State  treasury,  thereby  violat- 
ing the  constitution  and  plundering  the  people. 

(6)  The  legislature  has  virtually  abolished  every  check  that  secures 
the  purity  of  the  ballot  box,  and  throws  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a  full 
vote  by  compelling  jthe  people  to  vote  at  but  one   precinct  in   each 
county,   on   tickets   that  are   not  numbered   for   future   identification, 
thereby  rendering  the  detection  of  official  frauds  impossible,  by  failing 
to  adopt  a  different  mode  of  voting,  as  authorized  by  the  constitution. 

(7)  The  Radical  party  of  the  State  has  obtained  power  by  fraud  and 
intimidation.     The  legislature  seeks  to  perpetuate  this  power  by  making 

the  elective  franchise  dependent  on  the  caprices  of  registrars,  subject 
to  appointment  or  removal  at  the  caprice  of  the  governor. 

(8)  That   the   senate   and   house   of   representatives,   in   utter   dis- 
regard of  the  laws  regulating  contested  elections,  and  without  com- 
plaint in  the  manner  and  time  prescribed  by  law,  on  ex  parte  state- 
ments or  affidavits,  deprived  members  of  their  seats,  and  their  con- 
stituency of  representation  in  the  legislature,  with  the   intention  of 
securing  for  the  Radical  party  a  majority  in  that  body. 

(9)  That  having  been  elected  for  a  term  of  two  years,  they  have 
continued  their  existence  as  a  legislature  for  three  years  by  an  en- 
actment of  their  own  body. 

(10)  In  order  to   subsidize   and  corrupt  the   press,   they   have   es- 
tablished newspapers  in  each  judicial  district  to  advocate  the  interests 
of  the  Radical  party,  and  although  many  of  them  had,  at  the  time  of 
their  establishment,  no  circulation,  in  order  to  give  them  money  and 
support,  they  have  compelled  public  or  private  sales,  ordered  by  any 
court,   and  sales   under   executions,   in   any  county   of  the   respective 
districts,  to  be  published  in  the  paper  of  the  district,  at  a  great  expense 
to  the  widows  and  orphans  of  deceased  persons,  and  of  creditors  of 


Parties  in  Texas  12  7 

their  estates,  although  not  a  single  copy  of  the  said  paper  might  ba 
taken  in  the  county  where  the  sale  is  to  be  made. 

(11)  It  has  just  attempted  to  remove  the  Radical  senator,  who  has 
denounced  their  corruption,  by  electing  in  his  stead  a  military  officer, 
who  is  not  a  citizen  of  the  State  of  Texas. 

(12)  In  view  of  these  high  crimes   and  political  misdemeanors  of 
the  Radical  party,  committed  against  the  great  interests  of  the  people 
of  Texas; 

Resolved,  11.  That  we  invite  all  good  men,  whatever  may  have  been 
their  past  political  preferences,  to  unite  with  the  Democratic  party  in 
removing  from  place  and  power  those  who  now  control  the  State  gov- 
ernment, in  order  to  release  the  people  from  oppressive,  ruinous,  and 
unequal  taxation,  to  insure  an  honest  administration  of  the  laws,  and 
an  honest  and  economical  expenditure  of  the  public  moneys,  and  to 
throw  the  aegis  of  justice  and  protection  over  the  person  and  property 
of  every  individual  whatsoever  in  the  State  of  Texas. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[12]  That  our  deepest  sympathies  are  with  the  suffering  people  of 
our  frontier,  to  whom  the  present  State  administration  has  given  such 
inefficient  protection  from  Indian  outrage,  and  we  here  express  our 
unqualified  condemnation  of  the  employment  by  the  administration  of 
the  men  and  means,  that  should  have  been  used  to  the  uttermost  man 
and  dollar  in  defense  of  the  frontier,  in  harassment  and  oppression 
of  the  people  of  the  interior. 

[13]  That  we  pledge  the  Democratic  party  to  protect  the  frontier 
people,  and  save  their  women  and  children  from  Indian  rapine,  mur- 
der, and  outrage. 

State  Executive  Committee:  A.  S.  Walker,  of  Travis,  chair- 
man ;  M.  H.  Bowers,  W.  M.  Walton,  John  D.  Elliott,  S.  G.  Sneed ; 
1.  Senatorial  District,  E.  B.  Pickett,  of  Liberty;  2.  S.  B.  Bew- 
ley,  of  San  Augustine ;  3.  T.  R.  Bonner,  of  Cherokee ;  4.  James 
W.  Ewing,  of  Anderson;  5.  James  II.  Jones,  of  Rusk;  6.  J.  P. 
Douglass,  of  Smith;  7.  James  W.  Pope,  of  Harrison;  8.  H.  P. 
Mabry,  of  Marion;  9.  W.  B.  Wright,  of  Red  River;  10.  Wm.  A. 
Wortham,  of  Hopkins;  11.  S.  B.  Maxey,  of  Lamar;  12.  R.  L. 
Fulton,  of  Galveston;  13.  P.  E.  Pearson,  of  Fort  Bend;  14.  J.  W. 
Henderson,  of  Harris;  16.  Seth  Shepard,  of  Washington;  17. 
G.  J.  Goodwin,  of  Bryan ;  18.  A.  W.  Terrell,  of  Robertson ;  19. 
Richard  Coke,  of  McLennan;  20.  C.  M.  Winkler,  of ^Navarro;  21. 
John  Hanna,  of  Dallas;  22.  E.  T.  Broughton,  of  drayson;  23. 
W.  E.  Hughes,  of  Parker;  24.  R.  M.  Forbes,  of  Calhoun;  25. 


128  Platforms  of  Political 

Wells  Thompson,  of  Colorado;  26.  J.  D.  Sayers,  of  Bastrop ; 
27.  W.  D.  S.  Cook,  of  Gonzales ;  28.  J.  W.  Posey,  of  Williamson  • 
29.  C.  Upson,  of  Bexar;  30.  J.  B.  Carpenter,  of  Nueces. 

TAXPAYERS'  CONVENTION,  1871 

AUSTIN,  September  22-251 

On  August  5,  1871,  following  call  was  issued  from  Austin: 
"We,  the  undersigned,  citizens  and  taxpayers  of  the  State  of 
Texas,  regardless  of  party,  feeling  a  deep  interest  in  State  af- 
fairs, hereby  earnestly  call  upon  the  people  of  every  county  of 
the  State  to  hold  meetings  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  their 
opinion  in  regard  to  the  exorbitant  expenditures  and  enormous 
taxes  to  which  we  are  subjected.  We  would  suggest  that  these 
meetings  take  place  without  loss  of  time,  and  that  the  people 
simultaneously  elect  from  each  and  every  county  delegates  to 
meet  in  convention,  say  at  Austin,  on  the  22nd  day  of  Septem- 
ber next,  there  to  express  the  sense  of  the  people  upon  the  above 
subjects,  and  memorialize  the  authorities  to  reduce  the  taxation, 
and  to  order  a  general  election  in  conformity  to  the  provisions  of 
the  constitution."  This  call  was  signed  by  E.  M.  Pease,  Geo. 
Hancock,  W.  M.  Walton,  M.  C.  Hamilton  and  many  others.  The 
convention  met  at  Austin  on  the  day  named.  The  attendance 
was  large.  Ninety-four  counties  were  represented. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  George  B.  Erath,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; permanent,  E.  M.  Pease,  of  Travis.  Vice-Presidents, 
George  Pfeuffer,  of  Comal;  J.  T.  Harcourt,  of  Colorado;  J.  J. 
Gathings,  of  Hill;  A.  F.  Trenckmann,  of  Austin;  Champe  Car- 
ter, of  Ellis;  and  E.  S.  C.  Robertson,  of  Bell.  Secretaries,  Wm. 
M.  Rust,  of  Guadalupe;  Walter  Tips,  and  D.  Truehart. 

Committee  of  Twenty-One  to  consider  and  report  business  for 
the  convention:  A.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Travis,  chairman;  F.  M. 
Hays,  of  Smith ;  John  Ireland,  of  Guadalupe ;  John  M.  Crockett, 
of  Dallas;  James  Shaw,  of  Burleson;  George  Quinan,  of  Whar- 
ton;  F.  M.  White,  of  Jackson;  John  W.  Robertson,  of  Robert- 

^Proceedings  of  the  Taxpayers'  Convention  of  the  State  of  Texas,  held  at 
the  City  of  Austin,  Sept.  22d,  23d  and  25th,  1871.  Also  a  Memorial  to  the 
Legislature,  and  an  address  to  the  Taxpayers  of  Texas.  Printed  at  the  News 
Steam  Book  and  Job  Office,  Galveston,  1871. 


Parties  in  Texas  129 

son;  M.  C.  Hamilton,  of  Travis;  D.  A.  Nunn,  of  Houston;  J.  W. 
Throckmorton,  of  Collin;  R.  Price,  of  San  Augustine;  A.  W. 
Moore,  of  Bastrop;  X.  0.  Green,  of  Bexar;  A.  S.  Lathrop,  of 
Brazoria;  W.  M.  Walton,  of  Travis;  S.  B.  Hollingsworth,  of 
Johnson;  R.  M.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  M.  A.  Gaston,  of 
Cherokee;  T.  J.  Chambers,  of  Liberty;  E.  L.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar. 

Committee  of  Five  on  Statistics:  C.  Upson,  of  Bexar;  C.  R. 
Johns,  of  Travis;  G.  B.  Erath,  of  McLennan;  M.  C.  McLemore,  of 
Galveston;  D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Robertson. 

At  the  second  day's  session  of  the  convention,  Governor  Ham- 
ilton, chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Twenty-One,  reported 
verbally  that  in  consequence  of  the  immense  labor  before  them, 
the  committee  had  been  divided  into  three  subcommittees,  and 
these  subcommittees  were  at  work  and  hoped  to  be  able  to  make 
their  reports  on  Monday  morning,  the  25th. 

REPORT   OF  THE   COMMITTEE  OF  TWENTY-ONE 

AUSTIN,  TEXAS,  September  25,  1871. 
To  THE  HON.  E.  M.  PEASE, 

President  of  the  Taxpayers'  Convention  of  the  People  of  Texas. 

SIR:  The  undersigned,  the  Committee  of  Twenty-One,  appointed  by 
direction  of  your  honorable  body  to  consider  and  report  upon  business 
for  the  action  of  the  Convention,  beg  leave  to  state  that  the  general 
committee  was  subdivided,  and  labor  allotted  to  each  one  of  the  sub- 
committees. 

We  have  the  honor  to  present  the  reports  of  the  subcommittees  aa 
follows: 

First,  a  report  upon  violations  of  the  constitution  and  laws. 

To  THE  HON.  A.  J.  HAMILTON, 

Chairman   of   General   Committee  of   Twenty-One. 

SIR:  The  subcommittee  appointed  to  take  into  consideration  and 
report  to  the  general  committee  the  several  violations  of  the  State  and 
Federal  constitutions,  and  other  flagrant  violations  of  law  by  the 
present  administration  of  the  State  government,  beg  leave  to  submit 
the  following  report: 

The  violations  of  constitutions  and  disregard  of  law  have  been  very 
frequent  and  are  very  numerous;  but  frequent  as  they  have  been  and 
numerous  as  they  are,  we  have  been  unable  to  find  a  single  one,  of 
either  class,  based  on  an  honest  desire  to  accomplish  good  to  the  people 
of  the  State,  or  to  secure  prosperity  to  the  country.  On  the  contrary, 
their  apparent  cause  seems  uniformly  to  spring  from  one  grand  pur- 

9 — 328 


130  Platforms  of  Political 

pose,  viz.:  to  concentrate  power  in  the  hands  of  one  man,  and  to 
emasculate  the  strength  of  the  citizens  of  Texas  as  a  free  people. 

However  hopeless  such  a  design  might  have  appeared,  and  however 
little  feared  by  the  reasoning  and  intelligent  mind  eighteen  months 
ago,  yet  at  this  day,  we  must  confess,  the  scheme  has  far  progressed 
toward  consummation,  and  the  people  stand  stripped  of  many  of  the 
inalienable  rights  of  freemen,  while  he  who  is  now  clothed  with  these 
lost  rights  of  the  people  gloats  on  their  humiliation  and  congratulates 
himself  on  the  possession  of  kingly  power. 

We  may  safely  state  that  the  practical  effect  of  each  of  the  acts  we 
shall  name  has  been,  and  is  now,  to  abridge  the  rights  of  the  citizen, 
and  to  enlarge,  solidify,  and  confirm  the  power  of  the  executive. 

1.  Duly  elected  and  qualified  members  of  the  legislature,  in  both 
houses,  have  been  expelled,  or  denied  seats,  to  give  place  to  persons 
who  were  not  elected  by  a  majority  of  voters  and  who  were  not  in  law 
entitled  to  seats.     (Case  of  Alford  in  the  Senate.     Case  of  Plato  in  the 
House,  et  al) 

2.  At  a  time  when  measures   of  grave   importance  of  themselves 
and  of  vital  interest  to  all  the  people  were  under  discussion  in  the 
senate  and  not  matured,  the  majority  in  the  State  senate,  arbitrarily 
and  without  authority  of  law,  placed  nearly  all  the  minority  under 
arrest  and  deprived  them  of  a  voice  in  behalf  of  the  people,  and  so  held 
them  in  arrest  and  silent  until  the  Militia  Law,  the  Police  Bill,  the 
Enabling  Act,  the  Registration  Act,  and  the  Election  Law  were  passed, 
and  until  nominations  for  judicial  and  other  important  officers  were 
approved  of;  all  of  which  measures  go  to  the  oppression  of  the  people, 
and  many  of  the   officers   confirmed  were   unqalified   as   to   capacity, 
corrupt  as  to  morals,  and  entirely  unfit  for  high  position  in  any  State. 

3.  A  multitude   of  new  offices  have  been  created,  and  officers  ap- 
pointed to  fill  them,  without  the  consent  and  against  the  will  of  the 
people. 

4.  Important  and  useful  legislation  to  the  country  has  been  post- 
poned and  delayed  at  great  expense  until  odious  and  oppressive  laws 
were  fastened  upon  the  people. 

5.  Without  authority  of  law,  and  in  violation  of  the  constitution,  the 
term  of  office  of  the  present  members  of  the  legislature  has  been  ex- 
tended one  year.     They  were  elected  on  the  30th  day  o*  November  and 
1st,  2nd  and  3rd  days  of  December,  1869;  and  now,  under  an  act  passed 
and  construed  by  themselves,  claim  to  hold  until  a  general  election  in 
the  year  1872,  notwithstanding  section  4,  article  3,  of  the  constitution. 

6.  The  executive  has  omitted  and  failed  to  order  elections  to  fill 
vacancies  in  the  legislature,  caused  by  death  and  otherwise,  within  the 
time  prescribed  by  law,  and  has  thus  for  many  months  denied  repre- 
sentation to  large  bodies  of  the  people,  although  they  were  taxed  and 
have  been  forced  to  perform  militia  duty.     (Constitution,  Art.  3,  Sec. 
19;  Laws  of  1870,  p.  130,  Sec.  11.) 

7.  The    present    State    administration    bases    its    authority    on    the 


Parties  in  Texas  ]31 

claimed  results  of  the  general  election  held  on  the  30th  November 
and  1st,  2nd  and  3rd  days  of  December,  1869,  and  yet  has  omitted  and 
refused  to  order  and  provide  for  a  general  election  until  the  first 
Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  November,  1872,  thus  throwing  the 
second  general  election  nearly  three  years  from  the  first.  (Constitu- 
tion, Art.  3,  Sec.  4;  Laws  of  1870,  p.  129,  Sec.  7.) 

8.  The  State  of  Texas  is  practically  left  without  a  legislature  from 
December,  1871,  until  November,  1872,  and  that,  too,  wfiile  the  execu- 
tive is  clothed  with  despotic  power. 

9.  Newspapers  have  been  established  in  the  several  judicial  districts 
of  the  State  to  bolster  up  the  present  despotism,  and  to  familiarize 
the  people  with  executive  usurpation,  and,  through  forced  patronage, 
to  gain  a  profit,  and  thereby  help  to  impoverish  the  citizens.     (Laws 
of  1870,  p.  74.) 

10.  The  courts  of  the  State  are  effectually  closed  against  the  ap- 
proach  of  the   citizen,   and   prohibited   from   extending  relief   for   an 
existing  wrong — in  this,  that  though  the  judges  of  election  may  wil- 
fully and  corruptly  refuse  to  permit  a  qualified  elector  to  vote,  yet 
the  courts  are  forbidden  to  compel  such  officers  to  do  their  duty,  or 
refrain  from  the  commission  of  a  wrong  by  injunction,  mandamus,  or 
otherwise.     (Laws  of  1870,  p.  132,  Sec.  22;  Constitution,  Art.  1,  Sec.  11.) 

11.  An  Election  Law  has  been  passed,  and  is  now  enforced,  which 
breaks  down  in  practical  effect  all  the  safeguards  of  the  ballot,  and 
places  in  the  hands  of  those  who  receive  and  count  the  votes  the  un- 
restrained power  to  defeat  the  will  of  the  electors  and  to  substitute 
their  own  instead;   it  authorizes  those  who  have  the  handling  of  the 
votes,  on  one  pretext  or  another,  to  cast  out  large  proportions  of  the 
votes    and  to   announce   partial   and  untrue   results;    it,,  by  the   non- 
identification  of  tickets  voted,  prevents  fair  and  full  investigation  in 
cases  of  contested  elections;  it  requires  electors  to  travel  long  distances, 
to  undergo  heavy  expense,  and  to  consume  much  time  needlessly  to 
exercise  the  right  of  suffrage,  thus   compelling  the  citizen  to   forego 
the  exercise  of  the  elective  franchise,  or  else  to  submit  to  exactions, 
oppressions,  and  wrongs  to  person  and  property.     (Laws 'of  1870,  p. 
130,  et  seq.) 

12.  The  Enabling  Act  places  great  power  in  the  hands  of  the  execu- 
tive, in  palpable  violation  of  the  constitution,  in  that  it  authorizes  him 
to  appoint  various  important  officers,  who  are  charged  with  responsible 
duties,  who  under  the  constitution  are  elective  by  the  people,  and  to 
remove  others  who  are  alone  removable  by  due  course  of  law.     (Laws 
of  1870,  pp.  17,  18;  Constitution,  Art.  5,  Sec.  12.) 

13.  The  terms  of  the  Police  Bill  constitute  of  themselves  an  au- 
thorized violation  of  nearly  every  private  right  of  the  citizen.     The 
police  force  is  chosen  by  the  executive  and  placed  under  his  command 
without  restriction  or  responsibility;    it   is  always  ready  for  action, 
with  arms  in  hand,  having  for  its  duties  the  part  of  spies,  informers, 
and  detectives,  circulating  through  the  whole   community.     The  very 


132  Platforms   of   Political 

vocation  of  such  a  force  renders  them  odious  to  the  people;  and  un- 
principled of  themselves,  they  are  dangerous  as  hirelings  to  the 
reputations  and  lives  of  the  people.  The  practical  workings  of  this 
force,  raised  under  the  pretence  of  securing  peace 'and  quiet,  and  to 
arrest  violators  of  the  law,  has  demonstrated  beyond  doubt  that  it  is  a 
body  of  armed  men,  massed  to  overawe  the  citizen  and  to  give  an 
active  arm  to  the  executive  to  uphold  and  sustain  him  in  his  usurpa- 
tions and  exercise  of  the  unlawful  power  concentrated  in  him.  Its 
work  has  been  a  succession  of  wrongs,  mingled  with  blood;  its  con- 
tinuance is  death  to  every  private  right  and,  in  innumerable  instances, 
to  life  itself.  (Laws  of  1870,  p.  19.) 

14.  Large  amounts  of  money  have  been  subjected  and  appropriated 
to  the  use  of  the  executive,  obtainable  on  requisition  and,  on  the  sale 
of  State  bonds,  to  be  held  and  vised  by  him  without  any  of  the  restric- 
tions and  safeguards  which  the  laws  require  of  all  others  who  handle 
public  moneys.     (Laws  of  1870.) 

15.  Under  the  authority  of  the  Militia  Law  now  in  force  and  daily 
executed,   the   executive    is    vested   with    unlimited    power.       He    may 
organize  a  standing  army  in  a  time  of  profound  peace;    in  the  face 
of  heavy  pains  and  penalties,  the  citizen  is  required  to  perform  military 
duty,  and  to  form  part  of  such  standing  army.     A  State  guard  is  pro- 
vided for,  the  men  and  officers  of  which  are  chosen  and  selected  by 
the  executive,  thus  creating  a  special  organization  of  great  strength, 
composed  of  pets,  favorites,  and  tools  of  the  governor,  whose  interest  it 
is  to  maintain  him  in  his  usurpations  and  to  enforce  his  orders,  what- 
ever they  may  be.     This  is  an  armed  body  of  men  who  may  be  thrown 
into  any  city   or   county   of   the   State,   and   there   with   rapidity   and 
unscrupulousness  execute  any  order  the   executive  may  give.     He   is 
clothed  with  the  power  to  declare  martial  law  on  the  most  paltry  pre- 
texts.    He  may  to  all  intents  and  purposes  suspend  the  writ  of  habeas 
corpus  when  there  is  no  rebellion,  no  invasion,  and  when  the  public 
safety  does  not  require  it.     With  martial  law  declared,  the  executive 
becomes  dictator  in  Texas,  and  his  will  the  sole  guide  to  his  action,  he 
may  take  property  or  life  and  be  responsible  to  no  tribunal  of  justice 
in  the  State,   so  long  as  he   remains  governor    under   existing  laws. 
(Laws  of  1870,  p.  11;  Constitution,  Art.  1,  Sections  10  and  17.) 

It  might  possibly  be  said  that,  though  such  unlimited  power  is  with 
the  executive,  yet  that  all  the  probabilities  are  that  he  will  not  call  it 
into  exercise;  but  already,  under  the  arbitrary  power  conferred,  he 
declared  martial  law  in  the  county  of  Hill  and  through  machinery 
rapidly  extemporized  gathered,  by  the  hands  of  his  adjutant  general, 
large  sums  of  money  from  citizens  while  under  duress  and  without  a 
judgment  of  any  court  of  competent  jurisdiction;  and  under  the  same 
arbitrary  power  martial  law  was  declared  in  Walker  County,  and 
then,  under  like  machinery,  gathered  large  sums  of  money  from  the 
people,  and  in  addition  thereto  incarcerated  a  freeman  of  the  State 
of  Texas  in  the  penitentiary;  and  all  this  in  a  time  of  profound  peace, 


Parties  in  Texas  133 

when  there  was  no  rebellion,  no  invasion,  when  the  public  safety  was 
not  threatened,  and  when  the  civil  officers  in  the  respective  counties 
were  fully  able  to  execute  all  process  and  to  arrest  all  violators  of  the 
law.  And  again  in  the  county  of  Bastrop  martial  law  was  time  and 
time  again  threatened  and  held  in  terrorem  over  the  people  thereof, 
with  intent  to  force  the  grand  jury  of  said  county  to  indict  by  false 
indictments  the  good  people  thereof  and  thus  forge  a  reputation  for 
that  people  of  being  a  lawless  and  criminal  people. 

These  things  have  grown  into  history,  and  are  now  recognized  as 
authentic  occurrences  of  the  times. 

16.  The  executive  is  now  enforcing  the  execution  of  a  repealed 
law,  and  thereby  greatly  increasing  the  taxes  demanded  of  the  people, 
and  gaining  the  possession  and  control  of  enormous  sums  of  money, 
the  distribution  whereof  is  subject  to  his  will,  in  connection  with 
those  about  him  who  hold  position  by  his  appointment,  and  whose 
terms  of  office  depend  on  his  pleasure. 

(1)  a.     The  act  entitled  "An  act  to  organize  and  maintain  a  sys- 
tem of  public  free  schools  in  the  State  of  Texas."  (Laws  of  1871,  p.  59,) 
was  presented  to  the  governor  for  his  approval  April  12,  1871.     Senate 
Journal,  p.  748.) 

b.  In  absence  of  approval  the  bill  so  presented  would  become  a  law 
in  five  days,  if  not  returned.     (Constitution,  General  Provisions,  Sec. 
25.) 

c.  The  bill  so  presented  was  not  approved,  nor  was  it  vetoed;  so  on 
April  17,  1871,  it  became  a  law. 

d.  The  fifth  section  of  said  act  provides  that  "The  directors  of  each 
school  district  shall  have  the  authority  to  levy  a  tax  not  exceeding  one 
per  cent  for  the  purpose  of  building  school  houses  and  maintaining 
schools  in  their  respective  districts." 

(2)  a.     The  act  entitled  "An  act  to  give  effect  to  the  several  pro- 
visions of  the  constitution  concerning  taxes,"   (Laws  of  1871,  p.  51,) 
was   presented   to    the   governor  for  his  approval   on   April    20,   1871. 
(Senate  Journal,  p.  847.) 

b.  Said  bill  was  approved  on  April  22,  and  from  that  day  became  a 
law,  five  days  after  the  first  named  had  become  a  law  under  section 
25  of  the  constitution  before  cited. 

c.  The  eighth  section  of  the  last  act  named  provides  that  "A  direct 
ad  valorem  tax,  for  the  year  1871,  of  one-fourth  the  amount  of  the 
direct  ad  valorem  State  tax,  on  all  real  property  situate,  and  all  per- 
sonal  property  owned  in  each  school  district  in  this  State  .  .  .  shall 
be  levied  and  collected  to  provide  the  necessary  school  houses  in  each 
district,   and    insure   the   education   of   all   the   scholastic   inhabitants 
of  the  several  districts." 

d.  The  22nd  section  of  this  act  repeals  all  laws  and  parts  of  laws 
in  conflict  therewith,  "except  such  as  authorize  special  county  taxes 
and  other  special  taxes." 


134  Platforms  of  Political 

e.  Section  5  of  the  first  law  and  section  8  of  the  last  law  are  in 
conflict,  or,  at  least,  the  one  supplies  the  other,  both  being  intended  to 
raise  a  fund  by  taxation  for  one  and  the  same  identical  purpose. 

f.  The  repealing  clause  repeals  section  5  of  the  act  first  named,  and 
thereby  reduced  taxation  for  school  house  purposes  from  one  per  cent 
to  one-eighth  of  one  per  cent. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  record  shows  the  foregoing  facts,  yet  the 
governor  appended  his  approval  to  the  law  first  named  on  the  24th 
day  of  April,  1871 — seven  days  after  it  had  become  a  law,  and  thus  of 
his  own  will  sought  to  change  the  dates  of  laws,  and  to  give  them 
force  and  effect  in  a  reversed  manner,  and  by  his  signature  to  revive  a 
law  which  had  been  repealed. 

This  repealed  law  is  now  being  enforced,  and  under  its  provisions  a 
tax  of  seven-eighths  of  one  per  cent  on  all  the  property  in  the  State 
of  Texas,  real  and  personal,  sought  to  be  collected. 

17.  The  people  have  been  disarmed  throughout  the  State,  notwith- 
standing their  constitutional  right  "to  keep  and  bears  arms."     (Con- 
stitution, Art.  1,  Sec.  13;  Laws  of  1871,  p.  25.) 

The  police  and  State  guards  are  armed  and  lord  it  over  the  land, 
while  the  citizen  dare  not,  under  heavy  pains  and  penalties,  bear  arms 
to  defend  himself,  unless  he  has  reasonable  grounds  for  fearing  an 
unlawful  attack  on  his  person,  and  that  such  grounds  of  attack  shall 
be  immediate  and  pressing.  The  citizen  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  police- 
man and  the  men  of  the  State  guard,  and  that,  too,  when  these  bodies 
of  men  embrace  in  them  the  most  lawless  and  abandoned  men  in  the 
State,  many  of  whom  are  adventurers — strangers  to  the  soil — dis- 
charged or  pardoned  criminals,  forgetful  of  law,  unrestrained  by  the 
customs  of  society,  and  without  interest  in  or  ties  to  the  State. 

18.  The   Election   Order,   under   the   operation    of  which   the   near 
approaching  election  will  be  holden,  is  a  monstrosity,  and  could  only 
emanate  from  a  mind  deliberately  determined  to  insult  and  humiliate 
the  people  to  the  last  extreme,  on  the  one  hand,  while  on  the  other,  it 
wilfully  orders  the  violation  of  the  constitution  by  the  agents  who  are  to 
carry   said   order    into    execution.     It   forbids   the   assembling   of   the 
people  on  the  days  of  election;  it  prohibits  free  speech;   it  forbids  the 
free  and  lawful  movement  of  the   citizen   in  person;    it  forbids   the 
citizen  the   right  to   advocate  the  election   of   the   candidates   of  his 
choice;   it  authorizes  the  judges  of  the  election  to  close  the  polls  on 
the  merest  pretexts;   it  subjects  the  citizen's  motives  and  purposes  to 
the  judgment  of  policemen;  it  authorizes  policemen  to  disperse  bodies 
of  citizens  without  warrant  of  law,  and  when  they  have  been  guilty 
of  no  violation  of  law;  it  subjects  the  citizen  to  arrest  and  detention 
while  in  attendance  at  an  election,  when  he  has  not  been  guilty  of 
treason,  felony,  or  breach  of  the  peace;   it  is  ordered  to  be  executed 
as  a  criminal  law  of  the  State  when  it  has  not  a  single  feature  of  a 
law;  it  is  the  unlawful  will  of  the  executive,  enforced  by  him  through 


Parties  in  Texas  135 

the  power  of  an  armed  police  upon  an  unarmed  people;  it  is  the  will  of 
a  despot  and  the  act  of  a  tyrant  overriding  the  supreme  law  of  the  land, 
(Constitution,  Art.  3,  Sec.  2.) 

19.  By   orders    executed   through   his    armed    bodies   of   police,    the 
executive  has   taken   control   of  peaceable   assemblies   of  the   people, 
called  together  for  peaceful  purposes,  and  there  suppressed  free  speech 
under  threats   of  arrest   and   subjection   to   punishment  as   criminals. 
(Galveston  case.) 

20.  The   executive   has   deliberately   disregarded    the   solemn    judg- 
ment of  the  district  court,  and  ordered  his  policemen  to  contemn  the 
court  and  by  force,  with  arms  in  their  hands,  to  defy  the  court,  and  to 
execute  his  will  in  a  question  of  law  where  the  court  had  decided  the 
case  and  entered  its  judgment  of  record.     (Brownsville  case.) 

21.  For  the  purpose  and  with  the  intent  to  retain  the  power  they 
now  hold,  and  to  avoid  having  the  free  will  of  the  people  expressed  in 
the  enactment  of   laws,   the   executive  and  others   in   authority  con- 
template (and  are  now  actively  engaged  to  accomplish  their  object)  so 
apportioning  representation  in  the  legislature  as  that  only  the  voice 
of  a  small  proportion  of  the  people  shall  be  heard.     It  is  proposed  to 
give  some  localities  much  larger  representation  than  the  population 
thereof  lawfully  authorizes,  and  to  take   from  other  localities  repre- 
sentation to  which  their  population  entitles  them.     It  is  proposed  to 
ignore    local  representation  and  to  make  large  areas  of  territory  repre- 
sentative districts,  to  the  end  that  the  sentiment  of  the  population  of  a 
few  localities  may  control  the  voice  of  the  State  in  the  enactment  of 
laws.     (Bill   in  both  houses.) 

While,  sir,  we  have  not  specified  all  the  acts  of  the  present  adminis- 
tration infracting  the  constitution,  in  violation  of  law,  and  in  willful 
disregard  of  the  rights  of  the  people,  nor  entered  minutely  into  the- 
features  of  those  named,  yet  we  think  we  have  shown  enough  to  call 
upon  all  men  for  the  most  serious  reflection,  and  to  show  the  ten.- 
dencies  of  the  present  administration  of  the  State  government. 

Without  enlarging,  we  may  say  that  the  power,  which  in  republican 
government  is  supposed  to  rest  in  the  people,  is  fast  departing  from 
the  people  of  Texas  and  concentrating  itself  in  the  hands  of  one  man — 
the  executive.  That  the  people  of  this  State  no  longer  govern  them- 
selves, but  are  governed  by  E.  J.  Davis  as  completely  as  if  there  were 
no  constitutions,  State  or  Federal.  While  in  form  we  have  a  republican 
government,  in  substance  and  in  fact  we  have  a  despotism,  which  con- 
stantly becomes  more  and  more  absolute,  and  will  certainly  end  in 
unqualified  enslavement  of  the  people  unless  some  check  is  interposed. 

Respectfully, 

W.  M.  WALTON,  Chairman^ 


136  Platforms  of  Political 

Second,  the  report  of  the  subcommittee  on  Taxes  and  the  report  of 
the  Committee  on  Statistics,  appointed  by  order  of  the  Convention, 
which,  for  convenience,  have  been  consolidated,  is  as  follows: 

To  THE  HON.  A.  J.  HAMILTON, 

Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Twenty-One. 

SIR:  The  Committee  on  Statistics  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following 
report  as  the  result  of  their  deliberations: 

Previous  to  the  adoption  of  our  present  State  constitution,  the  legis- 
lature met  biennially,  and  the  appropriations  for  State  expenditures 
were  made  for  two  years. 

We  find  from  an  examination  of  the  laws  that  the  seventh  legisla- 
ture appropriated  to  be  paid  from  the  State  Treasury  for  the  ordinary 
expenses  of  the  State  government,  for  the  years  1858  and  1859,  the  sum 
of  $545,740.  This  gives  one-half  of  that  amount,  or  $272,870,  as  the 
ordinary  expenses  for  each  of  the  years  1858  and  1859. 

The  entire  appropriations  of  that  legislature,  for  all  purposes  for 
the  years  1858  and  1859,  including  the  above,  also  for  the  old  debt  of 
the  Republic,  frontier  defense,  etc.,  amounted  to  only  $809,592.49. 

We  find  from  the  same  source  that  the  eleventh  legislature  appro- 
priated for  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the  State  government,  for  the 
years  1867  and  1868,  the  sum  of  $481,300.  This  gives  one-half  that 
amount,  or  $240,650,  as  the  ordinary  expense  for  each  of  the  years 
1867  and  1868. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  there  was  no  session  of  the  legislature 
during  either  of  those  years.  The  entire  appropriations  made  by  the 
eleventh  legislature,  that  met  in  1866,  for  all  purposes  for  the  expenses 
of  the  years  1867  and  1868,  for  the  legislature  of  1866,  and  in  addition 
thereto  the  expenses  of  the  government  from  the  13th  of  August  to 
the  31st  of  December,  1866,  amounted  only  to  the  sum  of  $956,850.77. 

We  find  from  the  same  source  that  the  appropriations  made  by  the 
legislature  of  1870  for  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the  State  government 
for  the  fiscal  year,  from  the  1st  of  September,  1870,  to  the  1st  of 
September,  1871,  was  $756,383. 

The  entire  appropriations  of  that  legislature,  for  all  purposes,  except 
the  subsidy  to  the  International  Railroad,  amounted  to  the  sum  of 
$1,632,270.50.  The  appropriation  of  the  legislature  that  met  in  the 
early  part  of  this  year  (1871)  for  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the  gov- 
ernment for  the  fiscal  year,  beginning  on  the  1st  of  September,  1871, 
and  ending  on  the  31st  of  August,  1872,  were  $1,072,662;  for  schools 
for  the  same  years,  $504,500;  for  deficiencies  for  fiscal  year  ending 
August  31st,  1871,  $364,743.45;  for  all  other  purposes,  except  subsidies 
to  railroads,  $178,699.83,  making  the  entire  appropriations  by  that  leg- 
islature, exclusive  of  subsidies  to  railroads,  $2,120,605.28. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  the  legislature  of  1870  also  voted  a  subsidy 
of  ten  thousand  dollars  a  mile  to  the  International  Railroad,  which  will 
impose  upon  our  people  a  debt  of  at  least  eight  million  dollars,  if  the 


Parties  in  'Texas  137 

company  complies  with  the  terms  of  the  law;  and  the  legislature  of 
1871  granted  an  additional  subsidy  of  six  million  dollars  to  the  Trans- 
Continental  and  Southern  Pacific  Railroads. 

We  find  that  the  cost  of  the  legislature  of  1857  was  $159,760;  that 
of  1866  was  $167,000;  that  of  1870,  $307,000;  and  that  of  1871,  $285,000, 
exclusive  of  the  expenses  of  the  adjourned  session,  which  will  prob- 
ably be  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  more,  while  the  number  of 
members,  the  per  diem  and  mileage  were  the  same  for  that  of  1866  as 
for  the  legislature  of  1870  and  1871. 

We  find  that  the  ad  valorem  tax  upon  property  in  the  years  1858 
and  1859  was  for  the  State  one-eighth  of  one  per  cent.;  for  the  county 
one-half  of  that  rate. 

In  1866,  the  rate  of  taxation  was  increased,  for  the  State  to  fifteen 
cents  on  each  hundred  dollars,  and  for  county  purposes,  not  exceeding 
one-half  of  that  rate.  The  legislature  of  1871.  increased  the  taxes  as 
follows,  viz.: 

Ad  valorem  State  tax  upon  property,  one-fourth  of  which  is  for  schools, 
one-half  of  one  per  cent.;  ad  valorem  county  tax,  one-quarter  of  one 
per  cent. ;  ad  valorem  road  and  bridge  tax,  one-quarter  of  one  per.  cent. ; 
ad  valorem  tax  for  school  houses,  one-eighth  of  one  per  cent.;  tax  for 
building  school  houses  and  maintaining  schools,  one  per  cent.;  a  poll 
tax  of  one  dollar  for  schools;  a  poll  tax  of  one  dollar  for  roads  and 
bridges;  besides  the  occupation  and  license  taxes,  and  the  tax  for  the 
frontier  bonds,  which  is  understood  to  have  been  fixed  by  the  comp- 
troller at  five  cents  on  each  hundred  dollars,  from  which  it  will  be 
seen  that  our  present  rate  of  taxation  for  State  and  county  purposes  is 
about  two  dollars  and  seventeen  and  a  half  cents  ($2.17^)  on  each 
hundred  dollars,  besides  the  poll  tax  and  occupation  tax  and  license 
taxes. 

The  following  is  an  estimate  of  the  taxes  levied  from  the  people  the 
present  year.  The  estimated  value  of  the  property  subject  to  taxation 
is  $212,000,000: 

One-half  of  one  per  cent,  on  above,  as  ad  valorem   State 

tax,   will    produce $1,060,000 

One-quarter  of  one  per  cent,  ad  valorem  county  tax 530,000 

One-quarter  of  one  per  cent,  ad  valorem  bridge  tax 530,000 

One-eighth  of  one  per  cent.,  as  one-quarter  of  State  tax  for 

school    purposes    265,000 

One-half  of  on&  per  cent.,  as  tax  to  pay  frontier  bonds. . . .  106,000 

One  per  cent,  tax  for  school  house  purposes,  etc 2,120,000 

Poll  tax  for  roads  and  bridges,  estimated 150,000 

Poll  tax  for  schools,  estimated 150,000 

License  and  occupation  for  State,  estimated 300,000 

License  and  occupation   for  county,   estimated 150,000 

$5,361,000 


338  Platforms  of  Political 

In  addition  to  the  above,  each  taxpayer  has  to  pay  for  the  commission 
for  assessing  his  ad  valorem  tax,  which  it  is  supposed  will  amount  to. 
about  three  per  cent,  on  his  ad  valorem  tax. 

Your  committee  believe,  from  the  best  examination  they  have  been 
able  to  give  the  subject,  that  the  expenses  of  the  government  and  the 
present  rate  of  taxation  are  excessive.  They  think  the  ordinary  an- 
nual expenses  of  the  government  should  not  exceed  $695,000.  They  be- 
lieve that  an  ad  valorem  tax  of  one-third  of  one  per  cent,  for  the  State, 
and  one-sixth  of  one  per  cent  for  the  counties,  with  the  present  poll 
taxes  and  license  and  occupation  taxes,  will  produce  an  amount  of 
revenue  ample  to  meet  all  necessary  expenses,  besides  affording  a 
liberal  amount  for  public  schools,  and  still  leave  a  surplus  in  the 
Treasury. 

An  ad  valorem  tax  of  one-third  of  one  per  cent,  upon 
$212,000,000,  the  estimated  value  of  property  in  the 
State,  will  produce $  706,666.66 

Estimate  of  license  and  occupation  tax ...       300,000.00 


$  1,006,666.66 
Deduct  one-quarter,  set  apart  by  constitution  for  schools       251,666.66 


Leaves    for    ordinary    expenses $  755,000.00 

There  will   then   be   applicable   for   public   schools,   the 

above    one-quarter    251,666.66 

Poll  tax  of  one  dollar,  estimated 150,000.00 

Annual  interest  on  railroad  bonds  | 

in    Treasury    belonging    to    school    fund (  136,431.00 


This  gives  annually  for  public  schools $  538,097.66 

A  county  tax  of  one-sixth  of  one  per  cent,  on  $212,000,000 

will  produce 353,333.33 

License  and  occupation  tax,  one-half  that  for  State 150,000.00 

Poll  tax  for  roads  and  bridges,  estimated 150,000.00 


This  gives  for  county  purposes $     653,333.33 

The  expenses  for  the  building  of  school  houses  should  be  levied  by 
the  citizens  of  each  school  district  on  property  situated  in  the  district. 

In  conclusion,  your  committee  recommend  the  adoption  of  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions: 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  present  rates  of  taxation  are  greatly  in  excess 
of  the  legitimate  and  necessary  wants  of  the  government. 

2.  That  the  legislature  now  in  session  be,  and  they  are  hereby  re- 
quested by  this  Convention,  as  the  representatives  of  the  taxpayers  and 
citizens  of  the  State,  to  revise  and  remodel  the  tax  laws  so  as  to  levy 
in  lieu  of  all  other  direct  ad  valorem  taxes,  only  one-third  of  one  per 
cent  on  all  real  and  personal  property,  not  exempt  from  taxation,  for 


Parties  in  Texas  139 

State  purposes,  and  not  exceeding  one-half  of  that  rate  for  county  pur- 
poses. The  constitutional  rate  for  school  purposes  to  be  taken  from 
the  amount  thus  levied  for  State  purposes. 

3.  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  and  accompanying  report  on 
statistics  be  sent,  duly  authenticated,  to  the  legislature  now  in  session 
as  a  request  to  the  said  honorable  body,  that  they  will  consider  and 
act  on  the  foregoing  resolution. 

C.  UPSON, 
Chairman  Subcommittee. 

In  connection  with  these  reports  and  resolutions,  we  recommend  the 
adoption  of  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions: 

In  view  of  the  foregoing  facts,  showing  the  infractions  of  the  con- 
stitution and  laws  of  the  State,  and  in  view  of  the  extraordinary  ex- 
penditures proposed  by  the  authorities  and  legislature  of  the  State, 
and  consequent  burden  of  taxation  levied  upon  the  people  to  meet  such 
expenditures,  and  in  consequence  of  the  violations  of  the  rights  and 
interests  of  the  people,  as  are  clearly  shown  to  exist  in  the  enactments 
of  the  legislature,  and  in  the  exercise  of  unlawful  and  august  powers 
assumed  by  the  governor  of  the  State,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  by  the  representatives  of  the  people  of  Texas,  in  convention 
assembled: 

1.  That  a  committee  of  seven  be  appointed  by  the  President  of  this 
Convention,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  embody  the  action  of  this  Con- 
vention and  confer  with  the  legislature  and  ask  from  that  body  a  re- 
dress of  the  grievances  of  which  the  people  of  the  State  complain. 

2.  That  this  Convention  declare  to  the  people  of  the  State  (having 
taken  competent  legal  advice  thereon)   that  the  order  of  the  superin- 
tendent of  schools  for  the  collection  of  one  per  cent  for  the  building 
of  school  houses,  etc.,  is  illegal  and  void,  and  we  advise  the  people  not 
to  pay  the  same,  but  only  to  pay  the  one-eighth  of  one  per  cent,  as 
levied  by  the  legislature. 

3.  That  the  committee  to  be  appointed,  as  before  directed,  shall  at 
once  prepare  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  State,  advising  them  in 
what  particular  manner  to  resist,  through  the  courts  of  the  country  the 
payment   of   the   school   house   and   such   other  taxes   as   are   deemed 
illegal. 

4.  That  in  the  event  the  recommendations  of  this  Convention  should 
be  disregarded  by  the  governor  and  legislature,  and  no  measures  of 
relief  to  the  people  be  adopted,  and  no  early  day  be  fixed  for  an  election 
and  assemblage   of   the  legislature,   the   committee   appointed   by   the 
President  of  the  Convention  shall  prepare  a  memorial,  which  shall  be 
presented  from  the  committee,  through   our  delegate  in  Congress,  to 
the  authorities  of  the  general  government,  praying  that  the  people  of 
Texas  may  be  protected  in  the  right  guaranteed  by  the  constitution 
of  the  State  in  the  election  of  members  of  the  legislature,   under  a 
just  apportionment,  as  well  as  an  election  of  State  and  county  officers; 


140  Platforms  of  Political 

and  that  said  committee  shall  be  fully  authorized  to  present  such  facts 
and  evidence  as  will  tend  to  secure  the  great  object  in  view. 

In  addition  thereto,  the  committee  recommend  the  adoption  of  the 
following  resolutions: 

Resolved,  1.  That  while  we  are  assembled  here  from  every  part  of 
this  great  State,  to  protest  to  mankind  against  the  grievous  wrong 
under  which  the  people  are  now  laboring,  we  do  at  the  same  time 
solemnly  and  earnestly  deprecate  all  violations  of  law  and  order, 
whether  committed  by  bodies  of  men  calling  themselves  by  one  name 
or  another,  or  called  by  others  by  any  name  whatever. 

2.  That  we  recognize  the  right  of  every  person  in  the  State,  with- 
out regard  to  race  or  previous  condition,  to  equal  civil  and  political 
rights  under  the  law,  and  to  have  protection  for  his  life,  liberty,  and 
property.     That  we  are  in  favor  of  paying  all  lawful  and  reasonable 
taxes  for  the  establishment  of  public  free  schools,  and  to  carry  on  the 
government;  but,  at  the  same  time,  we  recommend  to  the  people  that 
they  do  not  pay  such  portions  of  the  tax  now  demanded  as  we  here 
show  to  be  illegal. 

3.  That   we    solemnly    appeal    to    the    deliberate    judgment   of   the 
civilized  world,  and  especially  to  that  portion  believing  in  the  principles 
of  republican  government,  for  their  support  and  aid  in  our  protest. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

A.  J.  HAMILTON,  Chairman. 

On  motion,  the  report  of  the  committee  was  adopted,  when  the  reso- 
lutions thereto  attached  were  taken  up  seriatim  and  adopted  by  the 
Convention. 

Committee  of  Seven  to  memorialize  the  Legislature:2  W  .M. 
Walton,  John  Ireland,  J.  W.  Throckmorton,  J.  T.  Harcourt,  M. 
C.  Hamilton,  A.  J.  Hamilton,  and  C.  S.  West. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1872 
HOUSTON,  May  14-16 

The  rupture  in  the  ranks  of  the  National  Republican  party 
caused  the  leaders  of  the  party  in  Texas  to  lay  great  emphasis 
on  the  necessity  for  harmony.  The  call  for  a  convention  was 
issued  early;  among  the  objects  of  the  meeting  was  specified  a 
thorough  reorganization  of  the  party.  The  attendance  was  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  delegates,  representing,  perhaps,  one 

2The  address  to  the  taxpayers  of  Texas,  and  the  memorial  to  the  legisla- 
ture are  appended  to  the  Proceedings,  pp.  27-30 


Parties  in  Texas  141 

hundred  counties.  The  call  for  the  convention  had  fixed  the 
basis  of  representation  at  one  delegate  and  one  alternate  for 
every  five  hundred  votei's  in  each  county. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  John  G.  Scott,  of  Anderson ; 
permanent,  Robert  H.  Taylor.  Vice-Presidents:  1st  Congres- 
sional district,  William  Chambers  and  Thomas  Younger;  2.  A. 
Lands  and  J.  L.  Lovejoy;  3.  D.  J.  Baldwin  and  J.  H.  Wash- 
ington ;  4.  Charles  Metzner  and  Henry  Haupt.  Secretaries : 
G.  T.  Ruby,  Richard  Allen.  M.  H.  Goddin,  R.  J.  Blair,  A.  H. 
Longley,  and  J.  J.  Stevens. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention :  1st  Congressional  dis- 
trict :  State  at  large,  A.  M.  Bryant ;  Local,  J.  B.  Williamson,  Wm. 
Chambers,  and  Thomas  Younger.  2.  State  at  large,  Webster 
Flanagan;  Local,  N.  A.  Ellett,  A.  B.  Norton,  and  F.  W.  Summer. 
3.  State  at  large,  G.  T.  Ruby;  Local,  W.  A.  Saylor,  Richard 
Allen,  and  II.  V.  McMahan.  4.  State  at  large,  J.  P.  Newcomb; 
Local,  J.  W.  Talbot,  T.  C.  Barden,  and  B.  F.  Williams. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  E.  Degener,  C.  C.  Cald- 
well,  J.  H.  Townsend,  and  F.  M.  Hays. 

Congressmen:  State  at  large,  L.  D.  Evans,  of  Harrison,  and 
A.  B.  Norton,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  Thomas  H.  Baker, 
of  Caldwell;  F.  L.  Britton,  of  Victoria;  James  H.  Bell,  of 
Travis;  W.  A.  Price,  of  Matagorda ;  C.  C.  Gillespie,  of  Harris; 
A.  L.  Darnell,  of  Grayson ;  J.  H.  Townsend,  of  McLennan ;  J.  B. 
Williamson,  of  Harrison  ;  W.  B.  Bonner,  of  Limestone ;  A.  B. 
Norton,  of  Dallas;  F.  E.  Younger,  of  Smith;  A.  Lands,  of  Red 
River;  W.  J.  Locke,  of  Bexar;  Julius  Schutze,  of  Travis;  F.  W. 
tinier,  of  Lamar;  Robert  Zapp,  of  Fayette,  and  -  -  Patten, 
of  Gal  vest  on. 

PLATFORM1 

WIIKKKAS.  The  Republican  party  of  the  United  States  is  about  to 
appeal  once  more  to  the  Nation  for  the  support  of  its  principles  in 
the  coming  presidential  election;  and 

WIIKREAS.  The  election  in  this  State  in  November  next  will  decide 
whether  or  not  the  Democratic  party,  with  its  prejudices  against  the 

3The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  The  Nuecea  Valley 
(Corpus  Christi,)  May  25  and  June  1  and  8,  1872;  the  personnel  of  the 
executive  committee  is  found  in  the  issue  for  November  16. 


142  Platforms  of  Political 

equal  rights  of  men  and  against  popular  education,  is  to  be  restored  to 
power   in   Texas: 

Therefore,   the  Republicans  of  Texas,   in  convention  assembled,   do 
now  make  the  following  declaration  of  their  principles  as  a  party: 

1.  We   declare   our   full   fellowship   with   the   National   Republican 
party  of  the  United  States,  and  our  unqualified  devotion  to  its  prin- 
ciples and  to  its  fortunes. 

2.  We  declare  that  the  grand  and  fundamental  idea  of  the  political 
equality  of  all  men  and  their  equal  rights  before  the  law  is  peculiarly 
Republican,  and  is  not  professed  by  any  other  party  in  this  Nation; 
that  it  is  the  mission  of  the  Republican  party  to  carry  this  idea  into 
full,  practical  effect,  and,  therefore,  the  Democratic  party  cannot  safely 
be  intrusted'  with  powers  of  government,  either  National  or  local. 

3.  That  there  are  but  two  political  parties  in  the  Nation,  the  Repub- 
lican and  the  Democratic,  that  the  nomination  of  Horace  Greeley  for 
the  presidency  of  the  United  States  was  made  in  the  interest  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  that  the  Republicans  of  Texas  will  follow  no 
such  lead,  but  will  give  their  firm  and  zealous  support  to  the  nominees 
of  the  convention  to  assemble  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5th  of  June  next. 

4.  We  indorse  the  administration  of  General  U.  S.  Grant  as  wise, 
just,  and  honest;    and  we  instruct  our  delegates  to  the  Philadelphia 
convention  to  vote  for  his  renomination  for  the  presidency. 

5.  The  Republican  party  in  Texas  regard  the  free  education  of  all 
the  children  of  Texas  as  a  sacred  duty,  the  first  and  most  sacred  of 
all  our  public  duties;  and  we  hereby  pledge  ourselves  to  secure  to  the 
children  of  all  the  facilities  of  free  public  education  at  the  smallest 
cost  possible  to  the  people;   and  we  will  hedge  the  system  of  public 
education  with  all  possible  safeguards,  endeavoring  to  secure  the  most 
rigid   economy  and  the  best   administrative  experience.    Free  public 
schools  shall  ever  be  the  dearest  motto  of  the  Republicans  of  Texas. 

6.  That   the    development    of   the   vast   mineral,    agricultural,    and 
stock  resources  of  Texas  is  of  vital  importance  to  the  future  prosperity 
of  our  people,  and  a  necessary  prerequisite  to  that  development  is  a 
well-devised  system  of  internal  improvements,   stimulated  by  reason- 
able aid  from  the  State,  which  shall  not  tax  the  people,  and  the  Republi- 
can party  of  Texas  will  devise  and  support  a  reasonable  system  of  aid 
to  such  improvements   in  lands,  but  will  resist  any  and  all  further 
attempts  at  aid  in  bonds  or  money. 

7.  We   declare  our  unabated  confidence  in  the   personal   integrity 
and  incorruptibility  of  Governor  Edmund  J.  Davis,  in  his  fidelity  and 
devotion  to  the  best  interests  of  the  people  of  Texas,  and  we  will  give 
him  our  firm  and  unflinching  support  in  every  effort  to  secure  to  all 
the  people  of  the  State  a  wise  and  good  government. 

8.  That  we  declare  our  unqualified  condemnation  of  all  corruption 
and  peculation  on  the  part  of  public  officials;  we  will  do  all  that  in' us 
lies  to  promote  honest  and  wise  legislation,  to  secure  honest  and  just 


Parties  in  Texas  14: { 

administration,  and  to  guard  with  a  jealous  care  all  the  interests  of 
all  the  people. 

9.  That  we  will  endeavor  to  give  protection  to  our  frontier  by 
every  means  at  our  command,  and  we  pledge  ourselves  to  cut  down 
every  superfluous  expense  in  the  State  government,  and  to  reduce 
taxation  to  the  very  least  amount  compatible  with  efficient  govern- 
ment. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  G.  Tracy,  of  Harris,  chair- 
man: J.  P.  Newcomb,  of  Travis,  secretary;  1st  District,  Wm. 
Chambers,  of  Chambers;  2.  E.  M.  Wheeler,  of  San  Augustine; 
3.  R.  J.  Blair,  of  Houston ;  4.  J.  H.  Morrison,  of  Anderson ; 
5.  W.  B.  Harper,  of  Anderson;  6.  L.  A.  Templeton;  7.  S.  H. 
Russell,  of  Harrison;  8,  9  and  10,  blank;  11.  R.  Peterson,  of 
Lamar;  12.  blank;  13.  J.  H.  Leathermaii,  of  Austin;  14.  R. 
M.  Yell,  of  Montgomery ;  15.  C.  Caldwell,  of  Grimes ;  16.  T.  G. 
Davidson,  of  Washington;  17.  W.  A.  Saylor,  of  Brazos;  18.  P. 
W.  Hall,  of  Robertson;  19.  blank;  20.  T.  H.  Powell;  21.  blank; 
22.  A.  L.  Darnell,  of  Grayson ;  23  to  27.  blank ;  28.  Henry  Wil- 
lis, of  Travis;  29.  Wr.  J.  Locke,  of  Bexar;  30.  J.  L.  Haynes,  of 
Cameron. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1872 

CORSICANA,  June  17-19 

In  the  call  for  a  State  convention  the  Democratic  executive 
committee  pointed  out  that  the  meeting  would  be  the  most 
important  that  perhaps  had  ever  assembled  in  Texas  since,  on 
the  wisdom  of  its  counsels  and  the  harmony  to  be  established 
will  depend  the  future  success  of  the  Democracy  of  Texas.  No 
limit  was  placed  upon  the  number  of  delegates  admitted  from 
each  county;  the  basis  of  representation  would  be  fixed  by  the 
convention.  Each  county  was  granted  one  vote  for  each  one 
hundred  votes  and  one  vote  for  each  fifty  or  more  votes.  The 
attendance  was  record  breaking,  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
being  present.  Democratic  editors  took  pride  in  stating  that  it 
was  the  largest  representative  body  that  had  up  to  that  time 
gathered  in  Texas.  A  knotty  question  required  decision: 
*' Whether  we  shall  follow  our  time-honored  banner  to  victory 


144  Platforms  of  Political 

under  the  leaders  of  our  own  faith,  or  whether,  by  a  combination 
required  by  the  exigencies  of  the  occasion,  we  shall  fight  under 
leaders  of  a  different  creed,  but  those  desiring  the  same  object."" 
The  two-thirds  rule  was  observed  in  making  nominations  for 
congressmen  for  the  State  at  large. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  J.  W.  Henderson,  of  Harris; 
permanent,  John  H.  Reagan,  of  Anderson.  Vice-Presidents,  Wnu 
Stedman,  of  Harrison ;  S.  B.  Maxey,  of  Walker ;  C.  M.  Winkler, 
of  Navarro;  Geo.  W.  Smith,  of  Colorado.  Secretaries  pro  tem- 
pore, H.  B.  League,  of  Kaufman ;  John  Walker,  of  Nacogdoches ; 
E.  W.  Shands,  of  Travis;  permanent,  W.  P.  Hamblen,  of  Harris, 
and  D.  R.  Wallace,  of  Bastrop. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  J.  W, 
Henderson,  o"f  Harris;  George  W.  Jones,  of  Bastrop;  Charles 
De  Morse,  of  Red  River;  and  John  H.  Reagan,  of  Anderson. 
1st  Congressional  district,  G.  W.  Bryan,  of  Jefferson;  J.  H. 
Turner,  of  Harrison;  R.  H.  Walker,  of  Nacogdoches;  and  W, 
H.  Tucker,  of  Walker.  2.  J.  L.  Camp,  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,  C.  W. 
Geers,  and  E.  T.  Broughton.  3.  B.  H.  Bassett,  of  Washington- 
Ashbel  Smith,  of  Harris;  J.  W.  Downs,  of  McLennan;  and  G. 
M.  Winans,  of  Walker.  4.  Geo.  W.  Smith,  of  Colorado;  J.  D. 
Logan,  of  Bexar ;  F.  S.  Stockdale,  of  Calhoun ;  and  John  S.. 
Ford,  of  Cameron. 

Presidential  Electors:  1st  Congressional  district,  A.  T.  Rai- 
ney,  of  Anderson,  and  R.  B.  Hubbard,  of  Smith;  2.  W.  P.  Mc- 
Lean, of  Titus,  and  B.  H.  Epperson,  of  Red  River ;  3.  J.  M.  Maxey, 
of  Walker,  and  Thomas  Harrison,  of  McLennan ;  4.  John  Ireland, 
of  Guadalupe,  and  N.  G.  Shelley,  of  Travis. 

Congressmen:  State  at  large,  A.  H.  Willie,  of  Galveston,  and 
R,  Q.  Mills,  of  Navarro. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  District,  Colonel 
Foscue,  2.  D.  M.  Short,  3.  E.  R.  Bonner,  4.  G.  W.  Jones,  5. 
James  H.  Jones,  6.  R.  B.  Hubbard,  7.  G.  B.  Lipscomb,  8.  Geo. 
Tabb,  9.  Charles  DeMorse,  10.  Fred  J.  Darden,  11.  S.  B.  Maxey, 
12.  Gteo.  Mason,  13.  C.  H.  Kendall,  14.  Ashbel  Smith,  chairman, 
15.  J.  C.  Hutchinson,  16.  J.  D.  Giddings,  17.  Dewitt  C.  Booth, 
18.  Thomas  P.  Aycock,  19.'  Thomas  Harris,  20.  James  Raines, 
21.  Robt.  Josselyn,  22.  B.  F.  Christian,  23.  J.  W.  Cartwright, 


Parties  in  Texas  145 

24.  Geo.  P.  Finley,  25.  Geo.  W.  Smith,  26.  Joel  P.  Robinson, 
27.  John  C.  Ireland,  28.  Wm.  M.  Walton,  29.  Charles  L.  Wurz- 
bach,  30.  Bethel  Coopwood. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Democrats  of  the  State  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
deem  it  proper  to  announce  our  opinions  and  purposes  in  the  present 
critical  condition  of  public  affairs.  It  is,  therefore, 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  have  undiminished  confidence  in  the  time- 
honored  principles  of  the  Democracy,  as  embodied  in  the  platform  of 
the  Democratic  convention  at  Austin,  January  25,  1871,  hereunto 
annexed  and  made  a  part  of  this  platform,  and  believe  that  the  welfare 
and  prosperity  of  the  country  will  never  be  fully  restored  till  those 
principles  are  in  the  ascendant;  but  we  recognize  as  an  alarming  fact 
that  the  issues  to  be  determined  in  the  next  presidential  election  not 
only  concern  matters  of  constitutional  construction  and  political  ex- 
pediency, but  they  also  involve  the  far  greater  and  vital  question, 
whether  we  are  hereafter  to  live  under  a  government  of  law,  or  a 
government  of  force. 

2.  That  the  present  administration  has  been  subversive  of  consti- 
tutional government  and  free  institutions  throughout  the  country,  and 
in  the  Southern  States  has  been  a  system  of  lawless  spoliation  and 
central  tyranny;  that  its  chief,  by  accepting  gifts  and  bestowing  offices 
in  return,  by  appointing  incompetent  and  unfit  relations  and  personal 
adherents  to  positions  of  profit  and  trust,  and  by  devoting  to  unbe- 
coming pleasures  and  pursuits  time  that  should  be  given  to  his  official 
duties,  has  been  culpably  remiss  of  the  responsibilities  and  dignity  of 
his  high  standing,  has  set  a  bad  example  to  the  people,  and  violated 
alike  the  obligations  of  good  faith  and  the  usages  of  common  decency; 
and  that,  encouraged  and  aided  by  the  party  in  power,  he  has  attempted 
to  usurp  or  control  legislative  and  judicial  functions  and  thus  estab- 
lish a  consolidated  personal  government  destructive  of  the  rights  of 
the  States  and  the  liberties  of  the  people. 

3.  That  in  view  of  the  threatening  pretensions  and  great  power  of 
those  now  in  authority,  we  consider  their  expulsion  from  all  offices  of 
honor  or  trust  to  be  essential  to  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  country, 
and  to  the  preservation  of  constitutional  government. 

4.  That    we    have    seen    with    profound    satisfaction    the    patriotic 
movement  of  the  Liberal  Republicans  lately  assembled  in  convention 
at  Cincinnati,  and  we  fully  concur  with  them  in  believing  that  local 
self-government,  with  impartial  suffrage,  will  guard  the  rights  of  all 
citizens   more  securely  than  any  central   power.    The  public  welfare 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  The  Daily  Telegraph 
(Houston),  June  18-20  and  25;  The  State  Gazette  (Austin),  June  26,  and 
The  Daily  Herald  (San  Antonio),  June  22,  1877. 

10—328 


146  Platforms  of  Political 

demands  the  supremacy  of  the  civil  over  the  military  authority,  and 
freedom  of  person  under  the  protection  of  -  the  habeas  corpus.  We  de- 
mand for  the  individual  the  largest  liberty  consistent  with  public 
order,  and  for  the  State  self-government,  and  for  the  Nation  return  to 
the  methods  of  peace  and  the  constitutional  limitation  of  power.  The 
civil  service  of  the  government  has  become  a  mere  instrument  of 
partisan  tyranny  and  personal  ambition,  and  an  object  of  selfish  greed, 
and  is  a  scandal  and  a  reproach  upon  free  institutions  and  breeds  a 
demoralization  dangerous  to  the  perpetuity  of  republican  government. 
We,  therefore,  regard  a  thorough  reform  of  civil  service  as  one  of  the 
pressing  necessities  of  the  hour;  that  honesty,  capacity,  and  fidelity 
constitute  the  only  valid  claims  of  public  employment;  that  the  offices 
of  the  government  cease  to  be  a  matter  of  arbitration,  favoritism,  and 
patronage,  and  again  be  a  post  of  honor.  We  demand  Federal  tax- 
ation, which  shall  not  unnecessarily  interfere  with  the  industry  of  the 
people,  which  shall  provide  the  means  necessary  to  pay  the  expenses 
of  government  economically  administered,  pensions,  interest  on  the 
public  debt,  and  a  moderate  reduction  annually  of  the  principal  thereof. 

5.  That  we  recognize  the  movement  of  Liberal  Republicans  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  present  administration  of  the  general  government  as  a 
commendable  effort  in  behalf  of  reform  and  constitutional  liberty,  and 
we,  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  confiding  in  the  wisdom,  patriot- 
ism, and  integrity  of  the  great  National  Democratic  party,  to  assemble 
in  Baltimore,  do  hereby  pledge  ourselves  to  a  vigorous  support  of  the 
policy  to  be  enacted  by  the  Baltimore  convention,  and  to  battle  for 
the  restoration  of  civil  government  under  whatever  leadership  it  may 
direct. 

6.  That  whoever  may  be  the  nominee  of  the  Baltimore  convention, 
this  convention  finds  no  reason  therefrom  for  destroying,  impairing, 
or  even  modifying  the  present  organization  of  the  Democratic  party; 
but  favor  maintaining  its  organization  for  the  purpose  of  putting  down 
and    removing   the   abuses   under   which   our   people   labor    from   the 
tyrannical,  dishonest  and  unscrupulous  State  government  of  Texas. 

7.  That  we  are  opposed  to  all  moneyed  subsidies  to  private  corpora- 
tions by  the  State  government,  and  regard  the  same  as  unsound  in 
principle  and  dangerous  in  practice. 

8.  That  it  is  the   duty  of  the  general  government  to  protect   our 
citizens  from  the  murderous  bands  of  Mexicans  and  savages  who  are 
daily  pillaging  our  country,  murdering  our  citizens,  and  driving  back 
the  tide  of  civilization  from  our  western  frontier. 

9.  WHEREAS,  The  school  fund,  sacredly  set  apart  for  tne  education 
of  the  children  of  this  State,  has,  under  the  political  misrule  of  the 
last  two  years,  been  plundered  by  speculation,  squandered,  and  per- 
verted to  political  purposes:     The  Democratic  party  deem  it  fitting  on 
this  occasion  to  reaffirm  the  opinion  that  agreeably  to  the  policy  the 
party  has  hitherto  pursued,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  State  to  establish 


Parties  in  Texas  117 

common  schools  and  furnish  the  means  of  a  good  common  school  edu- 
cation to  every  child  in  the  State. 

[Here  follows  the  platform  adopted  by  the  State  convention  that 
assembled  at  Austin,  January  25,  1871.] 

State  Executive  Committee:  C.  M.  Winkler,  of  Navarro,  chair- 
man; 1st  District,  E.  B.  Pickett,  of  Liberty;  2.  Peyton  F.  Ed- 
wards, of  Nacogdoches ;  3.  B.  H.  Williams,  of  Houston ;  4.  John 
H.  Reagan,  of  Anderson;  5.  Benjamin  M.  Baker,  of  Panola; 
6.  John  C.  Robertson,  of  Smith;  7.  M,  D.  Ector,  of  Harrison; 
8.  W.  E.  Knox,  of  Marion;  9.  W.  P.  McLean,  of  Titus;  10.  W. 
Giles,  of  Wood;  11.  H.  W.  Lidey,  of  Fannin;  12.  M.  C.  Mc- 
Lemore,  of  Galveston;  1'3.  Ben  T.  Harris,  of  Austin;  14.  Geo. 
Goldthwaite,  of  Harris;  15.  H.  H.  Boone,  of  Grimes;  16.  M.  A. 
Bryan,  of  Washington ;  17.  Spencer  Ford,  of  Brazos ;  18.  W.  M. 
Johnston,  of  Leon;  19.  B.  W.  Rimes,  of  Falls;  20.  Amzi  Brad- 
shaw,  of  Ellis;  21.  John  C.  McCoy,  of  Dallas;  22.  Chas.  W. 
Geers,  of  Denton ;  23.  J.  N.  Roach,  of  Parker ;  24.  D.  C.  Proctor, 
of  Calhoun ;  25.  Wells  Thompson,  of  Colorado ;  26.  J.  D.  Sayers, 
of  Bastrop ;  27.  Stephen  H.  Darden,  of  Caldwell ;  28.  Jas.  Boyd, 
of  Bell;  29.  R.  L.  Graves,  of  Bexar;  30.  Jas.  A.  Ware,  of  Nueces. 

CONFERENCE  OF  "STRAIGHT-OUT"  DEMOCRATS,  1872 
AUSTIN,  October  17  and  18 

A  determined  minority  in  the  State  Democratic  convention 
opposed  a  coalition  with  the  Liberal  Republicans.  It  agreed 
with  the  majority  on  State  issues,  but  dissented  from  the  acts 
of  the  Baltimore  convention.  It  advised  Democrats  to  let  Re- 
publicans elect  their  own  candidates.  When  the  "  Straight-Out " 
Democrats  nominated  O'Connor  and  Adams,  and  the  defeat  of 
Gireeley  and  Brown  became  apparent,  thus  destroying  the  only 
bond  of  cooperation  between  Democrats  and  Liberal  Republicans, 
a  meeting  of  the  Democratic  State  executive  committee  was  urged 
to  determine  what  was  best  to  be  done.  Failing  to  secure  a 
meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee,  the  State  Gazette  pub- 
lished a  call  for  a  State  conference  of  those  favoring  O'Connor 
and  Adams  to  meet  at  Austin,  October  17th. 

Officers:     Chairman,  R.  K.  Cage;  Secretary,  J.  M.  Denton. 


148  Platforms  of  Political 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Resolved,  [1]  That  we  do  not  regard  the  action  of  the  Baltimore 
convention,  in  nominating  two  Republicans,  as  binding  on  us  as  Demo- 
crats. 

[2]  That  we  are  opposed  to  the  election  of  General  Grant  as  Presi- 
dent, and  disapprove  of  the  wholesale  corruption  and  disregard  of  the 
Constitution  that  have  characterized  his  administration. 

[3]  That  a  committee  of  six  members  be  appointed  by  the  chairman 
of  this  meeting  to  prepare  and  publish  an  address  to  the  Democracy 
of  Texas,  expressive  of  their  views  in  regard  to  the  objects  of  this 
Conference,  and  to  confer  with  the  present  Democratic  electors  with 
the  view  of  obtaining  their  votes  for  O'Connor  and  Adams,  in  the  event 
it  shall  be  found  that  their  votes  would  not  change  the  result  of  the 
presidential  election. 

Committee  on  Address:  Chas.  S.  West,  J.  T.  Harcourt,  E.  K. 
Cage,  David  Sheeks,  W.  B.  Cross,  and  J.  D.  Elliott. 

COLORED  MEN'S  CONVENTION,   1873 

BRENHAM,  July  3  and  4 

Officers:  President,  N.  W.  Cuney.  Vice-Presidents,  Mathew 
Gaines,  Richard  Allen,  and  John  Reed.  Secretaries,  John  N. 
Coss,  and  J.  H.  Washington. 

Committee  on  Address:  W.  C.  Richer,  W.  A.  Price,  Jacob 
Freeman,  G.  T.  Ruby,  J.  J.  Hamilton,  John  DeBruhl,  B.  F. 
Williams,  P.  J.  Moore,  Cooke  Jenkins,  L.  A.  Clope,  J.  J.  Webb, 
Walter  Riptoe,  N.  W.  Cuney,  W.  H.  Holland,  J.  H.  Washington, 
and  Richard  Allen,  chairman. 

ADDRESS1 

We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  committee  on  address,  do  most 
respectfully,  by  leave,  report  as  follows: 

That  we  consider  one  of  the  prime  objects  of  our  assemblage  to  be 
the  promotion  of  good  feelings  between  ourselves  and  our  white  fellow- 
citizens  of  the  State,  without  whose  earnest  and  sincere  efforts  in  co- 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  Conference  are  briefly  reported  in  The  State 
Gazette,  October  21,  1872. 

aThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Daily  State  Journal 
(Austin),  July  5  and  7,  1873. 


Parties  in  Texas  349 

operation  with  our  own,  to  effect  our  elevation,  our  progress  must  be 
slow  and  constrained,  as  has  been  asserted  by  the  ultra  Democratic 
press,  and  others  who  desire  to  estrange  us  from  the  kindly  feelings  of 
the  white  inhabitants,  that  we  are  unalterably  opposed  to  their  inter- 
ests, and  always  disposed  to  support  such  men  and  such  measures,  as 
result  in  subjecting  them  to  additional  taxation,  and  the  increase  of 
their  pecuniary  burdens. 

Now,  we  beg  leave  here  to  respectfully  point  out,  that  if  our  conduct 
has  in  any  measure  justified  these  accusations,  it  is  no  fault  of  our 
own.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  mass  of  the  colored  people 
are  in  a  lamentable  state  of  ignorance,  the  result  of  that  wicked 
system  of  bondage,  which  shut  them  out  from  the  acquisition  of  all 
knowledge  of  letters  and  made  it  a  penal  offense  to  teach  them  to  read 
the  Word  of  God.  They  must  also  remember  that  they  have  from  the 
day  of  the  acquisition  of  our  liberty  set  their  faces  in  steadfast  opposi- 
tion to  our  political,  educational,  and  social  progress,  with  a  blind 
spirit  of  malignant  opposition  not  calculated  to  inspire  us  with  either 
confidence  or  affection.  It,  therefore,  should  not  excite  surprise,  still 
less  should  it  expose  us  to  animadversion,  if  we  have  given  our  con- 
fidence and  support  to  men  who  may  have  abused  it  to  promote  selfish 
ends,  or  unworthy  purposes — particularly  when  these  men  declared 
them  adhesive  to  those  great  principles  embodied  in  the  recent  amend- 
ments to  the  Constitution,  and  which  are  the  strongest  planks  in  the 
Republican  platform. 

Notwithstanding  all  that  we,  the  colored  people  of  the  State,  have 
suffered  at  the  hands  of  our  white  fellow-citizens,  we  cherish  towards 
them  no  animosities,  and  will  hail  with  satisfaction  any  manifestation 
on  their  part  of  a  disposition  to  abate  their  prejudices,  and  concede  to 
us  willingly  all  those  rights  and  privileges  that  sweeten  the  enjoyment 
of  civil  life.  It  becomes  our  duty  here  to  define  clearly  what  is  under- 
stood by  us  as  civil  rights  in  contradistinction  to  social  privileges. 
There  is  no  intelligent  man  in  the  State  who  should  not  discern,  at  a 
glance,  that  the  enemies  of  the  colored  men  wilfully  abuse  the  public 
mind  when  they  assert  that  we  are  aspirants  for  social  privileges,  and 
are  desirous  of  promoting  legislation  of  a  character  that  will  effect  it. 
We  certainly  are  not  so  foolish  as  to  imagine  that  any  law  could  be 
framed  that  could  effect  such  an  object.  We  know  perfectly  well  that 
a  man's  social  relations  cannot  be  made  by  legislative  enactments. 
We  have  no  disposition  to  intrude  ourselves  upon  them,  and  would 
resent  as  an  indignity  any  intrusion  upon  ourselves.  But  we  do  de- 
mand our  Civil  Rights  Bill  of  the  Hon.  Charles  Sumner,  and  shall 
agitate  the  question  of  their  concession  with  unabated  ardor  until  we 
can  celebrate  their  acquisition. 

We  would  far  prefer  to  have  received,  these  boons  as  a  voluntary 
offering  from  our  white  fellow-citizens.  We  would  be  happy  if  the 
white  men  of  this  State  would  emulate  the  example  of  a  portion  of  their 
Southern  fellow-countrymen  in  Louisiana,  and  not  wait  to  have  Con- 


150  Platforms  of  Political 

gressional  legislation  wring  from  their  reluctant  hands  what  we  nirvr 
would  gratefully  receive  as  a  generous  concession,  and  which  would 
most  emphatically  tend  to  create  and  strengthen  bonds  of  fraternal 
feelings. 

It  is  a  misfortune  for  both  races  that  the  Southern  white  men  seem 
determined  to  leave  their  colored  fellow-citizens  nothing  to  be  grateful 
for,  as  every  right  we  enjoy  has  been  forced  from  their  grasp,  in  face 
of  stern  opposition  and  openly  expressed  hatred.  Had  even  a  part  we 
now  enjoy  been  voluntarily  conceded,  the  mass  of  the-  colored  people 
would  have  patiently  waited  until  time  and  education  fitted  them  for 
the  rest,  and  many  of  the  evils  of  legislation,  to  which  the  South  has 
been  exposed,  could  have  been  avoided.  With  stolid  obstinacy  they 
have  clung  to  their  prejudices.  Yet  we  do  not  despair  and  feel  our 
duty  to  ourselves  and  them- render  it  imperative  for  us  to  hold  out  the 
olive  branch,  and  express  a  willingness  to  cooperate  with  them  in  any 
measure  for  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  our  State  and  the 
welfare  of  its  citizens.  We  appeal  t6  them  to  meet  us  with  the  free 
concession  of  our  civil  rights  in  their  hands,  and  will  thus  become  a 
truly  homogeneous  people,  animated  by  one  common  purpose,  and  that 
purpose  the  prosperity  of  the  State. 

At  all  times  and  under  whatever  circumstances,  imbued  with  the 
most  kindly  feelings  for  our  fellow-citizens,  we  deny  the  charge  here- 
tofore made  that  we  have  met  in  secret  meetings,  to  war,  or  in  any 
manner  array  ourselves  against  any  class  or  classes  of  the  community. 
That  now,  as  ever,  we  are  actuated  by  purely  laudable  motions  in  our 
political  conduct,  conducing  as  we  believe,  to  the  best  interests  of  our 
State.  In  order,  however,  that  all  feelings  or  passion  hitherto  arrayed 
because  of  political  gatherings,  wherein  we  have  participated,  may  be 
hereafter  dispelled,  we  invite  and  request  our  fellow-citizens  through- 
out the  State,  to  hold  and  attend  their  meetings  of  a  public  character 
openly  and  before  all,  inasmuch,  as  to-day  armed  with  the  panoply  of 
American  citizenship,  we  need  no  longer  fear  malicious  opponents  in 
the  exercise  of  our  public  rights. 

"With  charity  for  all,  and  malice  toward  none"  of  our  fellow- 
citizens,  we  appeal  to  the  law-abiding  and  honest  people  of  Texas,  of 
whatever  political  party,  to  join  with  us  in  deprecating  the  outrages 
and  wrongs  perpetrated  upon  the  colored  people  in  various  sections  of 
our  State,  because  of  our  new  relations  as  freemen  and  citizens,  and  we 
ask  that  all  acts  of  violence  towards  us,  from  whatever  source,  shall 
be  condemned  by  the  public  sentiment  of  the  community  in  such  un- 
equivocal terms  as  that  law  and  order  shall  be  enforced. 

We  also  recommend  to  our  people  the  acquisition  of  land  and  home- 
steads, and  that  they  do  not  support  for  office  any  man  or  set  of  men 
who  are  likely  to  place  obstancles  in,  the  way  of  their  success  in  this 
direction. 

We  also  urgently  recommend  to  them  that  they  refuse  to  support  for 
any  office  whatever  any  man  who  is  not  pledged  against  repudiation 


Parties  in  Texas  151 

in  all  its  forms.  We  are  not  to  consider  how  the  State  has  been  brought 
into  debt,  or  the  means  by  which  its  obligations  were  incurred;  we 
only  are  to  consider  how  we  can  earliest  pay  them,  and  we  pledge  our- 
selves to  use  our  humble  efforts  to  the  payment  of  the  State  obligations, 
to  the  last  dollar  in  the  treasury,  and  we  will  cheerfully  submit  to  any 
amount  of  taxation  to  accomplish  that  object. 

We  also  express  ourselves  as  being  decidedly  in  favor  of  internal 
improvements. 

This  we  also  consider  an  appropriate  occasion  to  disabuse  the  minds 
of  our  fellow-citizens  of  foreign  birth,  of  the  desire  that  has  been 
attributed  to  us  to  lay  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  immigration  of 
their  brethren  in  Europe  to  this  State.  We  indignantly  deny  that  we 
cherish  any  so  unworthy  or  selfish  feeling.  We  look  on  the  Americans 
as  the  trustees  of  this  soil  for  the  oppressed  of  all  nations,  and  we 
welcome  the  downtrodden  immigrant  from  wherever  he  may  come 
with  open  arms. 

We  cannot  close  this  address  without  the  strongest  expression  of 
our  confidence  in,  and  regard  for  President  Grant  and  reiterate  our 
thanks  to  him  for  his  efforts  to  ameliorate  our  condition  and  obtain 
our  civil  rights. 

We  also  express  our  confidence  in  the  Federal  government  and  re- 
affirm our  allegiance  to  the  National  Republican  party. 

In  conclusion,  we  tender  our  grateful  thanks  to  Chas.  Sumner  for 
his  constant  and  unwearied  efforts  for  our  acquisition  of  civil  rights, 
and  earnestly  trust  that  his  existence  be  so  prolonged  to  win  the  com- 
pleted result  of  his  lifelong  labors.  And  we  confidently  hope  and 
believe  that  our  future  will  justify  his  past. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Richard  Allen,  chairman;  1st 
Congressional  district,  S.  H.  Smothers,  C.  Jenkins,  and  David 
Abner;  2.  W.  A.  Sands,  and  two 'to  be  appointed;  3.  N.  W. 
Cuney  and  J.  H.  Washington;  4.  J.  H.  Holland,  Rev.  Frank 
Green,  and  W.  H.  Dale. 

GERMAN  CONVENTION,  1873 

AUSTIN,  August  7  and  8 

Early  in  July,  1873,  a  call  for  a  convention  of  German-speaking 
citizens  was  published  in  the  Stoats  Zeitung  of  Austin. 
It  was  signed  by  men  of  all  shades  of  political  opinion,  and 
stated  the  object  of  the  meeting  to  be  "a  free  discussion  of 
the  political  situation,  an  open  expression  of  our  wishes,  a 


152  Platforms  of  Political 

definition  of  our  relations  to  the  political  parties,  and  a  union 
on  one  platform  for  which  we  intend  to  work  at  the  next 
election."  Between  forty  and  fifty  delegates  attended. 

Officers:  President  pro  temper e,  Aug.  Buttlar,  of  Galveston; 
permanent,  Dr.  E.  Goldman,  of  Galveston.  Vice-Presidents, 
Dr.  R.  Wipprecht,  of  Comal,  and  Joseph  Bruckmueller,  of  Har- 
rison. Secretaries,  pro  tempore,  A.  Siemering,  permanent,  Hugo 
Lehmann,  of  Harris,  and  C.  Erhard,  of  Bastrop. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  Aug.  Buttlar,  of  Galveston;  A. 
Siemering,  of  Bexar;  Dr.  Koester,  of  Comal;  A.  Zadek,  of  Na- 
varro;  W.  Brueggerhoff,  of  Travis. 

Committee  on  Address:  O.  Gareisen,  of  Galveston,  A.  Siem- 
ering, J.  Schuetze,  of  Travis,  the  president,  and  the  secretary. 

ADDRESS  AND  RESOLUTIONS1 

An  die  deutsch-amerikanischen  Buerger  von  Texas: 

In  Folge  des  Allen  bekannten  Aufrufs  zu  einer  Convention  der 
deutsch-sprechenden  Buerger  haben  wir  als  beauftragte  Delegaten 
und  Buerger  des  Landes  uns  zu  elner  freien  Besprechung  der  besten 
Interessen  des  Staates  versammelt,  nicht  well  wir  Sonderinteressen 
erstreben  oder  eine  Abtrennung  von  den  uebrigen  gleichberechtigten 
Elementen  unsres  Staatskoerpers,  sondern  lediglich  aus  dem  Grunde, 
weil  wir  in  unsrer  Muttersprache  uns  leichter  und  sichrer  ueber 
die  Ziele  verstaendigen  koennen  welche  wir  Alle  erstreben  und 
weil  die  ungenuegende  Kenntniss  des  Englischen  es  einer  grossen 
Zahl  von  uns  unmoeglich  macht,  in  den  ueblichen  Conventionen 
ihren  Wuenschen,  zu  deren  Kundgebung  sie  ein  Recht  hat,  Ausdruck 
zu  geben.  Diese  Gruende  sollten  alien  billig  Denkenden  genuegen. 
Wir  haben  erklaert  und  wuenschen  zu  wiederholen,  dass  der  Ge- 
danke,  eine  besondere  Partei  zu  bilden,  uns  Allen  fern  liegt.  Im 
Gegentheil  geht  unser  Wunsch  dahin,  durch  eine  offene  Aussprache 
unsrer  politischen  Absichten  ein  harmoniaclies  Zusammenwirken 
mit  alien  -Nationalitaeten,  welche  das  feste  Band  des  amerikanischen 
Buergerthums  in  einen  Koerper  vereinigt,  zu  befoerdern. 

Wir  fordern  Nichts  fuer  uns,  sondern  beabsichtigen  nur  das  all- 
gemeine  Wohl.  Unsere  Beschluesse  beziehen  sich  auf  die  unbestreit- 
baren  Rechte  eines  jeden  Staatsbuergers:  Schutz  fuer  Person  und 
Erziehung  der  Jugend,  verstaendige  Besteuerung,  Anstellung  red- 

lfThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  Die  Woechentliche 
Texas  Post  (Galveston),  August  10,  1873;  a  rough  and  incomplete  transla- 
tion of  the  Address  and  Resolutions  appeared  in  the  Daily  State  Journal 
(Austin),  August  11,  1873. 


Parties  in  Texas  153 

licher  Beamten,  Sicherung  der  persoenlichen  und  buergerlichen 
Freiheit! 

Wir  uebergeben  Ihnen  diese  Beschluesse  mit  der  Bitte,  dieselben 
zu  pruefen  und  in  den  bevorstehenden  Wahlen  Ihr  Augenraerk 
darauf  zu  richten,  dass  die  Candidaten,  welche  sich  um  Ihre  Stimme 
bewerben,  mit  den  von  Ihnen  vertretenen  Grundsaetzen  ueberein- 
stimmen. 

Da  wir  glauben,  das  jeder  Buerger  die  Pflicht  hat,  sich  ernstlich 
am  politischen  Leben  zu  betheiligen  und  am  Wahlkasten  seine 
Ueberzeugung  zu  vertreten,  so  erlauben  wir  uns,  Ihnen  die  Noth- 
wendigkeit  einer  baldigen  Registration  und  die  Zweckmaessigkeit 
lokaler  Versammlungen  dringend  ans  Herz  zu  legen  und'  hoffen, 
dass  dieser  erste  Schritt  zur  Vereiningung  der  deutsch-redenden 
Buerger  die  gewuenschten  Fruechte  fuer  das  Gesammtwohl  unsres 
Staats  bringen  moege. 

Wir,  die  in  Convention  in  Austin  versammelten  Deutschen,  haben 
uns  in  unsrer  Eigenschaft  als  Buerger  dieses  Landes  zusammenge- 
funden,  um  uns  ueber  die  politische  Lage  des  Staates  zu  besprechen. 
Wir  thun  dies,  weil  die  uns  Allen  verstaendliche  deutsche  Sprache 
eine  bessere  Verstaendigung  ermoeglicht  und  weil  wir  in  den 
ueblichen  County  Conventionen  als  eine  Minoritaet  nicht  zum  vol- 
len  Ausdruck  unserer  Ansichten  gelangen  koennen.  Wir  empfehlen 
daher  die  nachfolgenden  Grundsaetze  unseren  deutsch-amerikani- 
schen  Mitbuergern  als  eine  Richtschnur  fuer  ihr  ferneres  politisches 
Verhalten: 

1.  Wir   verlangen    ein    liberates    Freischul-System,   welches    dem 
vernuenftigen  Anspruechen  aller  Buerger  entspricht. 

2.  Wir  verlangen   einen   ausreichenden   Schutz   fuer   Leben   und 
Eigenthum  aller  Bewohner  des  Staates. 

3.  Wir   erklaeren    uns    gegen   jede   Spezialgesetzgebung,   welche 
durch  allgemeine  Gesetze  erledigt  werden  kann. 

4.  Wir  erklaeren  uns  gegen  Repudiation  jeder  Art. 

5.  Wir  erklaeren  uns  fuer  eine  rationelle  Staatsunterstuetzung 
der   Einwanderung. 

6.  Bei  Aufstellung  von  Candidaten  fuer  Aemter  und  Besetzung 
derselben   verlangen   wir   als  einzige  Richtschnur  Befaehigung  und 
Rechtlichkeit. 

7.  Wir  erklaeren   uns   gegen  die  Erlassung  irgend  welcher  Ge- 
setze, welche  auf  die  Bedrueckung  irgen  einer  Klasse  der  Bewohner 
des  Staates  in  Bezug  auf  Rasse  oder  Nationalitaet  hinzielen. 

8.  Wir  erklaeren  uns  gegen  jede  Beschraenkung  der  persoehn- 
lichen  Freiheit   der  Buerger,   insbesondere  aber  gegen  alle   Sonntags- 
und  Temperenz-Gesetze. 

9.  Die   Steuerlast    muss    gleichmaessig    und    ohne    Bedrueckung 
besonderer    gesetzlicher    Geschaeftszweige    vertheilt    sein.      Steuern 


154  Platforms  of  Political 

sollen  nur  fuer  die  wirklichen  Beduerfnisse  des  Staates  und  d&r 
Gemeinde  und  zur  Bezahlung  der  oeffentlichen  Schulden  verwendet 
werden. 

Additional  Resolution 

Beschlossen,  dass  wir  die  Deutschen  imseres  Staates  auffordern, 
sich  jedes  Jahr  einmal  in  Convention  zu  versammeln  um  die  Inter- 
essen  des  Landes  zu  besprechen  und  dass  zu  diesem  Zwecke  von  der 
jetzigen  Konvention  ein  Executive  Komite  ernannt  wird,  dessen 
Pflicht  es  sein  soil  naechstes  Jahr  den  Aufruf  zu  erlassen  und  zu 
gleicher  Zeit  darauf  hin  zu  wirken,  dass  sich  in  jedem  von  Deut- 
schen bewohnten  County  ein  Komite  bilde  das  mit  dem  Executiv 
Komite  in  Korrespondenz  trete. 

Executive  Committee:  0.  Gareisen,  Galveston,  chairman; 
A.  W.  May,  Houston,  secretary;  H.  Brosig,  Galveston;  Gustav 
Loeffler,  Houston;  Wm.  Ahrenbeck,  Hempstead;  -  -  Koch, 
Beelville;  P.  Leisewitz,  Brenham;  F.  A.  Engelke,  'Brenham; 
F.  Seydler,  High  Hill;  C  Wertzner,  Bastrop;  J.  Jungmichel, 
Bastrop ;  Paul  Pressler,  Austin ;  A.  Zadeck,  Corsicana ;  J.  Bruck- 
mueller,  Marshall;  Dr.  R.  Wiprecht,  New  Braunfels;  Dr.  Koes- 
ter,  New  Braunfels;  P.  Braubach,  San  Antonio;  H.  Karber, 

San  Antonio ; Kohlmann,  Fayette ;  G.  Kulow,  Columbus ; 

T.  F.  Leyendecker,  Freiburg;  G.  Dalwigk,  Fredericksburg ;  W. 
Wahrmund,   Fredericksburg;   Dr.   Assig,   Blanco   City;  - 
Bieberstein,  Brenham;  A.  Zoeller,  Boerne. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1873 

DALLAS,  August  19  and  20 

In  June  Chairman  J.  G.  Tracy,  of  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee, issued  a  call  for  a  State  convention.  The  call  fixed 
the  basis  of  representation.  It  set  forth  the  issues  upon  which 
it  was  expected  to  gain  the  victory.  It  foreshadowed  the  fierce 
political  campaign  about  to  be  initiated.  About  five  hundred 
and  fifty  delegates  attended.  Eighty-four  counties  were  repre- 
sented. It  was  not  a  ''nigger"  convention,  reported  the  official 
organ,  but  was  composed  of  all  classes  of  the  people  in  proper 
proportion. 

Officers:     President  pro  tempore,  A.  G.  Malloy,  of  Marion; 


Parties  in  Texas  155 

permanent,  S.  G.  Newton,  of  Bexar.  Vice-Presidents,  G.  T. 
Ruby,  A.  Siemering,  W.  H.  Andrews,  S.  Roberts,  Thos.  H.  Baker, 
and  W.  A.  Roberts.  Secretaries,  W.  A.  Price,  of  Matagorda; 

A.  R.  Parsons,  of  Travis;  J.  H.  Washington,  of  Grimes;  W.  H. 
Wentworth,  of  Dallas;  and  S.  H.  Russell,  of  Harrison. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  E.  J.  Davis,  of  Nueces; 
Lieutenant-Governor,  R.  H.  Taylor,  of  Fannin;  Comptroller, 
J.  W.  Thomas,  of  Collin ;  Treasurer,  A.  T.  Monroe,  of  Houston  • 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Jacob  Kuechler,  of 
Bexar;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  A.  B.  Norton,  of 
Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:     S.  H.  Russell,  A. 

B.  Norton,  W.  H.  Johnson,  G.  T.  Ruby,  W.  W.  Lewis,  N.  W. 
Cuney,   Sam  Cummings,  Wm.   Chambers,  Wm.  Alexander,  A. 
Siemering,  J.  B.  Lovejoy,  D.  Mackay,  W.  H.  Lawrence,  Geo.  A. 
O'Brien,  Thomas  Ford,  J.  W.  Thomas,  T.  J.  Powell,  W.  A.  Price, 
A.  L.   Darnell,  W.   G.   Robinson,   D.  J.  Baldwin,   S.   Bowlby, 
Robert  Zapp,  Henry  Moore,  W.  A.   Crafts,  Colonel  McCown, 

-  Whitmore,   Thos.   E.  Younger,  Richard  Allen,   W.   E, 
Parker,  A.  W.   Wilder. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  this  20th  day  of  August,  1873, 
make  the  following  declaration  of  principles: 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  reaffirm  our  devotion  to  the  principles  enun- 
ciated in  the  National  Republican  platform,  and  to  the  wise  and 
just  administration  of  President  Grant. 

2.  We  are  earnestly  in  favor  of  the  establishment  and  mainte- 
nance ot  a  system  of  public  free  schools  such  as  is  imperatively 
required   by  article   9   of  our  State  constitution,   and   of  such   im- 
provements as  experience  has  shown  to  be  desirable,  and  we  strongly 
condemn    the   practical    abolition    by  the   thirteenth   legislature   of 
the  system  that  was  in  operation. 

3.  We   are   in    favor   of    the   enactment   of    such    laws    by   the 
legislature  as  will  give  full  and  ample  protection  to  every  citizen 
in  the  State,  in  the  enjoyment  of  all  his  rights  as  a  citizen. 

4.  We  are  opposed  to  special  legislation  believing  that  'general 
laws   may   be  framed   which   can  obviate   the   necessity  of   special, 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Daily  State  Journal 
(Austin),  July  19  and  20,  1873. 


156  Platforms  of  Political 

and  which  would  be  more  just,  and  less  apt  to  be  enacted  from  cor- 
rupt motives. 

5.  We   are   in   favor   of   a   judicious  State   aid   to   immigration, 
such   as   is   contemplated   by  article   11   of  our  constitution. 

6.  We  desire  to  be  taxed  for  public  purposes  only  and  that  taxa- 
tion should  be  imposed  at  equal  and  uniform  rates  upon  property; 
very  little,   if  any,   to  be  put  upon  occupations.     While  we   desire 
to    have   our    State    government    administered    with    real    economy, 
avoiding  alike  parsimony  and  extravagance,  and  we  wish  our  public 
debt  paid  according  to  its  terms,  we  are  opposed  to  the  creation  of 
any  new  public  debt  and  we  are  forcibly  opposed  to  repudiation  in 
any  form. 

7.  The  speedy  development  of  the  varied  resources  of  our  State 
we  regard  with  favor  and  to  this  end  do  pledge  ourselves  to  extend 
every  reasonable  facility  and  aid  towards  the  establishment  of  an 
equalized   and   judicious   railroad   system   for   the  State.     That  the 
success    of   railroad    building    in    Texas    materially    dtepends    upon 
carrying  out  in  good  faith  our  obligations  heretofore  made,  whereby 
capitalists  have  been  and  may  be  induced  to  invest  in  our  midst. 

8.  We  declare  ourselves  opposed  to  the  enactment  of  any  public 
laws  that  may  operate  unequally  upon  citizens  on  account  of  their 
race,    nativity,   or   belief,    and   that   we   are    in    favor  of    the   largest 
amount    of    personal    liberty    consistent    with    the    security    of    our 
people  in  the  enjoyment  of  life  and  property. 

9.  We    respectfully    ask    the    National    government    to    dismount, 
disarm,  and  put  upon  securely  guarded  reservations  the  savage  tribes 
that  continually  ravage  our  frontier. 

10.  Again    we    ask    our    general    government    to    relieve    such    of 
our  citizens  as  are  under  political  disabilities,  and  to  improve  the 
harbors  on  our  coasts,  as  the  National   interests  require.     We  trust 
the  present  Congress  of  the  United  States  will  not  permit  itself  to 
be  prejudiced  against  our  people  so  as  to  treat  them  with  injustice 
or  illiberality,  because  the  members  of  Congress  dishonorably  voted 
themselves    and    took    back    pay,    which    they    should    be    made   to 
disgorge. 

11.  We  are  in  favor  of  short  sessions  of  the  legislature.     We 
desire  to   have   our   public  printing   law   repealed,   and   the  public 
printing   let   on    contract   to   the   lowest   bidder  who   can   do   it   as 
required. 

12.  We    express   our    strong    disapprobation    of    the    bad    acts   and 
worse    omissions    of    the    thirteenth    legislature,    and    condemn    its 
useless-  expenditures   of   public   money,   chiefly  upon   itself,   its   in- 
discriminate  squandering   of   the  public   domain   to  a   large   extent 
upon   purely   speculative   and   worthless   corporations,   and   the   un- 
just,   discriminating   legislating   in    favor   of  the   rich   and   against 
the  poor.     While  we  cannot  take  the  time  and  space  to  enumerate 


Parties  in  Texas  157 

its  misdeeds,  we  cannot  forbear  to  denounce  its  unscrupuolus  ef- 
forts to  make  homesteads  subject  to  sale  under  execution.  At  tlie 
same  time  we  congratulate  ourselves  and  the  people  of  this  State 
that  its  oppressive  Landlord  and  Tenant  Bill  was  vetoed  by  the 
governor. 

13.  We   trust   that   from  this   time   forward    the   people   will   take 
steps  to  relieve  themselves  from  the  risk  of  vicious  legislation,  by 
electing    senators    and    representatives,    as    well    as    all    other    State 
officers,  on  account  of  their  character  and   qualifications. 

14.  We  heartily  commend  to  the  consideration  of  the  people  the 
resolutions   adopted    by   the   German   convention    of   this    State,   held 
at  Austin  on  the  7th  and   8th  of  August,  1873. 

State  Executive  Committee:  G.  T.  Ruby,  chairman;  A.  Zadek, 
secretary.  1st  District,  Thos.  J.  Russell,  2.  M.  W.  Wheeler,  3. 
J.  Texas  Smith,  4.  F.  M.  Hobb,  5.  T.  H.  Russell,  6.  Thos.  E. 
Younger,  7.  C.  M.  Campbell,  8.  J.  T.  Fleming,  9.  C.  Waters,  10. 

B.  H.  Dodson,  11.  Sam  T.  Carter,  12.  N.  W.  Cuney,  13.  W.  T. 
Burton,  14.  P.  M.  Yell,  15.  N.  C.  Caldwell,  16.  E.  T.  Wallis, 
17.  blank,  18.  C.  W.  Gardner,  19.  Geo.  W.  Patten,  20.  Wank, 
21.  J.  W.  Dickson,  22.  A.  L.  Darnell,  23.  Sam  H.  Williams,  24. 

C.  W.   Hartup,  25.  R.  P.  Tendick,  26.  blank,  27.  A.  J.  Fry, 
28.  H.  M.  Taylor,  29.  W.  J.  Locke,  30.  J.  L.  Haynes. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1873 

AUSTIN,  September  3-5 

The  call  for  the  State  convention  was  issued  July  14,  1873. 
It  was  a  long  document,  entering  in  detail  into  the  recent  ac- 
complishments of  the  party  and  surveying  what  still  remained 
to  be  done.  The  attendance  exceeded  the  capacity  of  the  Hall 
of  Representatives,  which  contained  seven  hundred  chairs  for  the 
exclusive  use  of  delegates.  The  basis  of  representation  adopted 
by  the  convention  provided  that  each  county  represented  be 
entitled  to  one  vote  for  each  hundred  votes  cast  for  the  Demo 
cratic  candidate  for  Congress,  either  at  the  election  in  November, 
1871,  or  October,  1872,  taking  the  maximum  vote,  and  one  vote 
for  each  fraction  of  twenty-five  votes  or  more;  provided  each 
county  shall  be  entitled  to  one  vote.  The  platform  was  adopted 
before  making  nominations.  The  two-thirds  rule  was  observed 


158  Platforms  of  Political 

in  making  nominations.  The  railroads  were  thanked  for  court- 
esies. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,. of  Marion; 
permanent,  R.  B.  Hubbard,  of  Smith.  Vice-Presidents,  R.  H. 
Guinn,  of  Cherokee;  N.  J.  Moore,  of  Jefferson;  J.  J.  Goode,  of 
Dallas ;  R.  R.  Gaines,  of  Red  River ;  Charles  A.  Stuart,  of  Har- 
ris; David  R.  Wallace,  of  McLennan;  F.  S.  Stockdale,  of  Cal- 
houn;  and  I.  G.  Killough,  of  Fayette.  Secretaries,  W.  B.  Say- 
ers,  of  Gonzales;  Charles  Evans,  of  Travis;  W.  C.  Walsh,  of 
Travis;  W.  L.  Chalmers,  of  Travis;  P.  de  Cordova,  of  Travis; 
J.  J.  McKeever,  of  Harris;  R.  M.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  N. 
G.  Kittrell,  of  Walker;  and  George  Pfeuffer,  of  Comal. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Richard  Coke,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; Lieutenant-Governor,  R.  B.  Hubbard,  of  Smith;  Comp- 
troller, Stephen  H.  Darden,  of  Caldwell ;  Treasurer,  A.  J.  Dorn, 
of  Fannin ;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  J.  Gross, 
of  Comal ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  0.  L.  Hollings- 
worth,  of  Hays. 

Committee  of  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, James  B.  Simpson,  of  Liberty;  2.  F.  Voight,  of  Nacog- 
doches ;  3.  R.  H.  Guinn,  of  Cherokee ;  4.  J.  H.  Reagan,  chairman, 
of  Anderson;  5.  H.  McKay,  of  Harrison;  6.  J.  P.  Douglas,  of 
Smith;  7.  W.  L.  Crawford,  of  Marion;  8.  R.  R.  Gaines,  of  Red 
River;  9.  D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Limestone;  10.  E.  J.  Darden, 
of  Hunt;  11.  B.  F.  Hays,  of  Fannin;  12.  George  Mason,  of 
Galveston;  13.  N.  Holland,  of  Austin;  14.  James  Masterson,  of 
Harris;  15.  John  R.  Kennard,  of  Grimes;  16.  Seth  Sheppard, 
of  Washington;  17.  W.  W.  Lang,  of  Falls;  18.  T.  J.  Beall,  of 
Brazos;  19.  George  Clark,  of  McLennan;  20.  John  S.  Ault,  of 
Dallas ;  21.  J.  W.  Throckmorton,  of  Collin ;  22.  T.  J.  Brown,  of 
Grayson;  23.  L.  E.  Gillette,  of  Hill;  24.  L.  G.  Harman;  25.  M. 
Malsch,  of  Colorado ;  26.  J.  D.  Sayers,  of  Bastrop ;  27.  John  W. 
Bunton,  of  Hays;  28.  Wm.  M.  Walton,  of  Travis;  29.  N.  0. 
Green,  of  Bexar;  30.  W.  H.  Russell,  of  Cameron. 


Parties  in  Texas  159 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  relying 
on  the  virtue  and  intelligence  of  the  people,  again  declare  our 
principles  and  policy,  and  ask  for  them  the  popular  approval. 

1.  We   declare  our  adhesion  to  the  time-honored  principles  of 
the  Democratic  party;  our  devotion  to  popular  liberty  regulated  by 
law;  and  to  constitutional  government  simple  in  machinery,  and  to 
be  administered  with  the  strictest  economy. 

2.  We  congratulate  the  people  of  Texas  on  the  repeal  by  the 
thirteenth   legislature  of  a  number  of  the  oppressive,  odious,   and 
unconstitutional    acts,    passed    by    the    twelfth    legislature,    in    pur- 
suance of  the  Radical  policy  to  overthrow  the  government  of  the 
people;  and  among  which  acts  were: 

(1)  The  Militia  Law,  whereby  the  governor  was  authorized  to 
suspend  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  and  establish  martial  law,  there- 
by depriving  the  citizens  of  all  legal  and  constitutional  protection, 
and  subjecting  their  lives,  liberty,  and  property  to  the  unrestrained 
caprice  and  malignity  of  a  partisan  executive. 

(2)  The  Police  Bill,  designed  and  intended,  among  other  things, 
to  create  a  system  of  secret  espionage,   by  hired  informers,   upon 
the  people;   at  war  with  the  principles  of  civil  liberty;    odious  to 
all  freemen,  and  heretofore  tolerated  only  in  the  despotisms  of  the 
old  world,  and  the  execution  of  which  act  was  for  the  most  part 
entrusted   to    a    class    of   men    of   degraded   and    infamous   character. 

(3)  The  Enabling  Act,  under  which  the  governor  was  authorized 
to  appoint  district  attorneys  who  were  made  elective  by  the  consti- 
tution;   to  appoint  all  municipal  officers,   and  to  fill  all  vacancies 
that  might  occur  in  the  offices  of  clerks  and  sheriffs,  thereby  de- 
signedly bestowing  on  him  great  power  and  patronage,  to  enable 
him  to  continue  Radical  misrule  over  this  people. 

(4)  The  Registration  and  Election  laws,  which  were  framed  and 
intended    for    the   purpose   of    preventing   free   and    fair    elections; 
they  openly  encouraged  the  perpetration  of  frauds  to  defeat  the  will 
of  the  people,  and  to  perpetuate  Radical  misrule,  presenting  to  our 
people  the  extraordinary  and  humiliating  spectacle  of  surrounding 
the  places  of  registration  and  voting  with  an  armed  partisan  police 
with  which  to  intimidate  and  overawe  the  citizens. 

(5)  The  act  relating  to  public  free  schools,  which,  among  other 
bad  features,  provided  the  means  of  enabling  public  officials  to 
speculate  in  school  books,  in  the  building  and  furniture  of  school 
houses,  in  the  salaries  of  teachers,  and  furnished  high  salaries  for 

^•Minutes  of  the  Democratic  State  Convention  of  the  State  of  Texas:  Held 
at  the  City  of  Austin,  September  3,  4  and  5,  1873.  Statesman  Book  and  Job 
Office;  Austin,  1873.  40  p. 


160  Platforms  of  Political 

a  large  and  useless  number  of  officers,  which  gave  the  Radical 
party  the  means  to  pay  their  political  missionaries  who  traveled 
for  Radical  purposes  and  frauds  from  one  end  of  the  State  to  the 
other. 

3.  And   we  further   congratulate  the   people   of  Texas   that  the 
Democratic    members    of    the    thirteenth    legislature,    so    far    as    it 
was  possible  to  accomplish  their  object,  in  the  presence  of  the  cap- 
tious vetoes  of  the  governor,  and  the  opposition  of  his  partisans  in 
the  senate,  replaced  the  foregoing  obnoxious,  repealed  measures,  by 
just  and  wholesome  laws,  bearing  alike  on  all,  and  which,  if  honestly 
and   faithfully   executed,   will   redound   to   the   lasting   good   of  the 
country  and  prosperity  of  the  people. 

4.  The    Democratic    party,    when   it    comes    into    the    possession 
of  the  government  of  the  State,  will  administer  it  in  the  interest 
and   for   the   benefit   of   the   whole   people,   and  not   a   party;    and, 
however  much  we  may  have  been  provoked  to  hostile  and  retaliatory 
legislation,    by    the    outrages    committed    on    us    by    the    Radical    leg- 
islature  and   State   government,    it   will   be   a  part   of   our   mission 
to  rise  superior  to  our  just  resentments,  and  administer  the  gov- 
ernment in  such  manner  that  every  citizen,   whatever  his  politics, 
religion,  nationality,  or  color,  shall  feel  that  he  is  securelr  protected 
in  his  life,   liberty,   and   property. 

5.  The  school  fund,  sacredly  set  apart  for  the  education  of  the 
children  of  the  State,   has,  under  the  operation  of  the  misrule  of 
the  party  in  power,  been  plundered  by  speculation,  squandered,  and 
perverted  to  political  purposes.     The  Democratic  party,  through  us, 
reaffirms  its  past  opinion  and  the  policy  it  has  ever  pursued,  that 
it  is  the  bounden  duty  of  the  State  to  maintain  an  efficient  system 
of  free  common  schools,  and  secure  the  means  of  a  common  educa- 
tion to  every  child  in  the  State;  and  we  advocate  the  gradual  sale 
of  the  alternate  sections  of  land  belonging  to  the  common  school 
fund,  as  also  of  the  asylum  and  university  lands,   under  such  re- 
strictions as  will  secure  the  funds  arising  therefrom  to  the  purposes 
for  which  they  were  intended,  and  giving  in  such  sales  proper  pref- 
erences to  actual  settlers  in  good  faith  thereon. 

6.  It  was  the  Democratic  party  which  first  inaugurated  the  wise 
and  generous  policy  which  has  made  the  United  States  the  asylum 
of  all  nations  from  oppressive  government,  and  less  favorable  means 
of  livelihood  and  independence;  and  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas, 
true   to    the   early   teachings   and   uniform   practices   of   the   party, 
advocates  the  most  liberal  and  active  policy  to  encourage  and  in- 
crease foreign  immigration,  to  develop  the  resources  of  our  fertile 
State,  as  well  as  to  perpetuate  the  government,  through  the  intel- 
ligence and  moral  worth  of  her  citizens.     And  that  every  adopted 
citizen   may   enter  into    the   spirit   of.  perfect   freedom   of   thought 
and   action   in  matters   of   conscience,   the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in 


Parties  in  Texas  161 

convention  assembled,  declare  it  to  be  our  firm  conviction  that  legal 
interference  with  the  merely  social  habits  of  any  class  of  citizens, 
natives  or  of  foreign  birth,  is  contrary  to  sound  policy,  to  genuine 
Democracy,  and  to  the  enlightened  spirit  of  the  age. 

7.  The  Democratic  party  is  and  has  ever  been  in  favor  of  throw- 
ing as  few  impediments  as  possible  in  the  way  of  Europeans  making 
the   United   States   the  land   of  their  adoption;    and   to   enable  for- 
eigners   to    enter   into    citizenship   without   needless   trouble,    delay, 
or  expense,  we  declare  it  to  be  our  conviction  that  a  foreigner,  who 
desires  it,  should  have  the  right  to  make  his  declaration  of  intention 
to  become  a  citizen  before  the  clerk,  in  vacation  or  in  open  court, 
as  may  be  to  him  most  convenient;   and  we  favor  the  passage  of  a 
law  to  that  effect. 

8.  We  condemn  in  the  strongest  terms  all  corruption  in  public 
officials,    and    demand    the   strictest    honesty    and    economy    in    the 
administration  of  public  trusts,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  officer 
of  the  government. 

9.  That    the    Democracy    of    Texas   adhere   to    their    past    policy 
of  developing  the  material  resources  of  the  State,  and  fostering  the 
best  interests  of  the  people,  by  encouraging  the  construction  of  rail- 
roads. 

(1)  That  to  this  end,  and  to  encourage  the  investment  of  cap- 
ital  in  such   enterprises,   we  favor  the   granting  of  liberal  charters 
to    companies    able    to    build    such    railroads,    and    of    donating    to 
such  companies  alternate  sections  of  the  vacant  lands,  under  proper 
restrictions,    and    with    such    provisions   of   law   as   will   protect  the 
people   against   oppression   and    unreasonable   exactions,    until   each 
section  of  the  State  has  its  equal  proportion  of  railroad  facilities. 

(2)  That  we   are  opposed   to   granting  money  subsidies  by  the 
State   to   secure   the    building  of   railroads,    as   unequal  in   the   dis- 
tribution of  burdens  and  benefits,  and  unjust  in  principle. 

(3)  This  Convention  denounces  as  false  and  slanderous  the  im- 
putation, sought  to  be  attached  to  the  State  of  Texas  by  her  enemies, 
that   she  contemplates   the   repudiation   of  any  of  her  just   and  legal 
liabiliies. 

10.  We    consider    the    constitutional    amendments    proposed    by 
the   last   legislature   as   eminently  necessary,   and    recommend   their 
adoption  by  the  people. 

11.  The  situation  and  sufferings  of  our  frontiersmen  and  their 
families  arouse  our  deep  and  sincere  sympathy;    and  we  do  hereby 
pledge  the  most  earnest  exertions  of  the  Democratic  party  to  secure 
their  speedy  and   adequate  protection  in   the  future,   believing  this 
to  be  paramount  to  all  other  duties. 

12.  We  favor  the  calling  of  a  constitutional  convention  by  our 
next  legislature. 

13.  We    invite    all    good    men,    whatever   may   have    been    their 

11—328 


162  '  Platforms   of  Political 

past  political  preferences,  to  unite  with  the  Democratic  party  in 
removing  from  place  and  power  those  Radical  officials  who  now 
in  part  control  the  State  government,  in  order  to  insure  an  honest 
administration  of  the  laws,  and  an  honest  and  economical  ex- 
penditure of  the  public  moneys,  and  to  throw  the  aegis  of  justice 
and  protection  over  the  person  and  property  of  every  individual 
whatsoever  in  the  State  of  Texas. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[14]  That  we  deprecate  the  action  of  the  Democratic  members 
of  Congress  in  cooperating  with  the  Republican  majority  and  Presi- 
dent Grant  in  the  passage  of  the  "back  salary  bill." 

[15]  We  heartily  concur  in  the  following  resolutions  passed 
by  the  Ohio  Democracy  in  their  recent  convention,  to  wit: 

''Resolved,  That  the  act  of  the  President  in  setting  up  by  bayonets 
a  government  in  Louisiana,  not  chosen  by  her  people  and  having 
no  title  whatever  to  rule  over  them,  was  a  flagrant  violation  of  her 
rights,  and  of  the  Federal  Constitution." 

And  further,  that  we  deeply  and  sincerely  sympathize  with  the 
people  of  Louisiana  in  their  misfortunes  and  the  outrages  perpe- 
trated on  them. 

[16]  That  the  State  Democratic  convention  of  Texas,  now  in 
session,  fully  indorse  the  action  of  General  McKenzie,  of  the  United 
States  Army,  in  crossing  into  Mexico  in  May  last  in  order  to  punish 
the  Mexican  and  Indian  robbers  for  depredating  on  Texas  soil 

[17]  That  as  the  subject  of  the  annexation  to  Texas  of  the 
parishes  of  Caddo  and  De  Soto,  of  the  State  of  Louisiana,  has  been 
agitated  by  the  people  thereof,  and  as  those  parishes  are  identified, 
politically  and  otherwise,  with  the  State  of  Texas,  therefore,  we 
approve  of  said  scheme,  and  we  extend  the  hand  of  fellowship  to 
the  people  of  said  parishes. 

[18]  WHEREAS,  It  has  come  to  the  knowledge  of  many  members  of 
this  Convention  that  there  are  among  us  some  delegates  who  assert 
that  they  will  not  support  the  nominees  of  this  Convention  if 
certain  prominent  Democrats  should  receive  the  nomination  of  the 
same;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  delegates  of  this  Convention  do  pledge  themselves  to 
use  all  honorable  means  to  secure  the  election  of  all  the  nominees  of 
this  body. 

[19]  That  it  is  the  imperative  duty  of  the  great  State  of  Texas, 
in  the  plenitude  of  her  wealth,  to  provide  with  a  liberal  hand  for 
the  battle-scarred  veterans  of  the  Texas  revolution,  not  as  a  matter 
of  charity,  but  as  a  just  recognition  of  their  distinguished  services 
in  the  contest  for  Texan  independence. 


Parties  in  Texas  163 

State  Executive  Committee:  John  Ireland,  of  Guadalupe, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  W.  W.  Whitehead,  of  Tyler 
county;  2.  T.  M.  Bowers,  of  Panola;  3.  Samuel  A.  Wilson,  of 
Cherokee;  4.  John  C.  Goodgame,  of  Henderson;  5.  C.  B.  Kilgore, 
of  Rusk;  6.  F.  J.  McCord,  of  Gregg;  7.  H.  F.  O'Neal,  of  Cass; 
8.  "W.  J.  Swain,  of  Red  River;  9.  J.  L.  Halbert,  of  Navarro; 
10.  Samuel  Upthegrove,  of  Hunt;  11.  S.  B.  Maxey,  of  Lamar; 
12.  C.  L.  Cleveland,  of  Galveston;  13.  P.  E.  Pearson,  of  Fort 
Bend;  14.  Gustave  Cook,  of  Harris;  15.  John  S.  Cleveland,  of 
San  Jacinto;  16.  John  W.  Carroll,  of  Burleson;  17.  James  Boyd, 
of  Bell;  18.  B.  H.  Davis,  of  Brazos;  19.  Ira  B.  Sadler,  or 
Coryell;  20.  K.  M.  Van  Zandt,  of  Tarrant;  21.  G.  B.  Pickett, 
of  Wise;  22.  J.  W.  Jennings,  of  Grayson;  23.  Wm.  Veal,  of 
Palo  Pinto;  24.  D.  C.  Proctor,  of  Calhoun;  25.  Wells  Thompson, 
of  Colorado;  26.  J.  D.  Sayers,  of  Bastrop;  27.  Wm.  F.  Farris, 
of  Caldwell;  28.  Wm.  H.  Westfall,  of  Williamson;  29.  Geo. 
Pfeuffer,  of  Comal;  30.  B.  B.  Seat,  of  Cameron. 

CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION,  1875 

AUSTIN,  September  6  to  November  24 

The  calling  of  a  constitutional  convention  was  recommended 
by  the  Democratic  platform  of  1873.  When  the  holding  of  such 
a  convention  was  submitted  to  the  voters  by  the  legislature  in 
•1875,  the  question  presented  itself,  whether  the  Democrats  should 
act  as  a  party  in  the  selection  of  delegates.  In  his  capacity  as 
chairman  of  the  State  executive  committee,  John  Ireland  urged 
the  holding  of  nominating  conventions  in  each  district.  He 
recommended  that  the  delegates  be  instructed  on  the  more  im- 
portant questions  that  would  come  before  the  constitutional 
convention,  such  as  immigration,  education  and  internal  im- 
provements1 The  convention,  on  October  27,  voted  to  form  a 
committee  that  should  prepare  an  address  to  the  people  of  Texas, 
1  'setting  forth  the  leadiDg  principles  of  the  new  constitution, 
the  reforms  provided  for  by  it,  and  its  claims  to  the  approbation 
of  the  freemen  of  Texas." 

1The   State   Gazette    (Austin),   April    21,    1875. 


164  Platforms  of  Political 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  J.  W.  Whitfield;  permanent, 
E.  B.  Pickett,  of  Liberty.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  W.  C.  Walsh, 
of  Travis;  permanent,  Leigh  Chalmers,  of  Travis. 

ADDRESS2 

Fellow  Citizens: 

The  undersigned,  members  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  have 
been  appointed  a  Committee  by  that  body  to  address  you  in  expla- 
nation of  the  new  Constitution  and  Ordinances  adopted  by  it  and 
now  submitted  to  you  for  ratification.  This  we  shall  do  as  briefly 
as  is  consistent  with  the  great  importance  of  the  subject. 

Our  Past  and  Present  Condition 

) 

For  six  years  the  people  of  Texas  have  borne  the  burthens  and 
oppressions  inaugurated  by  the  semi-military  constitution  of  1869. 
The  evils  fastened  upon  the  State  by  that  instrument  are  generally 
understood.  Heavy  taxation;  an  unwieldly  and  expensive  judicial 
system,  impoverishing  to  both  the  State  and  its  counties;  a  vast 
political  and  partisan  scheme  under  the  pretence  of  sustaining 
free  public  schools;  an  unwise,  expensive,  and  irritating  system 
of  registration;  a  vicious  partisan,  and  mercenary  State  police; 
multitudes  of  irresponsible,  partisan,  and  useless  officers;  irregu- 
larities,; confusions,  ignorance  and  prejudices,  and  in  some  cases 
corruption  pervading  the  various  departments  of  the  public  admin- 
istration; money  subsidies  voted  to  railroads  to  the  enormous  sum 
of  twelve  millions  of  dollars  of  the  people's  money;  high  salaries, 
even  to  petty  and  useless  officers  in  the  school  department;  com- 
bined, until  the  inauguration  of  the  present  State  government  in 
January,  1874,  with  a  partisan,  oppressive,  and  often  vicious  ad- 
ministration of  the  laws,  thrice  accompanied  with  declarations  of 
martial  law  and  the  suspension  of  the  great  writ  of  right,  the 
habeas  corpus — these,  fellow  citizens,  were  some  of  the  evils  com- 
plained of  by  you,  the  freemen  of  Texas,  under  the  constitution 
of  1869. 

The  Present  Convention 

On  the  first  Monday  in  August  last,  the  people,  in  order  to  re- 
lieve themselves  of  such  an  accumulation  of  wrongs,  and  reestablish 
in  the  State  a  just,  wise  and  economical  system  of  government, 
elected  delegates  to  a  convention  to  form  a  new  constitution.  At 
the  same  time,  by  a  majority  of  nearly  two-thirds,  they  distinctly 

2The   Daily   State   Gazette    (Austin),    November   25,    1875. 


Parties  in  Texas  165 

voted  in  favor  of  holding  the  convention.  On  Monday,  the  sixth 
day  of  September,  your  chosen  delegates,  ninety  in  number,  from 
all  parts  of  the  State — some  of  them  living  a  thousand  miles  apart — 
assembled  in  the  city  of  Austin  and  entered  upon  the  discharge 
of  their  grave  and  responsible  duties.  We  venture  to  assert,  with 
the  most  perfect  sincerity,  that  no  representative  body  of  like 
number  has  ever  assembled  in  this  State  or  any  other  State  of 
this  Union,  more  fully  resolved  upon  a  conscientious  discharge  of 
the  duties  devolving  upon  them.  Differences,  truly,  have  arisen 
in  the  discussion  of  the  best  means  of  accomplishing  the  common 
desire  of  all — the  formation  of  a  constitution  which  should  secure 
the  rights,  liberties,  and  happiness  of  the  people.  But  a  spirit  of 
patriotic  concession  has  served  to  harmonize  them  substantially  upon 
a  common  ground.  Every  member,  as  in  all  wise  deliberative 
bodies,  has  yielded  more  or  less  of  his  individual  opinions  to  the 
aggregate  voice  of  the  whole. 

So  feeling,  we  are  emboldened  to  appeal  to  the  people  of  the 
State  for  a  full  and  thorough  examination  into  the  work  of  the 
Convention.  We  invoke  you  to  take  the  new  constitution  and  the 
ordinances  of  the  Convention,  of  which  thousands  of  copies  are 
being  printed  for  free  circulation,  to  your  homes  and  examine 
them  as  a  whole.  Compare  them  carefully  with  the  system  under 
which  we  have  lived  for  six  years.  Heed  not  the  silly,  unjust, 
and  possibly  suborned  assaults  of  those  who  have  denounced  the 
Convention  in  advance  of  its  work;  but  read,  scrutinize,  and  decide 
for  yourselves  as  intelligent,  self-governing  freemen,  jealous  of 
your  rights  and  liberties.  If  you  will  do  so  we  are  confident  that 
there  will  be  such  an  uprising  of  the  people  at  the  ballot  box  in 
favor  of  ratification  as  has  never  been  witnessed  in  Texas. 

Work  of  the  Convention 

Let  us  glance  at  a  few  of  the  important  points  achieved  by  the 
Convention.  The  first  act  was  to  cut  down  the  pay  of  its  own 
members  three  dollars  per  day,  and  the  second  was  to  relieve  the 
people  of  an  entirely  new  registration  prior  to  December,  and  to 
postpone  a  general  election  in  that  month  for  a  legislature  under 
the  old  constitution,  at  or  about  the  same  time  the  people  would 
be  voting  to  ratify  the  new  Constitution  and  to  elect  a  new  legislature 
under  its  provisions.  By  this  action  we  not  only  avoided  the  risk 
of  having  two  rival  legislatures  at  the  same  time,  but  saved  the 
people  from  another  humiliating  registration  and  a  useless  election 
throughout  the  State,  amounting  in  time  and  money,  at  a  moderate 
estimate,  to  three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It  is  true,  and  should 
be  so  stated,  that  some  of  the  ablest  and  purest  members  of  the 
Convention,  upon  strictly  legal  principles,  denied  the  power  of  the 


166  Platforms  of  Political 

Convention  to  exercise  this  function;  but  none  denied  otherwise  its 
wisdom  or  its  great  economy  to  the  people.  Over  two-thirds  of  the 
body,  however,  held  to  the  opposite  view,  and  passed  the  ordinance 
of  September  24,  postponing  the  December  election. 

The  New  Constitution 

Fellow-citizens,  we  invite  you  first  to  examine  the  Bill  of  Rights; 
therein  you  will  see  that  the  liberty  of  the  citizen,  as  inherited 
from  our  ancestors,  is  asserted  and  protected  by  every  safeguard 
known  to  constitutional  law.  The  government  of  Texas  is  restored 
to  the  people  of  Texas,  a  pledge  to  you  that  you,  your  children, 
and  your  children's  children  shall  enjoy  the  priceless  legacy  b&- 
queathed  to  us  by  our  fathers  of  1776  and  1836. 

Executive  Department 

By  this  you  will  see  every  needful  guaranty  of  faithful  and  effi- 
cient administration,  with  a  material  reduction  in  expenses,  and 
biennial  return  to  the  people  for  reelection,  the  result  of  a  patriotic 
spirit  of  concession  in  the  Convention.  The  direct  money  reduction 
in  this  department  amounts  to  $31,500,  by  reduction  of  salaries 
and  the  abolition  of  certain  offices. 

Legislative  Department 

We  invite  your  careful  attention  to  the  great  reduction  in  this 
department  of  the  government.  The  cost  of  the  last  six  sessions 
of  the  legislature  for  mileage,  per  diem  and  contingent  expenses, 
has  been  as  follows: 

Three  sessions  of  the  Twelfth  Legislature $     641,122  .  62 

One  session  of  the  Thirteenth  Legislature 282,421.39 

Two  sessions  of  the  Fourteenth  Legislature 328,744.34 


Total   for   six  years $1,252,287.91 

Showing    an    annual    expense    of    $208,714.65. 

How  It  Will  Be  Hereafter 

Sixty  days  sessions  biennially,   per  diem $37,500.00 

Mileage    10,000.00 

Contingent    expenses,    about 18,000.00 


Total     $65,500.00 

Being   annually   only 32,500.00 

Which  being  deducted  from  $208,714.65  shows  an  annual  saving 
of  $176,214.6.5.     Then  it  is  a  moderate  estimate  to  say  that  in  sav- 


Parties  in  Texas  167 

ing  250,000  votes  of  biennial  registration,  is  equal  in  time  and 
money  to  one  dollar  to  each  voter,  or  $250,000,  equal  to  an  annual 
saving  to  the  industries  of  the  State  of  $125,000. 

The  new  Constitution  restores  our  former  wise  and  just  system 
of  local  representation  in  the  legislature,  whereby  the  representative 
is  taken  directly  from  his  own  locality,  and  thereby  held  more  im- 
mediately responsible  to  those  he  represents. 

Suffrage 

After  years  o^f  sore  irritation  to  every  spirit  of  manhood,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  our  inherited  rights  as  freemen,  the  new  Constitution 
breaks  down  every  barrier  to  an  honest  exercise  of  the  right  of 
voting.  No  more  registration  is  required,  and  no  more  espionage 
by  partisan  officials  is  tolerated.  As  a  guaranty  of  fair  and  honest 
elections,  it  is  only  required  that  every  man  shall  vote  in  his  own 
precinct,  among  his  neighbors  where  he  is  known.  The  honest  citi- 
zen will  submit  to  this  rather  than  leave  the  door  open  for  re- 
peating and  other  frauds. 

County  School  Lands 

The  four  leagues,  or  17,712  acres,  donated  by  the  fathers  of 
Texas  to  each  county  for  educational  purposes,  and  wrested  from 
them  by  the  constitution  of  1869,  are  restored  to  the  rightful  own- 
ers, subject  to  disposition  by  the  respective  county  courts  for  school 
purposes.  This  is  a  righteous  act  of  justice. 

Public  Roads 

The  unjust  and  odious  road  tax,  placed  in  the  constitution  of 
1869  for  partisan  purposes,  and  at  variance  with  all  our  past 
history,  by  its  burthen  upon  the  aged,  the  widow,  and  the  orphan,  and 
its  exemption  of  two:thirds  of  all  the  able-bodied  men  then  in  the 
State,  is  abrogated  in  toto.  The  new  Constitution  restores  the  old 
system,  hallowed  by  time  and  demanded  by  the  people  of  the  State. 
The  road  tax  as  heretofore  fastened  upon  us  amounts  in  round  num- 
bers to  $137,500.  This  sum  is  saved  to  the  people  annually  as  a  money 
contribution,  by  a  return  to  our  old  system  of  personal  service  on  the 
roads,  which  added  to  the  annual  saving  in  money  to  the  people  in  the 
Legislative  Department,  amounts  to  an  annual  reduction  of  $290,998.15, 
which  added  to  the  reduction  in  the  Executive  Department,  shows  a 
grand  total  under  these  heads,  annually  saved  to  the  people  of  $316,715.15. 
Add  to  this  the  annual  saving  of  a  biennal  as  compared  with 
annual  elections  .  150,000.00 


Total    savings    $466,795.15 


168  Platforms  of   Political 

Education 

On  this  subject  great  diversity  of  opinion  prevailed  in  the  Convention 
among  tha  purest  and  most  patriotic  members  of  the  body.  All  were 
anxious  to  place  within  the  reach  of  every  child  in  the  State  a  sound, 
practical  education  for  the  duties  of  life;  but  as  to  the  details,  in  view 
of  our  condition  as  a  new  and  sparsely  settled  commonwealth  of  im- 
mense territory — an  area  larger  than  France,  and  more  than  five  times 
as  large  as  the  great  State  of  New  York — the  wisest  and  purest  mem- 
bers of  the  Convention — men  whose  devotion  to  Texas  cannot  be  ques- 
tioned— found  themselves  confronted  with  grave  difficulties,  and 
naturally  held  variant  views  as  to  the  means  with  which  to  accomplish 
a  common  object — the  greatest  good  to  those  who  are  to  succeed  us, 
generation  by  generation,  as  the  sovereign  people  of  Texas. 

Some  were  disposed,  in  their  intense  desire  for  early  universal  edu- 
cation, to  lay  a  heavy  tax  on  the  people  at  once)  to  maintain  a  general 
system  of  free  schools  for  all.  Others,  no  less  ardent  in  favor  of  the 
common  object,  realized  that  the  parents  and  taxpayers  of  today  had 
just  emerged  from  four  years'  bloody  and  devastating  war,  followed  by 
ten  years  of  first  a  military  and  then  an  anomalous  system  of  govern- 
ment, distasteful  to  the  intelligent  multitude,  repugnant  to  their  tra- 
ditional ideas  of  liberty,  and  engendering  distrust  between  the  common 
citizenship  of  the  State,  distrust  in  the  breasts  of  all  towards  those  in 
authority,  and  altogether  begetting  in  the  minds  of  the  most  intelligent 
men  a  feeling  of  doubt  and  uncertainty,  the  very  opposite  of  that 
which  should  exist  in  the  heart  of  every  citizen  in  a  free  State.  Such 
being  the  case,  the  Convention,  realizing  that  the  State  has  on  hand  an 
interest  bearing  fund  of  about  three  million  dollars;  a  patented  land 
fund  in  the  organized  counties  of  about  twenty  million  acres  of  land, 
now  placed  on  the  market  and  being  taken  up  by  actual  settlers;  an 
additional  land  fund  of  many  million  acres  in  the  unorganized  counties 
and  the  unorganized  territory;  and  beyond  all  this  munificent  grant, 
one-half  of  all  the  unappropriated  public  demain  of  the  State;  the 
whole  amounting  in  round  numbers  to  over  sixty  million  acres,  de- 
cided that  it  would  be  unwise  and  unjust  to  impose  on  the  parents 
and  taxpayers  of  to-day  an  onerous  money  tax  to  maintain  at  once  a 
gigantic  system  of  free  schools.  After  the  most  exhaustive  discussion 
of  the  subject,  and  in  view  of  this  splendid  future,  a  majority  of  the 
Convention  determined  to  limit  the  present  taxation  on  the  people  in 
support  of  free  schools  to  one-fourth  of  the  annual  revenue  of  the 
State,  and  a  poll  tax  of  one  dollar  on  each  male  inhabitant  between 
the  ages  of  twenty-one  and  sixty  years,  which,  added  to  the  annual 
interest  on  the  permanent  school  fund,  will  now  amount  to  the  annual 
sum  of  about  $775,000,  so  long  as  the  general  revenue  shall  remain  as 
it  now  is. 

Beyond  all  this,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  17,712  acres  of 
land  belonging  to  every  county  in  the  State  is  an  additional  fund  for 


Parfies  in  Texas  109 

educational  purposes.  Some  of  the  counties  have  lands  worth  to-day 
five  dollars  to  ten  dollars  per  acre.  Others  are  less  fortunate,  but  to 
all  this  grant  is  a  material  auxiliary  to  the  resources  for  common 
school  education,  and  provision  is  made  for  bringing  it  into  market 
and  preserving  its  principal  as  a  perpetual  fund,  the  interest  being 
annually  used  for  school  purposes  by  the  counties  themselves. 

Railroads 

By  the  clauses  on  this  subject  it  will  be  seen  that,  while  a  liberal 
policy  is  adopted  for  the  State,  every  needful  power  is  retained  in  the 
hands  of  the  people,  through  the  legislature,  from  time  to  time,  to  so 
regulate  and  control  them  as  to  protect  the  people  from  all  unjust 
monopolies  and  unfair  discriminations.  On  this  subject  the  Conven- 
tion has  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  Pennsylvania  and  Missouri  in 
their  constitutions,  recently  adopted  after  long  experience,  with  a  view 
to  protect  the  people  against  abuses  from  that  source.  We  ask  your 
careful  attention  to  this  portion  of  the  Constitution.  It  will  be  seen 
that  neither  the  legislature,  nor  any  county  or  town,  can  vote  the 
public  money,  or  fasten  a  debt  by  way  of  subsidy  to  any  private  cor- 
poration, whether  railroad  or  other  association  for  private  profit. 

•  Judicial   Department 

In  this  branch  of  the  Constitution,  under  which  the  greatest  burthens 
have  heretofore  rested  on  the  people,  the  Convention  encountered  its 
most  difficult  problems.  As  it  has  been  for  six  years,  with  forty  judges 
laterally  on  the  bench,  the  administration  of  justice  has  been  far 
behind  in  nearly  all  the  counties.  Parties  litigant  in  civil  cases,  as 
well  as  parties  charged  with  crime,  have  been  so  delayed  as  to  amount 
in  thousands  of  cases  to  a  denial  of  justice.  But  the  most  potent 
wrong  has  been  upon  the  witnesses  and  juries  taken  from  their  re- 
spective industries  and  held  for  days,  weeks,  and  sometimes  months, 
in  waiting  upon  the  courts;  and  the  enormous  costs  in  enforcing  the 
criminal  laws.  This  state  of  things  has  been  deplorable,  and  a  severe 
tax  upon  the  people.  Judicial  delays  have  kept  our  jails  filled  with 
prisoners  at  a  ruinous  expense  to  the  counties;  and  many  misde- 
meanors having  been  unwisely  placed  in  the  list  of  felonies,  the  peni- 
tentiary, at  great  cost  to  the  State,  has  been  made  to  overflow  with 
convicts,  mostly  for  short  terms.  To  correct  this  evil,  and  these 
ruinous  burthens  upon  both  the  counties  and  the  State,  whose  interest 
Is  one  and  the  same,  was  a  problem  with  which  the  Convention  had  to 
grapple.  To  relieve  the  supreme  court  of  its  overtaxed  labors  and 
secure  prompt,  final  decisions;  to  enable  the  district  courts  to  promptly 
discharge  their  business  and  relieve  jurors  and  witnesses  of  the  great 
burthens  now  imposed  on  them,  were  the  great  objects  of  the  Conven- 
tion. We  trust  these  results  have  been  attained.  We  invite  your 
critical  attention  to  this  article  of  the  Constitution.  By  its  pro- 


170  Platforms  of  Political 

visions  it  is  hoped  all  suits,  civil  and  criminal,  may  be  speedily  dis- 
posed of,  and,  if  time  proves  it  defective,  the  legislature  may,  to  a 
large  extent,  remedy  the  defect.  The  relief  thus  afforded  to  the  people 
cannot  be  estimated  with  accuracy,  but  may  be  summed  up  as  an 
enormous  annual  saving  to  the  industry  of  the  State. 

But  under  the  new  system  as  compared  with  the  present  there  is  a 
direct  money  saving  which  may  be  easily  stated  in  dollars  and  cents. 
We  state  it  by  a  comparison  of  the  present  with  the  proposed  judicial 
system.  Examine  the  figures: 

As  It  Is  Now 

Five  Supreme  Judges  at  $4,500  each $  22,500.00 

Forty  District  Judges  at  $3.500  each 140,000.00 

Thirty-eight  District  Attorneys  at  $1,200  each..  45,600.00 


Total    annual   salaries $208,100.00 

As  Proposed  in  the  New  Constitution 

Three    Supreme   Judges,    $3,550 $  10,650.00 

Three  Appellate  Judges,  $3,550 10,650.00 

Twenty-six    District    Judges,    $2,500 65,000.00 

Ten  District  Attorneys    (estimated)    $500 ' 5,000.00 


Total   annual   salaries $  91,300.00 

Annual  reduction $116,800.00 

Thus  we  save  as  follows  annually: 

In  the  Executive  Department $  31,500.00 

In   the   Judicial    (in   salaries  alone) 116,800.00 

In   the   Legislative 174,964.65 

In   the   road   tax..  137,500.00 


$460,764.65 
Costs  of  Court 

The  costs  of  administering  the  civil  and  criminal  laws  for  the  State 
for  the  year  ending  August  31,  1875,  were  as  follows: 

To  the  State $    373,120.00 

To  the  Counties,  for  support  of  prisoners  $216,617.21,  for 
jail  guards  $68,063.21,  for  juries   in  criminal  cases, 

$235,226.67     519,897.48 

Pay  of  grand  juries  and  juries  in  civil  cases.... 132,740.18 

Mileage  on  prisoners  to  the  penitentiary 100,000.00 

Fees   to  District   Attorneys   and  other   officers    in   crim- 
inal cases    .  200,000.00 


$1,425,765.66 


Parties  in  Texas  171 

It  is  confidently  believed  by  persons  well  qualified  to  judge  that 
under  the  new  system  fully  one-half  of  this  large  sum  of  money,  say 
$712,882.83.  will  be  saved.  The  reduction  in  expense  to  the  counties 
and  the  State  would  thus  foot  up 

As   above    ; $  712,882.83 

Reduction  in  the  Executive,  Legislative,  and  Judicial  De- 
partments, and  in  the  Road  Tax,  as  before  set  forth. .  460,764.65 

Annual  saving  by  Biennial   elections 125,000.00 

Annual  saving  by  changes  in  Jury  System,  in  money  and 

time 300,000.00 


Grand    total     $1,596,647.48 

But  this  falls  far  short  of  the  facts.  The  immense  impositions  on 
the  people  for  jury  service  has  heretofore  well-night  absorbed  the 
general  and  ad  valorem  tax  in  the  counties,  leading  to  certain  financial 
ruin.  Under  the  new  Constitution  this  evil,  in  actual  money  ex- 
penditure, is  reduced  fully  one-half,  with  a  corresponding  saving  of 
time  to  the  people.  The  aggregate  of  this  retrenchment  in  time  and 
money  to  the  people  of  the  State  at  the  lowest  estimate  cannot  fall 
below  three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It  is  also  believed  that  the 
speedy  administration  of  the  criminal  laws,  as  provided  for  in  the  new 
Constitution,  will  rapidly  diminish  crime,  and  prove  a  double  blessing 
to  the  State. 

Miscellaneous  Subjects 

Examine  the  article  on  General  Provisions  and  you  will  see  many 
wholesome  and  judicious  principles  secured.  In  other  articles  and 
sections  you  will  see  wise  provisions  against  the  abuses  of  corporate 
power,  extravagant  taxation,  special  legislation,  (the  source  of  great 
evils  and  heavy  expenditures,)  prohibitions  against  appropriation  of 
the  people's  money  to  illegitimate  purposes,  for  the  regulation  of  the 
veto  power,  checks  against  hasty  or  corrupt  legislation,  and  many  other 
safeguards  against  wrong  and  the  preservation  of  honest  government 
and  the  liberties  of  the  people. 

Summing  up  the  entire  annual  relief  to  the  people  in  the  moneyed 
reductions  above  set  forth  and  the  saving  of  time  to  the  people  of  the 
State,  you  will  readily  see  that  the  whole  amounts  to  more  than  a 
million  and  a  half  of  dollars. 

The  entire  expenses  of  the  Convention,  having  reduced  their  own  pay 
from  eight  to  five  dollars  per  day,  including  mileage  in  the  reduction, 
does  not  exceed  seventy  thousand  dollars,  leaving  unexpended  of  the 
appropriation  made  for  the  purpose,  by  the  last  legislature,  thirty 
thousand  dollars.  Before  the  election  of  the  Convention  its  opponents 
charged  that  it  would  cost  from  three  to  five  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
Has  any  body  ever  assembled  in  this  Union  with  greater  evidence  of 
self-denial  and  integrity  of  purpose?  The  late  Convention  of  Missouri 


172  Platforms  of  Political 

is  said  to  have  cost  about  three  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  that  of 
Pennsylvania  about  one  million.  The  convention  of  Missouri  sat  four 
months,  that  of  Pennsylvania  eight  months.  The  Convention  of  Texas 
has  done  its  work  in  two  and  a  half  months,  at  a  cost  of  seventy 
thousand  dollars.  May  not  the  people  of  our  State  be  justly  proud  of 
such  an  array  of  facts?  They  constitute  such  a  reply  to  the  unjust 
attacks  on  the  Convention  from  various  quarters  as  must  be  satis- 
factory to  every  citizen  of  the  State. 

Beyond  all  this,  a  most  wise  and  salutary  provision  has  been  made 
to  quiet  land  titles  and  protect  actual  citizens,  who  pay  taxes  to  sup- 
port the  government,  in  their  homes  against  the  wiles  of  unscrupulous 
men  who  are  ever  the  enemies  of  good  order,  security  and  peace  in  the 
State.  Thousands  of  families,  now  anxious  and  disquieted  from  this 
source,  may  repose  in  peace  the  moment  the  new  Constitution  shall  be 
adopted  by  the  sovereign  voice  of  the  State. 

Conclusion 

Making  no  pretense  to  perfection;  acknowledging  that  neither  one 
of  us  approves  every  item  in  the  new  Constitution;  that  each  one  of  us 
may  have  opposed  some  particular  clause  or  article,  favoring  other 
proposed  clauses  which  failed  to  be  adopted;  realizing  that  T^xas  is 
peculiarly  and  differently  situated  from  any  other  «t^te  in  the  Union, 
owing  to  her  own  public  domain,  with  a  million  and  a  half  of  people 
one-third  of  whom  are  comparative  strangers  to  our  peculiar  juris- 
prudence and  complex  system  of  land  titles;  that  we  have  so  recently 
recovered  the  right  of  self-government,  after  years  of  misrule  and  mis- 
fortune; while  some  of  us  unqualifiedly  indorse  the  essential  prin- 
ciples of  the  new  Constitution,  all  agree  that  it  is  a  vast  improvement 
on  the  present  one,  and  will  bring  great  relief  to  the  people.  And  as 
an  easy  and  simple  mode  is  provided  for  its  amendment  in  any  par- 
ticular, where  experience  may  prove  its  provisions  unwise — as  citizens 
of  the  State,  devoted  to  its  welfare,  and  representatives  of  the  people, 
recognizing  our  responsibility  before  the  judgment  bar  of  an  enlight- 
ened commonwealth  of  freemen,  we  earnestly  appeal  to  you,  fellow- 
citizens,  to  turn  out  en  masse  on  the  day  appointed,  Tuesday,  February 
15,  1876,  and  vote  for  the  ratification  of  the  Constitution. 

JOHN  HENRY  BROWN,   of  Dallas,  Chairman. 

JOHN  H.  REAGAN,  of  Anderson, 

JAMES  C.  GAITHEE,  of  Falls, 

JOHN  W.  WHITFIELD,  of  Lavaca, 

W.  B.  WRIGHT,  of  Lamar, 

L.  W.  MOORE,  of  Fayette, 

ED.  CHAMBERS,  of  Collin, 

L.  S.  Ross,  of  McLennan, 

WM.  P.  MCLEAN,  of  Titus, 

WM.  NEAL  RAMEY,  of  Shelby. 


Parlies  in  Texas  17'J 

While  we  do  not  concur  in  all  the  particulars  of  the  address  of  the 
Committee,  we,  nevertheless,  join  in  recommending  the  adoption  of 
the  new  Constitution  by  the  people  as  one  much  to  be  preferred  to 
that  now  existing. 

F.  S.  STOCKDALE,  of  Calhoun, 

JOHN  S.  FORD,  of  Cameron. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1876 
GALVESTON,  January  5-7 

A  consultation  of  Democrats  was  called  to  meet  at  Austin 
on  November  10,  1875,  by  the  new  chairman  of  the  State  ex- 
ecutive committee,  Joseph  D.  Sayers.1  At  this  consultation  it 
was  agreed  that  the  State  convention  should  be  held  at  Gal- 
vest  on  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  January,  1876.  A  few  days 
later  a  formal  call  was  issued:  "As  important  an  election  as 
was  ever  held  in  a  free  country  will  be  before  you.  Not  only 
the  selection  of  proper  officers — thereby  ensuring  an  honest  and 
successful  administration — but  also  the  consideration  of  a  new 
organic  law,  and  its  adoption  or  rejection,  will  devolve  upon 
you."  Whether  it  should  indorse  the  new  constitution  was 
the  great  issue  before  the  convention. 

Officers:  President,  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,  of  Marion.  Vice-Presi- 
dents, thirty-one.  Secretary,  Leigh  Chalmers. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  W.  S. 
Herndon,  F.  B.  Sexton,  W.  M.  Walton,  George  Clark,  George 
Mason,  D.  P.  Bowers,  T.  B.  Wheeler,  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,  J.  W. 
Whitfield,  James  Bates,  E.  Pinckney  Hill,  Leigh  Chalmers,  James 
N.  Williams,  Bethel  Coopwood,  N.  Holland,  and  W.  L.  Crawford ; 
1st  Congressional  district,  D.  A.  Nunn,  of  Crockett,  and  W.  H. 
Tucker,  of  Anderson;  2.  James  A.  Weaver,  of  Hopkins,  and 
H.  W.  Lightfoot,  of  Lamar;  3.  Thomas  H.  Murray,  of  Collin, 
and  John  C.  McCoy,  of  Dallas;  4.  Ashbel  Smith,  of  Harris, 
and  J.  B.  Jones,  of  the  Frontier  Battalion;  5.  J.  D.  Giddings, 
of  Washington,  and  W.  L.  Moody,  of  Galveston ;  6.  F.  S.  Stock- 
dale,  of  Calhoun,  and  Joseph  E.  Dwyer,  of  Bexar. 

Presidential  Electors:     State  at  large,  D.  C.  Giddings  and  B. 

aHaving  been  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the  supreme  court,  John 
Ireland  resigned  the  chairmanship  about  the  middle  of  September. 


174  Platforms  of  Political 

H.  Epperson;  1st  Congressional  district,  Geo.  W.  Chilton,  of 
Smith ;  2,  B.  D.  Martin,  of  Hunt ;  3.  James  M.  Hurt,  of  Gray- 
son;  4.  Thos.  J.  Beall,  of  Brazos;  5.  Richard  V.  Cook,  of  Colo- 
rado; 6.  William  H.  Burges,  of  Guadalupe. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Richard  Coke,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; Lieutenant-Governor,  R.  B.  Hubbard,  of  Smith;  At- 
torney-General, H.  H.  Boone,  of  Grimes;  Comptroller,  Stephen 
H.  Darden,  of  Caldwell;  Treasurer,  A.  J.  Dorn,  of  Fannin; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  J.  Gross,  of  Comal ; 
Supreme  Court  Judges,  O.  M.  Roberts,  George  F.  Moore,  and 
Robert  S.  Gould ;  Court  of  Appeals,  C.  M.  Winkler,  M.  D.  Ector, 
and  John  P.  White. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  district,  W.  P. 
Hicks,  of  Tyler;  2.  John  H.  Brooks,  of  San  Augustine;  3.  N.  G. 
Bagley,  of  Rusk;  4.  Wm.  Stedman,  of  Harrison;  5.  W.  W. 
Henderson,  of  Cass ;  6.  John  H.  Clark,  of  Red  River ;  7.  W.  S. 
Herndon,  of  Smith;  8.  John  E.  Dillard,  of  Cherokee;  9.  James 
Q.  Chenoweth,  of  Fannin ;  10.  A.  S.  Marshall,  of  Hunt ;  11.  J. 
M.  Hurt,  of  Grayson;  12.  R.  D.  Armand,  of  Collin;  13.  W.  L. 
Andrews,  of  Ellis;  14.  Robt.  A.  Davis,  of  Grimes;  15.  T.  J. 
Bell,  of  Brazos;  16.  Thos.  W.  Blake,  of  Grimes;  17.  George  E. 
Quinan,  of  Wharton;  18.  E.  Pinckney  Hill,  of  Harris;  19.  George 
Mason,  of  Galveston;  20.  Dewitt  C.  Booth,  of  Burleson;  21.  Geo. 
W.  Tyler,  of  Bell;  22.  Wm.  W.  Flournoy,  of  McLennan;  23. 
K.  M.  Van  Zandt,  of  Tarrant ;  24.  J.  D.  Stephens,  of  Comanche  ; 
25.  John  D.  Elliott,  of  Travis;  26.  B.  F.  Dunn,  of  Fayette; 
27.  J.  M.  Harwood,  of  Gonzales;  28.  F.  S.  Stockdale,  of  Calhoun, 
chairman;  29.  John  S.  Ford,  of  Cameron;  30.  H.  P.  Brewster, 
of  Bexar ;  31.  Wm.  H.  Jennings,  of  Caldwell. 

PLATFORM2 

We,  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  hereby  declare 
our  principles  and  policy,  and  ask  for  them  the  popular  approval: 

1.  We  reaffirm  our  faith  in  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party 
as  heretofore  enunciated  by  our  State  conventions,  and  congratulate 
the  people  upon  the  faithful  redemption  of  all  the  pledges  upon  which 
the  Democratic  party  was  recently  placed  in  power  in  Texas,  and  point 

-The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Houston  Daily 
Telegraph,  January  6-8,  and  the  Galveston  Daily  News,  January  6-7,  1876. 


Parties  in  Texas  115 

to  the  honesty  and  efficiency  of  our  present  State  administration  as  a 
full  guarantee  of  our  continued  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  the  State 
and  the  people. 

2.  The   Democracy  now,  as   in   the   past,  adhering  to  its  policy  of 
maintaining  an  efficient  system  of  general  education,  declares  it  to  be 
the  duty  of  the  legislature  of  the  State  to  speedily  establish  and  make 
provision  for  the  support  and  maintenance  of  public  free  schools,  and 
to  this  end  to  exercise  the  whole  power  with  which  ift  is  vested. 

3.  The  sufferings  and  losses  of  our  people  on  the  frontier  from  the 
forages  of  savages,  and  upon  the  Mexican  border  from  invasion,  murder, 
and  rapine  by  the  Mexican  banditti,  enlist  our  deep  and  sincere  sym- 
pathy; and,  while  we  hereby  pledge  our  most  energetic  efforts  to  afford 
them  adequate  protection  in  person  and  property  by  the  State,  we  also 
earnestly   appeal   to   the   general   government   to   give  that   protection 
and  security  to  our  people  and  their  property  thus  exposed,  to  which 
they  are  entitled  under  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 

4.  That  the  Democratic  party,  firmly  upholding  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  as  the  foundation  and  limitation  of  the  powers  of 
the   general  government  and  the  safe  shield  of  the  liberties  of   the 
people,   demands  for  the  citizen  the  largest  freedom  consistent  with 
public  order,  and  for  every  State  the  right  of  self-government  and  home 
rule.     That  they  uphold  the  former  and  demand  the  latter. 

5.  The   Democracy  of   Texas   plants   itself   upon   the   great  leading 
principles  announced  in  the  inaugural  of  President  Jefferson  and  the 
Farewell  Address  of  the  immortal  Jackson,  and  enters  the  contest  of 
1876  with  the  firm  conviction  that  the  elements  of  opposition  to  the 
National    administration    should   be    consolidated   in    the   approaching 
presidential  campaign  without  prejudice  to  the  unity  and  perpetuity 
of  the  Democratic  organization. 

6.  That  we  pledge  to  the  nominees  qf  this  Convention  our  earnest 
and  active  support. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Joseph  D.  Sayers,  of  Bastrop, 
chairman;  1st  district,  W.  W.  Whitehead,  of  Tyler;  2.  W.  B. 
Waul  of  Houston;  3.  J.  G.  Hazlewood,  of  Panola;  4.  S.  E.  Was- 
com.  of  Harrison;  5.  T.  J.  Campbell,  of  Marion;  6.  W.  A.  Wor- 
tham,  of  Hopkins ;  7.  Thos.  R.  Bonner,  of  Smith ;  8.  H.  J.  Hunter, 
of  Anderson ;  9.  Henry  W.  Lightfoot,  of  Lamar ;  10.  J.  J.  Hill, 
of  Kaufman ;  11.  Wm.  Hudson,  of  Cook ;  12.  Thos.  H.  Murray, 
of  Collin;  13.  A.  Bradshaw,  of  Ellis;  14.  James  R.  Seely,  of 
Freestone;  15.  J.  H.  Littlefield,  of  Robertson;  16.  T.  J.  Goree, 
of  Walker;  17.  George  Quinan,  of  Wharton;  18.  Chas.  Stewart, 
of  Harris;  19.  Chas.  L.  Cleveland,  of  Galveston;  20.  Wm.  Thomp- 
son, of  Washington;  21.  B.  W.  Rimes,  of  Falls;  22.  C.  G.  Pearre, 


176  Platforms   of  Political 

of  McLennan;  23.  C.  M.  Peat,  of  Tarrant;  24.  G.  G.  Thomas, 
of  Bosque;  25.  N.  G.  Shelley,  of  Travis;  26.  B.  F.  Dunn,  of 
Bexar;  27.  George  McCormick,  of  Colorado;  28.  G.  F.  Bailey, 
of  Aransas;  29.  John  S.  Ford,  of  Cameron;  30.  Chas.  Montague, 
of  Medina;  31.  A.  N.  Denton,  of  Hays. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1876 

GALVESTON,  January  12-14 

"After  consultation  with  many  Republicans  of  Texas  and 
members  of  the  State  Central  Committee,"  said  Chairman  E. 
J.  Davis,  in  a  call  dated  Austin,  December  13,  "1875,  "it  has 
been  deemed  advisable  to  hold  a  convention  of  Republicans  of 
the  State  to  decide  the  policy  of  the  party  in  the  approaching 
canvass  for  State  officers  and  the  ratification  or  rejection  of  the 
constitution  framed  by  the  Constitutional  Convention." 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  E.  W.  Brady,  of  Grimes, 
permanent,  J.  G.  Tracy,  of  Harris.  Vice-Presidents,  1st  Con- 
gressional district,  L.  W.  Cooper  and  A.  T.  Monroe;  2.  J.  B. 
Williamson  and  David  Abner;  3.  A.  B.  Norton  and  L.  W.  Wil- 
liams; 4.  W.  R.  Chase  and  J.  H.  Washington;  5.  James  B. 
Cooper  and  Jeremiah  Hamilton;  6.  Nelson  Plato  and  W.  J. 
Locke.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  Julius  Schutze,  of  Travis;  per- 
manent, J.  P.  Newcomb,  of  Bexar. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  E.  J. 
Davis,  A.  B.  Norton,  Adolf  Zadek,  and  S.  H.  Russell;  1st  Con- 
gressional district,  L.  W.  Cooper  and  S.  T.  Newton;  2.  A.  G. 
Malloy  and  F.  W.  Miner;  3.  J.  L.  L.  McCall  and  L.  W.  Wil- 
liams; 4.  R.  Allen  and  A.  J.  Evans;  5.  N.  WT.  Cuney  and  Julius 
Schutze;  6.  J.  P.  Newcomb  and  Wm.  Billings. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  D.  McAdoo  and 
Wesley  B.  Ogden ;  1st  Congressional  district,  Webster  Flanagan ; 
2.  J.  B.  Williamson;  3.  J.  H.  Millican;  4.  blank;  5.  J.  C.  Acres; 
6.  W.  Westhoff. 

Nominees  for  State  Officers:  Governor,  Wm.  Chambers,  of 
Chambers;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Fred  W.  Miner,  of  Lamar; 
Attorney-General,  J.  R.  Burns,  of  Fayette;  Comptroller,  A.  M. 
Bryant,  of  Grayson;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Umdenstock,  of  Harrison; 


Parties  in  Texas  177 

Commissoner  of  the   General  Land  Office,  Jacob  Kuechler,   of 
Bexar.     No  nominations  were  made  for  judicial  positions. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  E.  J.  Davis,  of 
Travis,  chairman;  S.  D.  Wood,  of  Smith;  L.  W.  Williams,  of 
Grayson;  W.  J.  Locke,  of  Bexar;  R.  Allen,  of  Harris;  B.  R. 
Plumley,  Galveston :  William  Chambers,  of  Chambers ;  J.  R. 
Burnett,  of  Walker :  L.  W.  Cooper,  of  Houston ;  J.  W.  Flanagan, 
of  Rusk;  A.  M.  Cochran,  of  Dallas;  Nelson  Plato,  of  Nueces; 
W.  H.  Price,  of  Fort  Bend ;  F.  W.  Miner,  of  Lamar ;  J.  Wilson, 
of  Brazoria;  J.  H.  Bell,  of  Travis;  J.  L.  Dickson,  of  Grimes; 
and  John  G.  Bell,  of  Austin. 

PLATFORM1 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  denounce  the  Constitution  framed  by  the  late 
convention  at  Austin,  and  now  submitted  to  the  people  of  Texas  for 
ratification,  as  unfit  to  become  the  organic  law  of  the  State  for  the 
following,  amongst  other,  reasons: 

(1)  Because   it   is  intended  by  it  to  deny  that  the  people  of  the 
United  States  constitute  a  nation,  and  that  the  Constitution  and  laws 
of  the  United  States  are  the  supreme  law  of  the  land  in  all  the  States 
and  Territories  of  the  Union,  thus  remitting  to  the  future  the  same 
political  issues  which  involved  the  country  in  the  late  Civil  War. 

(2)  Because  the  said  Constitution  seeks  to  cheat  the  people  with 
specious  provisions  in  relation  to  schools,  while  it  utterly  fails  to  secure 
an  efficient  system  of  free  public  schools,  which  is  the  greatest  necessity 
of  the  State,  the  surest  guaranty  of  progress,  and  the  best  defense 
of  liberty. 

(3)  Because    the    said    Constitution    proposes    a    judiciary    system 
.which,  in  practical  operation,  will  be  cumbersome,  onerous  to  the  people, 

destructive  of  private  rights,  unnecessarily  expensive,  injurious  to  the 
poorer  classes,  and  especially  to  the  interests  of  widows  and  orphans. 

(4)  Because  the  said  Constitution  is  unfriendly  to  immigration,  so 
much  needed  to  develop  the  great  natural  resources  of  our  young  and 
fertile  State. 

(5)  Because  the  said  Constitution  is  unfriendly  to  any  system  of 
internal   improvements,   without  which  the   agriculture  of   the   State, 
which  is  its  greatest  interest,  must  languish  for  want  of  facilities  for 
proper  and  healthful  development. 

(6)  Because  the  said  Constitution  is  unnecessarily  oppressive  to  a 
large  number  of  citizens  in  requiring  taxes  on  lands  to  be  paid  in  the 

*The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Houston  Daily 
Telegraph,  January  13-15,  1876  ;  they  are  incomplete.  The  reports  in  the 
Galveston  News  are  equally  unsatisfactory. 

12—328 


178  Platforms   of  Political 

counties  where  the  lands  are  situated.  For  which,  and  other  reasons, 
the  Republican  party  of  Texas  will  oppose  the  ratification  of  the  said 
Constitution  and  leave  all  the  responsibility  that  will  properly  attach 
to  its  adoption  upon  the  party  which  framed  it.  And  we  invite  Repub- 
licans throughout  the  State  to  vote  against  its  ratification. 

2.  That   we   indorse   the    administration    of   President    Grant,    and 
that   the   course   of   his    administration    in   preserving  peace   with   all 
nations;   in  liquidating  so  large  a  portion  of  the  public  debt;    in  con- 
ducting the  affairs  of  the  Nation  with  energy,  economy,  and  impartial 
justice;  and  in  exposing  and  punishing  fraud  and  corruption  wherever 
found,  with  the  determination  to  "let  no  guilty  man  escape,"  especially 
meets  our  highest  approbation,  and  commands  our  individual  support. 

3.  That  we  favor  a  currency  based  on  coin  and  redeemable  in  coin; 
and  that  the  best  interests  of  the  country  demand  the  speediest  possible 
return  to  specie  payments,  so  that  the  currency  of  the  country  may 
not  be  subject  to  constant  fluctuations  in  value. 

4.  That  the  Republicans  of  this  State  deprecate  party  nominations 
of  Judges  of  the  Supreme,  Appellate  and  other,  benches,  as  impolitic, 
unwise,  and  unrepublican,  and,  therefore,  we  condemn  and  denounce 
the  attempt  of  the  Democracy  to  so  make  partizans  of  the  judiciary  as 
fraught  with  evil  to  the  whole  people  of  the  State,  and  we  recommend 
that  no  nominations  for  such  offices  be  made,  and  that  Republicans 
make  choice  at  the  election  of  the  best  men  offering  their  services  for 
the  same. 

5.  That  the  disturbed  condition  of  the  Texas  frontier  commands  the 
attention  of  this  Convention,  and  demands  our  positive  action  with  a 
view  to  secure  increased  protection  to  life  and  property;   and  for  the 
purpose  of  extending  all  requisite  aid  in  our  power  to  the  people  of  our 
border,  we  request  from  the  National  authority  a  rigid  investigation 
forthwith  of  the  alleged  insecurity  of  life  and  property  now  existing 
upon  the  border  and  the  cause  thereof,  and  ask  to  be  guaranteed  the 
protection   due  American   citizens;    and   further,   we   earnestly   invoke 
the  whole  power  of  the  Government,  if  necessary,  to  the  adoption  of 
such  measures  as  will  secure  the\  protection  required  by  reason  of  the 
said  disturbed  condition  of  affairs  upon  that  border. 

That  we  confess  with  humiliation  the  inability  displayed  by  the 
present  State  government  to  afford  the  protection  sought  in  the  fore- 
going resolution. 

6.  That  we  especially  and  particularly  denounce  that  section  of  the 
proposed  Democratic  Constitution  which  forbids  that  proper  aid  and 
encouragement  be  given  to  immigration  to  our  State. 

7.  That  the  present  State  administration  deserves  the  condemnation 
of  the  people  of  this  State  because  of  its  wasteful  mismanagement  of 
the  finances   of  the   State,   whereby  three  millions   of  dollars   of  the 
State  bonds  have  been  added  to  the  debt  of  the  State,  and  many  millions 
of  dollars  of  taxation  have  been  exacted  from  the  people  under  our 


Parties  in  Texas  179 

oppressive  tax  system,  yet  the  treasury  obligations  of  the  State  find 
no  funds  on  hand  for  payment  when  presented  at  the  treasury. 

8.  That  because  of  the  inefficiency  and  failure  of  the  present  State 
administration  to  enforce  the  laws  in  this  State  and  protect  citizens  in 
their  rights,  it  becomes  necessary  for  us  to  call  on  the  general  govern- 
ment to  assist,  so  far  as  the  Constitution  and  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  will  permit,  in  maintaining  order  and  protecting  our  citizens; 
and  we  further  request  the  President  of  the  United  States  to  instruct 
the  civil  officers  of  the  government  of  the  United  States,  within  this 
State,  to  see  that  the  Kuklux  and  other  protective  laws  are  duly  en- 
forced, and  that  schoolhouse  burners  be  brought  to  punishment. 

9.  That  the  Republicans  will  expose  the  trick  on  the  part  of  the 
Democracy  to  prevent  the  education  of  the  poor  of  the  State,  and  that 
the  attention  of  the  civil  officers  of  the  United  States  government  will 
be  called  to  the   act  of  Congress  readmitting  Texas  into  the  Union 
under  certain   conditions,   viz.:    that  the  constitution   of   Texas   shall 
never  be  so  changed  as  to  deprive  any  citizen  or  class  of  citizens  of 
any  of  the  school  rights  guaranteed  therein,  and  ask  that  said  act  be 
enforced. 

10.  That  it  is  the   opinion  of  this  Convention  that  an  ad  valorem 
tax  is  the  only  just  system  of  taxation,  and  we  demand  a  repeal  of  the 
State  occupation  tax,  the  nonpayment  of  which  the  Democrats  have 
made  a  penal  offence. 

Stiate  Executive  Committee:  E.  J.  Davis,  was  re-elected  chair- 
man, and  all  the  members  of  the  committee  were  re-elected. 

TEXAS  STATE  GRANGE,  1878 
BRYAN,  January  8-15 

The  Texas  State  Grange  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry  was 
organized  at  Dallas,  October  7,  1873.  It  disclaimed  being  a 
political  organization,  but  encouraged  its  membership  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  questions  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  farmer.  No 
formal  statements  of  all  their  demands  were  prepared,  as  they 
depended  upon  petition  and  memorial  to  bring  these  demands  to 
the  attention  of  legislators.  The  demands,  adopted  in  1878,  1880, 
and  1882,  when  the  Texas  State  Grange  had  a  membership  of 
about  forty  thousand,  will  indicate  the  trend  of  their  demands. 

Officers:  W.  W.  Lang,  of  Falls,  Worthy  Master;  R.  T.  Ken- 
nedy, of  Limestone,  Worthy  Secretary. 


180  Platforms  of  Political 


DEMANDS1 

Resolved,  That  all  the  delegates  to  the  State  Grange,  representing 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Texas,  favor: 

1st.     The  repeal  of  the  Resumption  Act. 

2nd.     Remonetization   of  silver. 

3rd.     Payment  of  the  National  bonds  and  interest  in  greenbacks. 

4th.     Repeal  of  the  National  Bank  Law. 

5th.  To  make  greenbacks  a  legal  tender  for  all  debts  and  dues,  pri- 
vate and  public,  exports  and  imports  (pp.  29,  61). 

[6.]  It  was  voted  to  memorialize  the  legislature  to  repeal  the  pro- 
duce tax  (p.  50),  and  to  establish  an  experimental  farm  in  connection 
with  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  (p.  60). 

[7.]  The  protective  tariff  was  denounced,  and  a  revision  of  the 
existing  tariff  for  revenue  only  demanded  (pp.  64,  65). 

[8.]  The  necessity  for  a  deep  water  harbor  on  the  coast  of  Texas 
was  pointed  out,  and  the  Federal  government  was  requested  to  grant 
aid  in  improving  Galveston  harbor  (pp.  66,  67). 

INDEPENDENT   GREENBACK   CONVENTION,  1878 

AUSTIN,  March  12 

The  first  State  convention  of  the  Independent  Greenback  clubs 
met  at  Austin,  March  12,  1878.  About  forty  delegates  attended ; 
eight  or  ten  of  them  were  colored.  No  nominations  of  candidates 
for  state  office  were  made  at  this  meeting;  another  convention 
for  that  purpose  was  held  at  Waco,  August  7,  1878. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Robert  Hanna,  of  William- 
son; permanent,  W.  H.  Billingsley,  of  Washington.  Vice-Presi- 
dents,  W.  E.  Hutchison,  of  Galveston;  A.  D.  Strieker,  of  Falls; 
and  Dr.  G.  W.  Gregg,  of  Coryell.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  J.  W. 
Howard,  of  Coryell;  permanent,  J.  B.  Friedheim,  of  Harris. 

PLATFORM2 

WHEREAS,  The  object  of  our  republican  'government  is  to  protect 
alike  the  rights  of  every  individual  in  the  Union,  irrespective  of  sec- 
tion, State,  riches,  poverty,  race,  color,  or  creed;  and, 

Proceedings  of  the  Fourth  Annual  Session  of  the  Texas  State  Grange, 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  held  at  Bryan,  Brazos  Co.,  Texas,  January  8,  9,  10, 
11,  12,  14,  and  15,  1878. 

2The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Daily 
Statesman,  March  14,  1878. 


Parties  in  Texas  181 

WHEREAS,  Both  the  old  political  parties  have  persistently  ignored 
this  fundamental  principle;  have  encouraged  sectionalism,  fostered 
monopoly,  and  carried  on  a  financial  system  so  radically  wrong  as  to 
pauperize  the  masses  to  support  a  chosen  few  in  idleness  and  luxury; 
therefore,  we,  the  delegates  of  the  Independent  Greenback  clubs  of  the 
State  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  do  hereby  sever  all  connection 
with  other  parties,  organizing  ourselves  under  the  name  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Greenback  party  of  Texas,  and  make  this  declaration  of  our 
principles: 

1.  The  greenback  dollar  must  be  a  legal  tender  for  the  payment  of 
all  debts,  and  by  the   Government  issued,  protected,  and   received  at 
par  with  gold. 

2.  The  greenback  to  be  a  legal  tender  money  of  the  country,  and  to 
be  issued  by  the  Government. 

3.  The  General  Government  alone  to  issue  money,  and  this  for  the 
benefit  of  all,  and  not  to,  through,  or  for  the  enrichment  of  National 
bankers. 

4.  All  kinds  of  property  owned  by  individuals  or  corporations  to  be 
taxed  alike. 

5.  The  immediate  calling   in  of  all  United  States  bonds,  and   the 
payment  of  them,  principal  and  interest,  in  legal  tender  lawful  green- 
back paper  money  of  the  United  States;  and  that  every  dollar  of  such 
issue  of  legal  tender  lawful  money  be  protected  by  the  Government  as  at 
par  with  other  lawful  money  in  gold  or  silver  coin,  never  to  be  con- 
verted into  bonds  of  any  rate  or  class. 

6.  Universal  manhood  suffrage,  without  property  qualification. 

7.  An  efficient  system  of  public  free  schools,  commensurate  with  the 
growth  and  importance  of  our  State. 

8.  A  graduated  income  tax,  by  which  accumulated  wealth  may  be 
made  to  bear  a  just  proportion  of  the  burdens  of  government. 

9.  No  squandering  of  the  public  domain  upon  private  corporations. 

10.  No  contract  system  by  which  convict  labor  is  brought  in  com- 
petition with  honest  labor. 

11.  A  more  efficient  system  of  criminal  procedure  for  the  suppression 
of  crime. 

12.  Honesty  and   economy  in  the  administration  of  public  affairs, 
both  State  and  National. 

State  Executive  Committee:  W.  A.  H.  Miller,  of  Travis, 
chairman. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1878 
AUSTIN,  July  17-24 

The  Democratic  convention  of  1878  was  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  held  in  Texas.  About  1,300  delegates  attended.  The 


182  Platforms   of  Political 

money  question  was  the  occasion  for  a  new  political  party  in 
Texas,  and  it  had  much  influence  in  shaping  the  Democratic 
platform  of  1878.  The  time-honored  two-thirds  rule  was  retained. 
Three  candidates  for  governor  had  made  extensive  campaigns. 
Two  entered  the  convention  with  a,  well  organized  support.  Days 
were  consumed  in  fruitless  balloting;  Throckmorton  and  Hub- 
bard  were  almost  equally  matched  during  thirteen  ballots,  and 
Devine,  who  replaced  Throckmorton,  held  Hubbard  to  a  tie  there- 
after till  the  27th  ballot.  At  this  point  a  compromise  candidate 
was  brought  forward  and  nominated  by  acclamation — Judge 
O.  M.  Roberts,  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court. 

Officers:  President  pro  tempore,  Chas.  Stewart,  of  Harris; 
permanent,  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,  of  Marion.  Vice-Presidents,  thirty- 
one.  Secretary,  pro  tempore,  B.  B.  Paddock,  of  Tarrant;  per- 
manent, John  Bookout,  of  Dallas. 

Nominees  for  State  Officers:  Governor,  0.  M.  Roberts,  of 
Smith;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Joseph  D.  Sayers,  of  Bastrop;  At- 
torney-General, George  McCormick,  of  Colorado ;  Comptroller, 
Stephen  H.  Darden,  of  Caldwell;  Treasurer,  F.  R.  Lubbock,  of 
Galveston;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Wm  C 
Walsh,  of  Travis. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  E.  B.  Seale;  R.  S, 
Pridgen,  of  Victoria;  J.  M.  Wascom;  F.  B.  Blocker;  W.  T. 
Armistead;  Gus.  Grayson;  R.  P.  Thompson;  J.  Y.  Gooch;  E.  B. 
Perkins ;  F.  P.  Alexander ;  Midlay  Dean ;  T.  W.  Dougherty ;  Amzi 
Bradshaw,  of  Ellis ;  John  R.  Henry,  of  Limestone ;  Wm.  H.  Ham- 
man,  of  Robertson;  Jno.  R.  Kennard,  of  Grimes;  F.  B.  Chilton, 
secretary;  J.  C.  Hutchinson,  of  Harris,  chairman;  M.  S.  Munson, 
of  Brazoria ;  B.  H.  Bassett,  of  Washington ;  B.  W.  Rimes,  of  Falls ; 
B.  D.  Simpson,  of  Johnson;  M.  B.  Franklin,  of  Tarrant;  W.  L. 
Startwell,  of  Comanche;  Norton  Moses,  of  Burnet;  W.  H.  Led- 
better,  of  Fayette ;  Wells  Thompson,  of  Colorado ;  E.  R.  Lane, 
of  Goliad ;  Wm.  Scanlan,  of  Cameron ;  J.  H.  McLeary,  of  Bexar ; 
F.  B.  Wilkes,  of  San  Saba, 


Parties  in  Texas  183 

PLATFORM1 

WHEREAS,  It  is  right  and  proper  that  the  friends  of  constitutional 
government  should  reassert  their  devotion  to  it,  and  to  proclaim  the 
principles  upon  which  it  should  be  administered;  therefore, 

Resolved.  1.  That  we  have  an  abiding  confidence  in  the  devotion  of 
the  National  Democratic  party  to  the  correct  principles  of  government, 
and  we  pledge  ourselves  to  cooperate  with  it  as  an  integral  part  there- 
of in  its  efforts  to  restore  the  administration  of  the  Government  to 
the  principles  on  which  it  was  founded. 

2.  That  the  powers  of  the  general  government  are  restricted  to  the 
express   grants   of  the   Constitution,   and  all   powers   not  granted   are 
reserved  to  the  States  and  the  people  thereof. 

3.  That  we  pledge  our  devotion  to  the  Union  of  the  States  under 
the  Constitution,  and  to  the  Constitution  itself. 

4.  That  a  faithful  adherence  to  the  following  principles  is  necessary 
as  an  essential  to  the  preservation  of  government,  viz:      Home  rule; 
the  supremacy  of  the  civil  over  the  military  power;   the  separation  of 
church  and  state;   the  equality  of  all  citizens  before  the  law;  absolute 
acquiescence  in  the  lawfully  expressed  will  of  the  majority;    and  the 
maintenance  and  perfection  of  a  common  school  system. 

5.  That  the  investigation  of  the  frauds  committed  at  the  last  presi- 
dential election  in  Florida  and  Louisiana  ought  to  have  been  made  by 
the  Electoral  Commission;   its  refusal  to  do  so  was  a  violation  of  the 
spirit  of  the  law  under  which  it  was  organized,  and  a  gross  outrage  on, 
the  people  of  the  United  States;   and  whilst  the  decision,  as  made  by 
the  Forty-fourth  Congress,  of  the  question  as  to  who  should  be  declared 
President  of  the  United  States  for  the  present  presidential  term  should 
not,  in  our  judgment,  be  disturbed,  that  decision  ought  not  to  preclude 
an   investigation  and  exposure  by  proper  authority  of  all  the  frauds 
connected  with  that  election  and  the  due  accountability  of  all  who  were 
guiltily  connected  with  them. 

6.  That  the  commercial  and  industrial  stagnation  which  has  so  long 
prevailed  throughout  the  country,  and  the  consequent  widespread  want 
and  suffering  are  due  directly  to  the  pernicious  financial  legislation  of 
the  Republican  party,  which  we  hereby  arraign  for  its  acts  and  charge: 

First,  That  at  a  time  when  the  country  was  weighed  down  with  debt, 
created  on  the  basis  of  the  full  volume  of  paper,  added  to  both  the 
precious  metals  as  money,  it  enacted  a  sweeping  change  in  the  measure 
of  value,  wholly  in  the  interest  of  moneyed  capital,  by  demonetizing 
silver  and  decreeing  the  destruction  of  legal  tender  paper,  and  thereby 
wrongfully  added,  in  fact,  hundreds  of  millions  to  the  burden  of  debt 
and  taxes  upon  the  people. 

Second,  By  pursuing  its  merciless  policy  of  contracting  the  paper 
currency  and  hoarding  gold,  it  has  greatly  appreciated  the  value  of 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Daily  Democratic 
Statesman  (Austin),  July  18-25,  1878. 


184  Platforms   of  Political 

money  and  correspondingly  depreciates  the  value  of  all  other  property, 
and  especially  of  capital  designed  for  productive  use  and  required  for 
the  employment  of  labor,  thus  repressing  instead  of  fostering  industry, 
compelling  idleness  instead  of  sustaining  trade  and  commerce,  and  now 
this  party  declare  that  the  question  of  finance  has  been  settled.  We 
deny  this  declaration,  and  while  we  congratulate  the  country  that  the 
downward  course  to  bankruptcy  and  ruin  involved  in  the  Republican 
policy  has  been  partially  arrested  by  the  Democratic  measures  passed 
at  the  late  session  of  Congress,  restoring  the  debt  paying  powers  to  the 
silver  dollar,  made  a  law  in  spite  of  the  President's  veto,  and  stopping 
the  further  retirement  of  greenbacks,  we  demand  as  further  acts  of 
justice,  as  well  as  measures  of  relief,  the  repeal  of  the  Resumption  Act, 
the  lawful  liberation  of  the  coin  hoarded  in  the  treasury,  the  removal 
of  all  restrictions  to  the  coinage  of  silver  fraudulently  demonetized,  the 
substitution  of  United  States  legal  tender  for  National  bank  notes, 
and  its  permanent  reestablishment  as  the  sole  paper  money  of  the 
country,  made  receivable  for  all  dues  to  the  government  and  of  equal 
tender  with  coin,  the  amount  of  such  issue  to  be  regulated  by  legisla- 
tive or  organic  law,  so  as  to  give  to  the  people  an  assurance  of  suffi- 
ciency and  stability  in  the  volume  of  the  currency  and  consequent 
stability  of  value.  No  further  increase  in  the  bonded  debt;  no  further 
sale  of  bonds  for  the  purchase  of  coin  for  resumption  purposes,  but  a 
gradual  reduction  of  the  public  debt,  by  payment  according  to  the 
original  contract  by  which  it  was  created;  a  rigid  economy  in  all 
branches  of  the  public  service,  and  a  tariff  for  revenue  only. 

7.  We  favor  one  currency  for  the  government  and  the  people,  the 
laborer  and  the  officeholder,   the  pensioner  and  the  soldier,  the  pro- 
ducer and  the  bondholder. 

8.  We  hold  that  the  right  of  States  to  tax  property  in  the  States 
is  inviolable,  and  that  United  States  bonds  should  bear  the  burden  of 
government  equally  with  all  other  property,  and  any  legislation  that 
exempts  said  bonds  from  taxation  is  unjust  and  oppressive. 

9.  We  declare  that  all  bonds  and  obligations  of  the  National  gov- 
ernment ought  to  be  paid  in  legal  tender  notes  of  the  United  States 
except  where  it  is  otherwise  provided  by  the  original  law  under  which 
they  were  issued;  and  all  that  can  be  called  in  and  paid  now,  should 
be  paid  at  once,  and  the  remainder  as  soon  as  it  can  be  lawfully  done. 

10.  We  heartily  approve  the  action  of  Congress  in  passing  the  act 
known  as  the  Silver  Bill,  thereby  increasing  the  circulating  medium 
of  the  country  and  restoring  to  us  the  dollar  of  our  fathers. 

11.  We  demand  of  the  United  States  government  ample  and  full 
protection  of  the  Texas  frontier,  and  we  recommend  for  that  purpose 
a  law  of  Congress  authorizing  the  raising  of  a  sufficient  cavalry  force 
in  Texas,  officered  by  citizens  of  Texas;  and  should  the  general  gov- 
ernment fail  to  extend  protection,  then  the  State  of  Texas  should  pro- 
tect her  own  border.    We  declare  further  that  the  United  States  gov- 


Parties  in  Texas  18.5 

eminent  should  fully   reimburse  the  State  of  Texas  for   all  sums  of 
money  expended  in  the  defense  of  her  frontier. 

12.  We  deprecate  the  necessity  which  now  exists  for  keeping  a  por- 
tion of  the  convicts  out  of  the  walls  of  the  State  penitentiaries,  and 
declare  that  they  should  be  confined  therein  as  soon  as  practicable. 

13.  We  declare  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  legislature  of  this  State  to 
pass  an  act  regulating  the  rates  of  freight  and  tariff  on  all  railroads  in 
this  State,  in  obedience  to  the  provisions  of  the  State  constitution. 

14.  We  pledge  ourselves  that  no  money  shall  be  borrowed  or  bonds 
issued   to   meet   the    current    expenses   of    the    State   government,    the 
rate  of  taxation  shall  not  be  increased,  and  the  current  expenses  should 
be  confined  within  the  current  revenue. 

15.  The  interest  of  the  industrial,  wealth-producing  classes  is  the 
paramount  interest  of  the  people  of  the  United  States.     Those  whose 
labor  and  enterprise  produces  wealth  should  be  secure  in  its  enjoyment. 
Our  warmest  sympathy  is  extended  to  the  laboring  classes  who  have 
been  thrown  out  of  employment  by  the  ruinous  financial  policy  and 
unjust  legislation  of  the  Republican  party,  and  we  pledge  the  Demo- 
cratic party  to  a  reversal  of  that  policy  and  the  restoration  of  all  the 
rights  they  are  entitled  to  upon  its  ascendancy  to  power. 

16.  We  congratulate  the  country  upon  the  restoration  of  the  con- 
stitutional and  pacific  policy  of  local  self-government  in  the  States  of 
the  South,  so  long  advocated  by  the  Democratic  party,  and  which  has 
brought  peace  and  harmony  to  our  section  of  the  Union. 

17.  Upon  this  platform  of  principles  the  Democratic  party,  feeling 
that  the  popular  heart  beats,  in  unison  with  it,  appeals  to  every  lover 
of   constitutional    government,    whatever    may   have   been   his   former 
party  affiliation,  and  especially  to  those  who  have  hitherto  acted  and 
still  believe  with  us,  but  who  now  mistakenly  hope  for  relief  from  other 
parties,  to  unite  with  us  in  our  efforts  to  maintain  a  just  and  economic 
administration  of  the  State  government,  and  to  rescue  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Federal  government  from  the  hands  of  the  unscrupulous 
party  which  has  wielded  it  for  seventeen  years  and  which  has  hesitated 
at  no  course  to  perpetuate  its  unhallowed  rule. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[18]  That  it  is  the  expression  of  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State 
of  Texas  in  convention  assembled  that  the  officers  and  clerks  in  the 
Land  Office,  Comptroller's  and  the  other  departments  of  the  State 
should  be  required  to  work  nine  hours  each  work  day,  and  we  recom- 
mend that  the  legislature  pass  a  law  to  this  effect. 

[19]  We  recommend  that  our  next  legislature  submit  to  the  people 
such  amendments  to  the  constitution  of  this  State  as  its.  defects  de- 
mand, especially  such  change  therein  as  will  authorize  the  legislature 
to  exempt  from  taxation  farm  products  while  in  the  hands  of  pro- 
ducers, and  all  provisions  on  hand  for  home  consumption. 


186  Platforms   of  Political 

MINORITY    REPORT 

The  undersigned  minority  of  your  committee  being  unable  to  agree 
with  the  majority  on  what  they  believe  to  be  the  great  issue  upon 
which  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  now  in  convention  assembled, 
is  called  to  announce  its  principles  and  policy,  deem  it  to  be  their  duty, 
and  beg  leave  to  make  the  following  report  "and  ask  the  convention  to 
adopt  it  in  lieu  of  that  portion  of  the  report  of  the  majority  of  the  com- 
mittee relating  to  the  same  matter: 

Resolved,  That  the  government  of  the  United  States  has  the  power, 
and  that  it  is  its  duty,  to  issue  greenback  money  to  an  amount  equal 
to  the  United  States  treasury  notes  now  in  circulation  and  the  bonds 
of  the  United  States,  to  be  full  legal  tender  for  all  duties,  bonds,  and 
taxes  whatsoever,  and  to  redeem  such  bonds;  provided,  that  the  bonds 
originally  payable  in  coin  shall  be  payable  in  currency  at  the  rate  at 
which  they  are  payable  in  coin;  that  no  tariff  be  imposed  except  for 
revenue;  that  no  bonds  be  issued  forever;  and  that  greenback  money 
be  the  equivalent  of  gold  and  silver.  It  is  correct  in  principle,  and  the 
remedy  by  which  the  people  can  be  relieved  from  the  few  bondholders 
who  for  the  last  sixteen  years  have  been  and  are  now  aided  by  a  man 
who  usurps  the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States,  holding  45,000,000 
men,  women,  and  children  in  the  most  abject  slavery. 

HAMMAN,  of  Robertson, 
R.   S.   PRIDGEN,    of  Victoria. 

The  report  was  rejected,  but  by  what  majority  does  not  appear. 

Democratic  State  Executive  Committee:  E.  G.  Bower,  of 
Dallas,  chairman ;  1st  District,  J.  H.  McArdle,  of  Polk ;  2.  J.  C. 
Wooters,  of  Houston ;  3.  W.  M.  Spivey,  of  Rusk ;  4.  W.  J.  Cavin, 
of  Harrison;  5.  F.  M.  Henry,  of  Bowie;  6.  W.  A.  Wortham,  of 
Hopkins;  7.  T.  R.  Bonner,  of  Smith;  8.  R,  H.  Guinn,  of  Cher- 
okee; 9.  J.  Q.  Chenoweth,  of  Fannhi;  10.  J.  G.  Kearby,  of  Van 
Zandt;  11.  George  D.  Patrick,  of  Grayson;  12.  Thos.  H.  Murray, 
of  Collin ;  13.  Amzi  Bradshaw,  of  Ellis ;  14.  W.  H.  Richardson, 
of  Limestone;  15.  D.  C.  Carrington,  of  Leon;  16.  T.  J.  Goree, 
of  Walker;  17.  A.  T.  Bedell,  of  Waller;  18.  A.  P.  Hill,  of  Har- 
ris; 19.  C.  C.  Sweeney,  of  Galveston;  20.  A.  S.  Hervey,  of 
Austin;  21.  J.  F.  Berry,  of  Milam;  22.  Jo  Abbott,  of  Hill;  23. 
A.  T.  Watts,  of  Parker;  24.  E.  L.  Shropshire,  of  Comanche; 
25.  T.  E.  Sneed,  of  Travis;  25.  D.  F.  Dunn,  of  Fayette;  27. 
Volney  Ellis,  of  Lavaca;  28.  L.  F.  Lawson,  of  Tarrant;  29.  E. 
F.  Hall,  of  Webb;  30.  Chas.  Montague,  of  Bandera;  31.  W.  H. 
Surges,  of  Guadalupe. 


Parties  in  Texas  137 

GREENBACK  LABOR  STATE  CONVENTION,  1878 

WACO,  August  7  and  8 

The  Greenback  Labor  party  claimed  482  clubs  in  Texas;  of 
this  number  seventy  were  for  colored  voters.  Two  hundred  and 
seventeen  delegates  were  entitled  to  seats  in  the  convention,  but 
all  were  not  present.  The  Democrats  and  Republicans  contrib- 
uted equal  shares  of  the  number  in  attendance,  but  while  very 
few  of  the  old  Democratic  leaders  were  present,  the  Republicans 
had  some  of  their  strong  men  there. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  temper e,  J.  S.  Rains,  of  Kaufman; 
permanent,  W.  A.  H.  Miller,  of  Travis.  Vice-Presidents,  J.  S. 
Rains  and  J.  H.  Lippard.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  E.  B.  Allen, 
of  Williamson ;  permanent,  Chat.  E.  McLaughlin,  of  Travis. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  W.  H.  Hamman,  of 
Robertson;  Lieutenant-Governor,  J.  S.  Rains,  of  Kaufman;  At- 
torney-General, Fred  W.  Chandler,  of  Travis;  Comptroller,  H. 
A,  Spencer,  of  Dallas;  Treasurer,  G.  W.  Whetsone,  of  Cass; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Jacob  Kuechler,  of 
Comal. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  August  Montfort, 
chairman;  S.  R.  Caruthers,  secretary. 

PLATFORM1 

The  representatives  of  the  National  Greenback  Labor  party  of  the 
State  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  placing  their  trust  in  the 
intelligence,  patriotism,  and  discriminating  justice  of  the  people  of  the 
State,  do  hereby  announce  the  following  as  the  political  principles  for 
the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  which  we  pledge  our  earnest, 
united,  and  unceasing  efforts. 

1.  Want  of  harmony  of  sentiment  on  the  financial  question  in  both 
the  Republican  and  Democratic  parties  renders  it  absolutely  necessary 
that  those  who  demand  financial  reform  should  abandon  the  old  or- 
ganizations and  unite  together  in  the  National  Greenback  Labor  party 
to  save  business  men  from  bankruptcy,  the  working  classes  from  starva- 
tion, the  whole  country  from  revolution,  and  the  Nation  from  repudia- 
tion. 

'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  Daily 
News,  August  8  and  9,  1878. 


188  Platforms   of  Political 

2.  We  denounce  as  crimes  against  the  people  the  law  making  the 
greenback  only  a  partial  legal  tender;    the  act  creating  the  National 
banking  scheme;  the  act  changing  currency  bonds  into  coin  bonds;  the 
act  exempting  bonds  from  taxation;  the  act  repealing  the  income  tax; 
the  act  demonetizing  silver;  the  act  for  issuing  interest  bearing  bonds 
for   the   purchase   of   silver   bullion   to   be   converted   into   subsidiary 
coin;    the  act  for  the  forced  resumption  of  specie  payments;    the  act 
for  indefinite  increase  of  the  National  bank  circulation  and  the  enor- 
mous contraction  of  the  volume  of  the  circulating  medium.     We  recog- 
nize that  the  financial  legislation  of  the  government  from  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Civil  War, was  at  the  arbitrary  dictation  of  a  syndi- 
cate of  bankers  and  usurers,  with  the  single  and  settled  purpose  of 
robbing  the  many  to  enrich  the  few. 

3.  We  hold  that  the  government  of  the  United  States  has  the  power, 
and  that  it  is  its  duty,  to  issue  at  once  absolute  greenback  money  in  an 
amount  equal  to  the  United  States  treasury  notes  now  in  circulation 
and  the  bonds  of  the  United  States,  said  money  to  be  full  legal  tender 
for  all  debts,  duties,  taxes,  and  purposes  whatsoever,  and  to  redeem 
the    treasury   notes   and   bonds,   principal   and   interest,    immediately, 
with  such  absolute  greenback  money.    We  further  hold  that  no  tariff 
should  be  imposed  except  for  the  purposes  of  revenue;  that  all  National 
banks  should  be  promptly  abolished;    that  no  more  bonds  should  be 
issued  by  the  National   government  forever,   and   that  all  money  of 
the  government  should  be  taxable  as  other  property. 

4.  We  hold  that  the  importation  of  servile  labor  from  Asiatic  coun- 
tries should  be  prohibited  under  the  severest  penalties,  but  that  the 
emigration  of  the  liberty  loving  from  other  lands  should  be  encouraged. 

5.  We  hold  that  the  honest  mechanic  and  laborer  of  the   country 
should  not  be  forced  into  competition  with  gangs  of  convicts  sentenced 
to  penitentiaries  for  crimes,  and  we  demand  that  the  contract  system 
for  this  class  of  labor  shall  be  abolished,  and  that  all  convicts  shall  be 
confined  within  the  prison  walls. 

6.  We  recognize  the  mutual  dependence  of  capital  and  labor,  and 
deprecate  all  attempts  to  antagonize  them.     Combinations  of  capital  to 
rob,  and  the  strikes  of  labor  to  resist  robbery,  are  destructive  of  the 
true    interests   of   both.     We    denounce    alike   the   communism    which 
demands  an  equal  division  of  property  and  the  infamous  financial  leg- 
islation which  takes  all  from  the  many  to  enrich  the  few.     We  demand 
cheap   capital  and  well   paid   labor   in  the  place  of   dear  capital  and 
cheap  labor. 

7.  We  demand  the  abrogation  of  the  odious  and  unjust  occupation 
and  smokehouse  tax  laws  now  in  force  in  this  State. 

8.  We1  are   opposed   to  the   general   or   State  governments   making 
further  donations  of  the  public  lands  to  railroads  or  other  corporations, 
and  we   insist  that  they  shall   be  reserved  for  the  benefit  of  actual 
settlers  and  the  increase  of  the  common  school  funds. 


Parties  in  Texas  189 

9.  We   demand    the   prompt    abolition   of   all    useless    offices   and  a 
general  and  radical  decrease  of  public  salaries,  and  that  county  officers 
shall   not   be    allowed   to   receive   exceeding    eighteen;   hundred    dollars 
per  year   for  their   services;    and   whenever   practicable,   especially   in 
judicial  offices,  the  compensation  should  be  fixed  by  specific  salaries, 
and,   further,  that   in   future   the   government  of   Texas   shall  be  con- 
ducted on  the  strictest  business  principles  and  on  the  most  economical 
plans. 

10.  We  pledge  ourselves  to  reestablish  in  fact  common  free  schools, 
and   we  denounce   the   Democratic  party   for   its   failure   to   carry  out 
its  promises   in  this  regard. 

11.  We  declare  in  favor  of  an  income  tax  based  upon  a  constitu- 
tional limitation   and  graduating  upwards,   but  leaving  untouched  all 
incomes    under    one    thousand    dollars. 

12.  We  hold  that  all  bonds  now  outstanding  against  the  State  of 
Texas  should  be  funded  in  four  per  cent  bonds,  the  same  to  be  taxed 
as  other  property. 

13.  We  demand  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  will  prevent  all  com- 
binations, discriminations,  and  granting  of  rebate  by  any  transportation 
companies,  and  will  compel  common  carriers  to  furnish  the  same  fa- 
cilities and  perform  the  same  service  for  the  same  price  to  all  men. 

14.  We  demand  a  perfect  and  positive  protection  to  our  fron- 
tier— a    protection  that   will   guarantee   safety   both   to   the   settler 
and  to  the  vast  interests  of  our  herdsmen. 

15.  We   demand   that   the   rate  of   taxation   for   the  year    1879, 
and   subsequent   years,   shall   not   exceed   thirty-seven    and   one-half 
cents   on   the   one   hundred   dollars   as   a   State   tax,   and   one-half   of 
that  amount  as  a  county  tax. 

16.  We  demand  that  the  exemption  laws  be  so  amended  as  to 
allow  each  family  a  comfortable  homestead  not  to  exceed  in  value 
two  thousand   dollars. 

17.  That  we   remember   with   profound   gratitude   the  struggles 
of  the  fathers  of  Texas  in  defense  of  the  rights  of  themselves  and 
their  fellow  citizens,  and  viewing  the  government  which  they  con- 
secrated with  their  suffering   and  cemented   with  their  blood  as  a 
rich   and    inestimable   boon   handed   down   by   them    to   us,    we   are 
pledged   to    aid    in    every   way   possible   in   securing   its   prosperity, 
and  will  oppose  with  all  the  earnestness  of  our  nature  every  step 
looking  to  a  destruction  or  to  the  impairing  of  its  unity. 

18.  Finally,  having  thus  set  forth  our  distinctive  principles  and 
views,  we   invite   the   cooperation    of  all   citizens   of  Texas,   however 
differing  from  us  on  other  questions,  who  substantially  agree  with 
us  in  their  affirmance  and  support. 

State  Executive  Committee:    W.  A.  H.  Miller,  of  Travis,  chair- 
man ;  1st  to  4th  Districts,  blank ;  5.  John  King,  of  Bowie ;  6.  to 


190  Platforms   of  Political 

9.  blank;  10.  John  W.  Buckner,  of  Kaufman;  11.  W.  H.  Camp- 
bell, of  Grayson:  12.  Joe  Forman,  of  Collin;  13.  R.  E.  Hughes, 
of  Dallas;  14.  F..M.  Underwood,  of  Freestone;  15.  M.  L.  Monroe, 
of  Leon;  16.  J.  M.  Gibbs,  of  Grimes;  17.  blank;  18.  A.  B.  Bristol, 
of  Harris ;  19.  Harry  Devlin,  of  Galveston ;  20.  A.  H.  Campbell, 
of  Washington ;  21  A.  D.  Strieker,  of  Falls ;  22.  J.  H.  Lippard, 
of  Hill;  23.  W.  D.  Cameron,  of  Parker;  24.  T.  B.  Owens,  of 
Coryell ;  25.  A.  R.  Bennick,  of  Burnet ;  26.  S.  R.  Caruthers,  of 
Lee;  27.  B.  C.  Warm,  of  Gonzales;  28.  and  29.  blank;  30.  John 
R.  Baylor,  of  Bexar;  31.  E.  L.  James,  of  Gttiadalupe. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1878 

DALLAS,  October  1  and  2 

Chairman  Davis  and  a  majority  of  the  State  executive 
committee  expressed  satisfaction  with  the  action  of  the  Green- 
back convention  at  Waco,  and  counseled  against  holding  a  Re- 
publican State  convention.  A  few  members  of  the  committee 
disagreed  with  this  view  and,  after  corresponding  with  work- 
ing Republicans  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  issued  a  call  for  a 
"consultation  in  regard  to  the  formation  of  a  State  ticket," 
to  meet  at  Dallas  October  1,  1878.  Although  less  than  forty 
counties  were  represented,  the  consultation  on  the  second  day 
of  its  sitting  resolved  itself  into  a  State  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  A.  B.  Johnson;  permanent, 
W.  A.  Saylor,  of  Travis.  Yice-Presidents,  Hardin  Hart,  of 
Hunt;  W.  W.  Lewis,  of  Gregg;  and  W.  E.  Burton,  of  Fort  Bend. 
Secretaries  pro  tempore,  T.  J.  McHugh,  J.  W.  Schneck  and 
W.  J.  Ingram ;  permanent,  J.  W.  Schneck,  of  Dallas,  J.  J.  Ham- 
ilton, of  Travis,  A.  C.  Lamkins,  of  Waller. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  A.  B.  Norton,  of  Dal- 
las; Lieutenant-Governor,  Richard  Allen,  of  Harris;  Attorney- 
General,  F.  W.  Miner,  of  Lamar;  Comptroller,  A.  Siemering, 
of  Bexar;  Treasurer,  S.  D.  Wood,  of  Smith;  Commissioner  of 
the  General  Land  Office,  Jacob  Kuechler,  of  Comal;  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  the  Supreme  Court,  James  H.  Bell,  of  Travis;  Associate 
Justice,  L.  W.  Cooper,  Houston. 


Parties  in  Texas  191 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The    people    of    the    United    States    constitute    a    nation,    and 
the    Constitution    and    laws    of    the    United    States    are    the    supreme 
law  of  the  land,  and  all  States  and  Territories  of  the  Union,   and 
the  Republican  party  of  Texas  yield  and  demand  implicit  obedience 
to   the   same. 

2.  We   reiterate   the   indorsement   by   the   Republicans,   and   the 
State  convention   of   1876,   of  the   administration   of  President  Grant, 
and  that  the  course  of  his  administration,  in  preserving  peace  with 
all   nations,    in    liquidating  a   large  portion   of   the   public   debt,   in 
conducting    the    affairs    of    the    Nation    with    energy,    economy,    and 
impartial  justice;   in  exposing  and  punishing  frauds  and  corruption 
wherever   found,   met  our  highest   admiration   and   commanded  our 
undivided  support,  and  extorted  the  admiration  and  respect  of  the 
whole  civilized  world. 

3.  We   again    declare   that   we    favor   a   currency  based   on  coin 
and  redeemable  in  coin,  and  that  the  best  interests  of  the  country 
demand  the  speediest  possible  return  to   specie   payments,   so   that 
the  currency  of  the  country  may  not  be  subject  to  constant  fluctua- 
tions in  value;    and  we  congratulate  the  country  on  the  fact  that 
through    the    Republican    administration    of    the    governmefnt    this 
greatly  desired  object  is  now  about  to  be  accomplished;  we  demand 
that  the  resumption  act  be  carried  into  effect. 

4.  That  the  Democratic  party,  by  its  inaugurating  a  wicked  and 
useless    rebellion    against    the    National    government,    and    by    its    un- 
holy and  unjust  attack  upon  the  Constitution  and  Union,  involved 
the  country  in  war,   debt,  and  misery,  and  that  party  is  justly  re- 
sponsible for  the  public  debt. 

5.  The    Republican    party    originated    greenbacks    as    a    National 
currency,  and  issued  United  States  bonds  for  the  purpose  of  carry- 
ing on   the   war   for   the   Union,    and   maintaining   the   National   life. 
We   hold   that   the   faith   of  the   government  is   pledged   for  their  re- 
demption and  full  payment,  and  we  congratulate  the  country  upon 
the  wise  financial  management  of  the  Republican   administrations  of 
Grant  and   Hayes,   whereby   they  have   appreciated   in   value  about 
equal    to    coin,   and    are    most   eagerly   sought   after   by   Democrats 
throughout  the  entire  country;   and  the  party  that  created  green- 
backs,   and    increased    their    value    to   a   coin    standard,    and   has   up- 
held the  National  currency  and  the  United  States  bonds,  is  entitled 
to   the  confidence  and   support  of  all  who   love  honest  money  and 
fair  dealing. 

6.  The  Democratic   party   in   Congress   is   justly   censurable  for 

xThe   proceedings   of  this  convention   are   taken   from  the  Galveston  Daily 
News,  October  2   and   3.   1878. 


192  Platforms   of  Political 

its  effort  to  foment  strife  and  discord  and  its  shameful  neglect 
of  the  public  interest  in  trying  to  unsettle  the  verdict  of  a  tribunal 
of  their  own  creation  in  regard  to  the  result  of  the  recent  presi- 
dential election,  and  that  the  title  of  Rutherford  B.  Hayes  as  Presi- 
dent has  been  acknowledged  by  them  and  acquiesced  in  by  good 
people  and  instead  of  endeavoring  by  factious  opposition  to  create 
ill  feeling,  they  should  have  joined  him  in  his  noble  efforts  to  bring 
peace  and  quiet  and  order  and  fraternal  feeling  to  the  people  in 
every  State  of  the  Union. 

7.  Governments    are    instituted   for    the    protection   of   life    and 
property,  and  to  secure  men  in  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  and  as  a 
State    government    of    Texas,    under    the    Democratic    administration, 
has   utterly  failed   to   do   each  and  all   of  these  things,  that  party 
should  be  held  to  a  strict  accountability  by  the  people  for  its  shame- 
ful inability  and  inbecility,  and  it  should  be  hurled  from  position 
and  power  by  an  indignant  people. 

8.  We  arraign  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas  for  its  gross  mis- 
conduct,   its   false   and   hypocritical  promises,   its   wicked  and   flag- 
itous    acts,    its    general    deception    and    unreliability,    its    oppressive 
and  iniquitous  legislation,   its  failure  to  reduce  taxes  as  promised, 
its   multiplication   of   offices  and   increase   of   salaries,   its   waste  of 
public  money,  its  increase  of  State  indebtedness  millions   of  dollars, 
its   large    issuance   of    State   bonds   to    cover    its    deficiency,    notwith- 
standing the  millions  of  dollars  wrung  by  taxation  from  labor  and 
sweat  and  toil  and  the  blood  of  the  people,   greatly  impoverished 
by    their    extravagant    and    profligate    expenditure    of    public    money, 
and  its  general  mismanagement  of  business  and  financial  affairs  of 
the  State. 

9.  The   Democratic  party  is  responsible  for  a  judiciary  system 
which    in    its    practical    operation    is    cumbersome,    onerous    to    the 
people,    destructive    of    private   rights,    unnecessary,    expensive,    in- 
jurious   to   the   poorer   classes,    especially*  to   widows   and   orphans. 

10.  The   disturbed   condition    of   the   Texas    frontier    commands 
the  attention  of  this  Convention,  and  demands  positive  action,  with 
a  view  to  secure  increased  protection  to  life  and  property,  and  we 
earnestly   invite  the   power  of  the  National   authority  to  adopt  such 
measures  as  will  secure  that  full  protection  to  all  citizens  to  which 
they  are  justly  entitled,  and  which  our  State  government  has  shown 
itself  unable  to  render. 

11.  We    confess    with    deep    humiliation    the    inability    displayed 
by   the   present   State   government  to   afford   the   protection   sought 
In  the  foregoing  resolutions. 

12.  We  favor  such  legislation  as  will  foster  education,  promote 
internal   improvements,    encourage  immigration,   develop   the   great 
natural  resources  of  the  State,  and  such  reforms  as  will  bring  about 
a  just  and  economical  administration  of  public  affairs. 


Parties  in  Texas  ]9'f 

13.  That  it  is  the  opinion  of  this  Convention  that  an  ad  vclorem 
tax  is  the  only  just  system  of  taxation,  and  we  demand  the  repeal 
of  the  State  occupation   tax,   the  nonpayment  of  which  the  Demo- 
crats have  made  a  penal  offense. 

14.  That  the  Democratic  party  is  responsible  for  the  destruction 
of  the  public   school  system  inaugurated   by  the  Republican  party, 
and  has  utterly  failed  in  its  stead  to  secure  an  efficient  system  of 
free   schools,    which   is   the   greatest   necessity   of   the  State,   as   the 
surest  guaranty  of  progress,  and  the  best  defense  of  liberty;    that 
the  neglect  of  the  legislature  at  its  last  session  to  provide  for  the 
payment   of  teachers   and  the  sustaining  of  schools  for  more  than 
one    month    evidences   still    more   completely    their   hostility   to   the 
common    schools,    whereby    the    children    of    the    country    may    be 
educated. 

Additional  Resolution 

[15]  That  we  entertain  the  kindest  feeling  towards  our  Repub- 
lican brethren  who  have  seen  proper  to  differ  with  us  in  reference 
to  the  policy  we  should  pursue  in  the  present  State  campaign,  and 
that  we  earnestly  appeal  to  all  prominent  Republicans  of  the  State 
to  throw  their  great  weight  and  influence  in  common  with  us  in 
an  effort  for  the  election  of  our  distinguished  State  ticket  and  in 
the  laudable  effort  to  build  up  the  Republican  party  in  the  great 
State  of  Texas. 

State  Executive  Committee:  A.  M.  Coehran,  of  Dallas,  chair- 
man. 

TEXAS  STATE  GRANGE,  1880 

AUSTIN,  January  13-16 

Officers:  W.  W.  Lang,  of  Falls,  Worthy  Master;  R.  T.  Ken- 
nedy, of  Limestone,  Worthy  Secretary. 

Committee  on  Good  of  the  Order:  B.  B.  Beaird,  of  Smith ;  W. 
M.  Ferguson,  of  Milam ;  A.  G.  Rogers,  of  Leon ;  W.  D.  Griffith,  of 
Victoria;  W.  H.  Woods,  of  Newton. 

DEMANDS1 

1.  That  the  Department  of  Agriculture  shall  be  made  an  executive 
department,  and  the  Commissioner  a  cabinet  officer. 

^Proceedings  of  the  Sixth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Texas  State  Grange, 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  held  at  Austin,  Texas,  January  13,  14,  15  and  16,  1880^ 

13—328 


194  Platforms  of  Political 

2.  That  the  Agricultural   Department  shall  be  sustained  and   sup- 
ported by  annual  appropriations  commensurate  with  the  importance 
of  the  great  and  perman-ent  industry  it  represents. 

3.  That  commercial  treaties  shall  be  made  with  all  foreign  countries, 
giving  to  American  products  equal  and  unrestricted  intercourse  with 
the  markets  of  the  world. 

4.  That  governments  be  administered  in  a  cheaper  and  simpler  man- 
ner, consonant  with  the  conditions  of  the  people. 

5.  That  a  more  rigid  economy  in  the  expenditures  of  public  money 
be  reestablished. 

6.  That  the  laws  shall  be  plain  and  simple,  to  the  end  that  justice 
shall  be  speedy,  crime  punished,  and  good  government  maintained. 

7.  That  the  creation  or  allowing  of  monopolies  to  exist  is  in  viola- 
tion   of  the    spirit   and   genius    of   free    republican   government.     The 
National  banks  are  monopolies. 

8.  That  the  tariffs  of  freights  and  fare  over  railroads  and  all  trans- 
portation companies  shall   be  regulated  and  all  unjust  discriminations 
inhibited  by  law. 

9.  That  the  revenue  laws  of  the  United  States  shall  be  so  adjusted 
as  to  bear  equally  upon  all  classes  of  property,  to  the  end  that  agri- 
culture shall  be  relieved  of  the  disproportion  of  burdens  it  bears. 

10.  That  the  patent  laws  of  the  United  States  be  so  revised  that 
innocent  purchasers  of  patent  rights  shall  be  protected,  and  fraudulent 
vendors  alone  held  responsible  for  infringements  of  rights  and  viola- 
tions of  law. 

11.  That  a   system    of   elementary   agricultural    education   shall    be 
adopted  in  the  common  schools  of  the  country. 

12.  That  we  are  entitled  to  and  should  have  a  fair  representation 
in  the  legislative  halls  cf  the  country,  chosen  from  the  ranks  of  the 
farmers    (p.  40). 

Additional  Resolutions 

[13]  That  we,  as  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  are  opposed  to  the  sale  or 
dealing  out,  in  any  way,  of  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage  (p.  28). 

[14]  That  this  Grange  indorse  the  action  of  the  legislature  in  the 
passage  cf  the  Sunday  Law  (p.  31). 

[15]  That  the  bill  now  before  the  United  States  Congress,  commonly 
denominated  the  Reagan  Bill,  although  not  fully  expressive  of  our 
sentiments,  is  nevertheless  the  best  measure  yet  proposed  in  Congress, 
and  we,  the  State  Grange  of  Texas,  do  hereby  fully  indorse  said  bill 
so  far  as  it  goes  and  urge  upon  our  representatives  and  senators  in 
Congress  assembled  the  urgent  necessity  of  the  same  (pp.  -31,  32). 

[16]  That  we  indorse  the  policy  of  retrenchment  and  reform  in- 
augurated by  Governor  O.  M.  Roberts,  and  believe  him  entitled  to  the 
highest  esteem  of  the  citizens  of  the  State  of  Texas  for  his  firmness  *•! 
the  administration  of  the  State  government  (p.  44). 


Parties  in  Texas  19-";. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1880 
AUSTIN,  March  24  and  25 

The  split  in  the  Republican  party  was  adjusted  amicably  by 
the  chairmen  of  the  two  factions ;  Dr.  Cochran  withdrew  in  favor 
of  ex-Governor  Davis.  In  his  address  at  the  opening  of  the  State 
convention,  Chairman  Davis  advised  that  body  to  pay  less  atten- 
tion to  National  affairs  and  to  devote  more  attention  to  Texas 
affairs. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Wm.  Chambers,  of  Cham- 
bers; permanent,  E.  J.  Davis,  of  Travis.  Vice-Presidents,  Alex 
Lane,  of  Harrison;  Webb  Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  Geo.  Hawkins, 
of  Dallas:  T.  J.  McHugh,  of  Robertson;  Richard  Allen,  of  Har- 
ris; W.  M.  Burton,  of  Fort  Bend:  A.  Siemerin^,  of  Bexar; 

F.  Malloy,  of  Marion ;  B.  H.  Dodson,  of  Hopkins ;  Lock  McDaniel, 
of  Grimes.     Secretary  pro  tempore,  N.  W.  Cuney,  of  Galveston ; 
permanent,  Richard  Nelson,  of  Galveston. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  E.  J. 
Davis.  Webb  Flanagan,  A.  B.  Norton  and  W.  H.  Holland ;  1st 
Congressional  district,  G.  M.  Dilley  and  Wm.  Chambers,  2.  A. 

G.  Malloy  and  W.  H.  Hakes,  3.  C.  C.  Binkley  and  D.  A.  Robert- 
son, 4.  J.  G.  Tracy  and  W.  R.  Chase,  5.  N.  W.  Cuney  and  R. 
A.  Harvin,  6.  A.  Siemering  and  E.  H.  Terrell. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  R.  Burns  and  J.  P. 
Xexvcomb;  1st  Congressional  district,  S.  D.  Wood,  2.  F.  W. 
Miner,  3.  W.  H.  Andrews,  4.  P.  Osterhout,  5.  Julius  Sehutze, 
6.  Wm.  Westhoff. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  G.  Tracy,  chair- 
man, fifteen  members  whose  names  have -not  been  found. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  your  Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions,  beg  leave  to 
report  that,  after  a  full  consideration  of  the  resolutions  submitted 
to  us,  report  the  following,  and  recommend  their  adoption: 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Daily 
Statesman,  March  25  and  26,  1880,  and  The  Texas  Capital  (Austin),  March 
30,  1880. 


196  Platforms   of  Political 

1.  We  hold  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  United  States  government 
to  secure  to  every  citizen  the  free  exercise  of  the  elective  franchise 
in  all  elections  for   President  and  Vice-President  and   members  of 
Congress. 

2.  We  are  in  favor  of  the  use  of  both  gold  and  silver  as  cur- 
rency, but  we  believe  that  a  dollar,  whether  of  gold  or  silver,  should 
approximate  to  each  other  in  value  as  nearly  as  possible. 

3.  We  do  not  consider  it  expedient  for  this  Convention  to  make 
nominations  for  State  offices,  but  we  delegate  to  the  State  executive 
committee    the    authority    to    call   a    future    State    convention    to    de- 
cide on  that  subject,  if,  in  their  opinion,  the  public  sentiment  shall 
hereafter  indicate  that  a  convention  is  desirable. 

4.  We  hold  the  following  to  be  among  the  highest  duties  of  our 
State  government: 

(1)  To  establish  an  efficient  system  of  fre,e  public  schools,  to  be 
supported  by  a  liberal  appropriation  of  the  public  revenue  in  addition 
to  the  income  of  the  permanent  school  fund. 

(2)  To   give   efficient  protection   to   every   citizen   in   the   State 
in  the  free  use  and  enjoyment  of  all  the  rights  guaranteed  by  the 
constitution  and  laws  of  the  State,  among  which  we  recognize  the 
enjoyment  and  free  expression  of  their  opinions  upon  all  subjects. 

(3)  To  suppress  and  punish  all  violence  and  mob  law  of  every 
description,   both  of  which  have  heretofore  been  so  common  as  to 
bring  disrepute  upon  our  State,  and  we  regret  to  see  that  such  acts 
have  often   occurred  without  any  sign  of  official  rebuke  from  the 
chief  executive,  whose  duty  it  is  to  see  that  the  laws  are  faithfully 
executed. 

(4)  We  also  hold  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  State  government  to 
invite  and  encourage  immigration  to  our  State. 

5.  That   we   denounce    the   Democratic   party   of   Texas    for   in- 
flicting upon  the  people  of  the  State  the  obnoxious  measures  known 
as  the  present  Sunday  and  Bell  Punch  laws,  regarding  the  former 
as  restrictive  of  personal  liberty,  and  the  latter  as  a"  piece  of  job- 
bery, projected  in  the  interest  of  speculators,  and  that  we  favor  the 
reenactment  of  the  Sunday  law  previously  in  force. 

6.  That  we  denounce  the  present  occupation  tax  and  the  man- 
ner of  collecting  the  same  as  oppressive  and  unjust. 

7.  That   the    Democratic    party   of   Texas    deserves   the*  censure 
of  all  good  people  of. the  State  on  account  of  the  reckless,  extrava- 
gant,  expensive  method   by  which  the  party  has  attempted  to  ad- 
minister the  State  government  since  it  has  had  control  of  the  same, 
as  particularly  instanced  in  the  creation  and  establishment  of  use- 
less and  expensive  offices,  which  are  created  solely  for  the  purpose 
of  rewarding  political  favorites  without  regard  to  the  public  neces- 
sities or  the  wishes  of  the  people. 


Parties  in  Texas  197 

Additional  Resolution 

[8]  While  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
recognize  the  fact  that  U.  S.  Grant  is  the  first  choice  of  the  Repub- 
licans of  Texas,  it  is  deemed  inexpedient  to  give  delegates  to  the  Chi- 
cago convention  any  other  instructions  than  to  vote  as  a  unit  in 
the  ballot  for  President. 

State  Executive  Committee:     E.  J.  Davis,  chairman. 

MEETING  OF  THE  STATE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE1 

Exercising  the  powers  conferred  upon  it,  the  State  executive 
committee  met  at  Hearne  on  August  25,  1880,  and  named  the 
following  candidates  for  State  offices:  Governor,  E.  J.  Davis, 
of  Travis ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  A.  Siemering,  of  Bexar ;  Attor- 
ney-General, J.  A.  McAdoo,  of  Washington;  Comptroller,  S.  D. 
Wood,  of  Smith;  Treasurer,  J.  W.  Thomas,  of  Collin;  Commis- 
sioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  Jacob  Kuechler,  of  Comal; 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  J.  B.  Williamson,  of  Harrison. 

An  executive  campaign  committee,  too,  was  appointed,  with 
power  to  enter  into  agreements  with  othei^  parties. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1880 
GALVESTON,  April  20  and  21 

To  provide  the  delegates  to  the  National  convention  with  cre- 
dentials that  could  not  be  questioned,  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee called  a  convention  to  meet  at  Galveston.  A  convention 
to  nominate  candidates  for  State  offices  was  held  at  Dallas 
August  10,  1880.  This  marks  the  beginning  of  holding  separate 
conventions  to  choose  delegates  to  the  National  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  temper e,  W.  S.  Coleman,  of  Harri- 
son; permanent,  Ashbel  Smith,  of  Harris.  Vice-Presidents,  W. 
H.  Tucker,  of  Anderson;  William  Stedman,  of  Harrison;  Ed 
Chambers,  of  Collin;  J.  E.  McComb,  of  Montgomery;  Joseph 
Bates,  of  Brazoria ;  W.  H.  Burges,  of  Guadalupe ;  T.  R.  Bonner, 
of  Smith;  J.  H.  Cochrane,  of  Dallas;  and  W.  S.  Herndon,  of 
Smith.  Secretary,  J.  M.  Claiborne,  of  Galveston. 

lThe   Galveston  Daily   News,   August   26,   1880. 


198  Platforms   of  Political  , 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  J.  W, 
Throckmorton,  R.  B.  Hubbard,  Tom  Jack,  John  Ireland,  and  E. 
G.  Bower;  1st  Congressional  district,  W.  S.  Herndon,  of  Smith, 
and  J.  H.  Jones,  of  Rusk;  2.  G.  B.  Lipscomb,  of  Harrison,  and 
J.  Q.  Chenoweth,  of  Fannin;  3.  B.  B.  Paddock,  of  Tarrant, 
and  Thornton  E.  Shirley,  of  Collin;  4.  J.  C.  Hutchinson,  of 
Harris,  and  B.  H.  Davis,  of  Brazos ;  5.  John  Hancock,  of  Travis, 
and  B.  H.  Bassett,  of  Washington;  6.  F.  S.  Stockdale,  of  De 
Witt,  and  J.  E.  Dwyer,  of  Bexar. 

RESOLUTIONS 

No  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions  was  appointed  and 
no  formal  platform  was  adopted.  The  following  were  among  the 
more  important  resolutions: 

Resolved  [1]  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  Convention  that  the 
two-thirds  rule  should  be  retained  in  the  National  Democratic  con- 
vention. 

[2]  That  the  delegation  from  Texas  to  the  National  Democratic 
convention  be  not  instructed  as  to  the  vote  which  they  may  cast 
in  that  body  for  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

[3]  That  the  devotion  manifested  by  Gen.  W.  S.  Hancock  to 
the  constitutional  rights  of  the  citizen  and  the  great  cardinal  doc- 
trines of  Democracy  entitles  him  to  the  confidence  of  the  people, 
and  Texas  will  be  recreant  to  the  promptings  of  gratitude  when  she 
withholds  her  indorsement  of  his  worth. 

GREENBACK-LABOR  STATE  CONVENTION,  1880 
AUSTIN,  June  23  and  24 

Chairman  Miller,  of  the  State  executive  committee,  issued 
his  call  for  a  convention  on  April  15th,  to  meet  at  Austin,  June 
23 — after  the  meeting  of  the  National  Greenback-Labor  con- 
vention, at  which  Texas  was,  however,  represented.  Representa- 
tion was  based  upon  clubs;  about  140  delegates  attended. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tern/pore,  R.  T.  Kennedy,  of  Free- 
stone; permanent,  Ward  Taylor,  of  Marion.  Vice-Presidents, 
James  Neill,  of  Travis,  and  G.  W.  Givens,  of  Dallas.  Secretary 
pro  tempore,  J.  T.  Gano,  of  Dallas;  permanent,  M.  J.  Nolan,  of 
Travis. 


Parties  in   Texas  199 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  H.  L.  Bentley,  of  Tom 
Green,  and  Andrew  Young-,  of  Johnson;  1st  Congressional  dis- 
trict, A.  E.  Buneau;  2.  A.  D.  Wallace;  3.  R.  E.  Hughes,  of 
Dallas;  4.  John  T.  Brady,  of  Harris;  5.  J.  N.  McFaddin,  of 
Williamson;  6.  E.  L.  James,  of  Guadalupe. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  W.  H.  Hamman,  of 
Robertson;  Lieutenant-Governor,  George  W.  Givens,  of  Dallas; 
Attorney-General,  H.  F.  O'Neal,  of  Cass;  Comptroller,  R.  T. 
Kennedy,  of  Freestone ;  Treasurer,  Ward  Taylor,  of  Marion ; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Jacob  Kuechler,  of 
Comal. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  District,  L.  D. 
Stansberry,  2.  Ward  Taylor,  6.  P.  C.  Majors,  7.  J.  A.  Cov/ell, 
9.  E.  L.  Dohoney,  chairman,  10.  J.  H.  Morrow,  13.  J.  C.  K\rby, 
14.  H.  Steele,  15.  A.  G.  Rogers,  17.  W.  L  Booth,  18.  W.  N. 
Linton,  20.  W.  C.  Dixon,  21.  W.  M.  Ferguson,  22  W.  D.  Moore, 
23.  Sam  Evans,  25.  Robert  Hanna,  26.  S.  R.  Caruthers,  27.  H. 
D.  Dunstan,  31.  W.  A.  H.  Miller,  Jake  Smith,  of  Bastrop,  and 
J.  J.  Walker,  of  Travis. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  representatives  of  the  Greenback-Labor  party  of  Texas, 
in  convention  assembled,  view  with  pride  the  action  of  the  National 
Greenback-Labor  party  of  the  United  States,  in  convention  at  Chi- 
cago, and  most  cordially  and  heartily  ratify  and  indorse  the  plat- 
form of  principles  adopted,  and  candidates  nominated  by  said  con- 
vention. 

1.  Realizing  the  fact  that  there  exist  great  abuses  and  wrongs 
in   the  administration   of  the   State  government,  under  the  control 
and  management  of  the  party  in  power,  we  condemn  the  Democratic 
party  of  Texas  for  its  wasteful  and  extravagant  expenditure  of  money 
in  the  administration  of  the  government,  and  demand  a  reduction 
in,  governmental  expenditures. 

2.  We  demand  a   reduction   in   the   rate   of  taxation   from   fifty 
to   thirty-three   and    one-third    cents    on    the   one    hundred    dollars' 
worth  of  property. 

3.  We  demand   the  repeal  of  the  occupation   tax,  and  the  sub- 
stitution therefor  of  a  graduated  income  tax. 

4.  We   demand   the   prompt   abolishment   of   all    useless    offices, 

1!The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  The  Texas  Capital 
(Austin),  June  27,  1880. 


200  Platforms  of  Political 

and  a  general  and  radical  decrease  of  all  public  salaries,  and  that 
county  officers  shall  not  be  allowed  to  receive  exceeding  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  per  annum  for  their  services;  and,  whenever  prac- 
ticable, especially  in  judicial  offices,  compensation  should  be  fixed 
by  special  salaries;  and,  further,  that  in  future  the  government  of 
Texas  shall  be  conducted  on  the  strictest  business  principles  and 
on  the  most  economical  plan. 

5.  We  favor  a  radical  change  in  our  cumbersome  and  expensive 
judiciary    system,    and    demand    a    more    economical    and    effective 
system. 

6.  We  denounce  the  present  iniquitous  road  law,  poll  tax  law, 
and  law  for  the  collection  of  ad  valorem  taxes  from  delinquents. 

7.  We  favor  the  repeal  of  the  present  pretense  of  a  school  law, 
and  the  establishment  of  an  efficient  system  of  public  free  schools, 
and   demand   the  appropriation   by  the  legislature  of  the  full  con- 
stitutional   limit    of    one-fourth    of    the    general    revenue    for    that 
purpose. 

8.  Believing  it  to  be  the  part  of  wisdom  to  preserve  the  public 
school  lands  of  Texas  as  the  basis  of  a  grand  school  fund,  we  de- 
mand the  immediate  repeal  of  all  laws  providing  for  the  sale  of  the 
same,  other  than  to  actual  settlers,  in  quantities  of  not  more  than 
one  hundred   and   sixty  acres  to   any  one  purchaser. 

9.  We    demand    that    the    public    domain    of    Texas    be    reserved 
for  a   permanent   school   fund,  and   for  the  benefit  of  actual   settlers 
under  the  homestead   laws,   and  a  repeal  of  the  law  providing  for 
the  sale  thereof. 

10.  Believing   that   labor   is   the  basis   of  all   wealth   and   pros- 
perity, and  that  an  increase  in  population  will  add  to  the  material 
wealth  of  Texas,  inducements  should  be  offered  to  all  honest  and 
intelligent  immigrants  to  come  and  assist  in  the  development  of  the 
resources  of  the  great  State  of  Texas. 

11.  We  demand  a  modification  of  the  Sunday  law. 

12.  We  demand  the  immediate  and  unconditional  repeal  of  the 
Bell  Punch  law. 

13.  We  demand  a  perfect  and  positive  protection  to  our  frontier, 
that   will    guarantee    safety    alike    to    the    settler   and    to    the   vast 
interests  of  our  herdsmen. 

14.  The   Greenback-Labor   party   everywhere   denounces   the   at- 
tempted disfranchisement  of  citizens  as  a  crime,  whether  committed 
by   Republicans   in    Massachusetts   and    Rhode   Island,    or   Bourbon 
Democrats  in  Texas,   and   denounces  all  laws   restricting   the  right 
of   suffrage,    or   impairing   the  secrecy   of  the  ballot  box,   and   any 
legislative  interference  with  the  free  exercise  of  religious  opinion 
by  the  people  of  this  State. 

15.  We   are   unqualifiedly   opposed   to   convict   labor  coming   in 


Parties  in  Texas  201 

conflict    with    honest    labor,    and    demand    the    repeal    of    all    laws 
permitting  the  same. 

16.  The  heroes  whose  valor  wrested  this  State  from  the  govern- 
ment  of   Mexico    deserve   the   prof oundest   gratitude   of  a   generous 
people,  and  we  demand  payment  of  an  annual  pension  to  the  sur- 
vivors of  that  memorable  struggle. 

17.  We  remember  with  profound  gratitude  the  struggles  of  the 
fathers   of   Texas   in   defense   of   the  right  of   themselves  and  their 
fellow-citizens,  and,  viewing  the  government  which  they  consecrated 
with  their  suffering  and  cemented  with  their  blood  as  a  rich  and 
inestimable  boon  handed  down  by  them  to  us,  we  are  pledged  to  aid 
in   every  way  possible   in   securing  its   prosperity,   and  will   oppose 
with  all  the  earnestness  of  our  natures  every  step  looking  to  the 
destruction  or  to  the  impairing  of  its  unity. 

18.  Finally,  having  thus  set  forth  our  distinctive  principles  and 
views,    we    most    cordially    invite    the   cooperation    of    all    citizens    of 
Texas,     regardless    of    their    antecedents    and     political     affiliations, 
who  love  the  weal  of  their  State  and  the  prosperity  of  her  people 
more  than   party,    however   differing  from    us   on   other   questions, 
who  substantially   agree   with   us  in  their  affirmance   and   support. 

State  Executive  Committee:  E.  M.  Daggett,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man ;  M.  J.  Nolan,  of  Travis,  secretary ;  1st  District,  C.  R.  Scott, 
of  Orange;  3.  Lodoviek  Marioule;  4.  Geo.  A.  Godfrey;  5.  J. 
King,  of  Bowie;  7.  0.  S.  Davis,  of  Hopkins;  9.  James  Monks, 
of  Fannin ;  10.  Wm.  Palmer,  of  Van  Zandt ;  11.  H.  S.  Harvey, 
of  Grayson;  12.  J.  C.  White,  of  Collin;  13.  G.  M.  Swink,  of 
Dallas;  14.  R.  T.  Kennedy,  of  Freestone;  15.  Walter  S.  Bryan, 
of  Robertson;  16.  W.  R,  Thomas;  of  Grimes;  17.  James  A.  Felker, 
of  Waller,  18.  W.  H.  Steid,  of  Montgomery;  19.  M.  J.  Mulcahy, 
of  Galveston ;  20.  W.  C.  Dixon,  of  Washington ;  21.  P.  C.  Mitchell, 
of  Bell;  22.  Warren  Douglas,  of  Johnson;  23.  Wm.  Hall,  of 
Tarrant;  24.  W.  M.  Nunn,  of  Wood;  25.  H.  C.  Still,  of  Travis; 
26.  D.  M.  Scott,  of  Bastrop;  27.  D.  W.  Jackson,  of  Colorado; 
31.  W.  T.  Moore,  of  Llano. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1880 
DALLAS,  August  10-13 

The  Democratic  State  convention  met  at  Dallas  August  10, 
1880.  Governor  Roberts'  was  a  candidate  for  re-election.  His 


202  Platforms   of  Political 

administration  had  given  dissatisfaction  to  the  more  progressive 
elements  in  the  party.  The  "Young  Democracy,"  as  the  pro- 
gressives were  called,  supported  strong  candidates  for  the  several 
offices  and  labored  for  a  platform  expressive  of  their  views. 
The  representation  of  unorganized  counties  and  the  two-thirds 
rule  presented  additional  issues;  the  former  were  excluded,  the 
latter  was  retained. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Joseph  E.  Dwyer,  of  Bexar; 
permanent,  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,  of  Marion.  Vice-Presidents,  thirty- 
one.  Secretary,  W.  G.  Sterrett. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  R.  B.  Hubbard  and  J. 
W.  Throckmorton.  1st  Congressional  district,  James  H.  Jones, 
of  Rusk;  2.  C.  B.  Kilgore,  of  Van  Zandt;  3.  S.  W.  T.  Lanham, 
of  Parker;  4.  E.  A.  Jones,  of  McLennan;  5.  John  Hancock,  nf 
Travis;  6.  Julius  A.  Baker,  of  Bexar. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  0.  M.  Roberts,  of 
Smith;  Lieutenant-Governor,  L.  J.  Storey,  of  Caldwell;  Attor- 
ney-General, J.  H.  McLeary,  of  Bexar;  Comptroller,  W.  M. 
Brown,  of  Falls ;  Treasurer,  F.  R.  Lubbock,  of  Galveston ;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  C.  Walsh,  of  Travis; 
Court  of  Appeals,  James  M.  Hurt,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform* and  Resolutions:  L.  R.  Perryman, 
J.  J.  Perkins,  T.  A.  Elgin,  R.  D.  Harrell,  R.  B.  Levy,  R,  H. 
Guinn,  H.  D.  McDonald,  W.  M.  Giles,  A.  Bradshaw,  Marion 
Martin,  Chas.  Stewart,  A.  T.  McKinney,  R.  G.  Street,  C.  C. 
Garrett,  W.  L.  Prather,  J.  B.  Ford,  A.  J.  Peeler,  V.  0.  Ellis, 
W.  R.  Wallace,  T.  T.  Teel,  A.  M.  Taylor,  Silas  Hare,  T.  F. 
Johnson,  C.  W.  Geers,  W.  D.  Wood,  J.  C.  Gaither,  G.  H.  Goodson, 
W.  Welden,  T.  D.  Wilkes,  A.  -Haidusek. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  declare: 

1.  We  heartily  approve  the  declaration  of  principles  made  by  the 
National    Democratic     convention     at    Cincinnati,    and     cordially     in- 
dorse   its    nominees,    pledging    them    the    united    and    enthusiastic 
support  of  the  Democracy  of  Texas. 

2.  We  favor  the  free  coinage  and  full  remonetization  of  silver. 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Statesman 
and  the  Galveston  News. 


Parties  in  Texas  203 

3.  We  favor  such  action  by  Congress,  within  its  constitutional 
power,  as  will  prevent  unjust  discriminations  and  extortionate  rates 
of  charges  for  the  transportation  of  interstate  commerce. 

4.  We   regard  the  maintenance   of  a  practical  system  of  public 
free  schools   of  the  utmost  importance,   and  to  this  end   favor  the 
largest   appropriation,   within   constitutional  limits,   justified  by  the 
financial  condition  of  the  State.     And  we  favor  the  adoption  by  the 
next  legislature  of  the   constitutional  requirements  for  the  organi- 
zation and  maintenance  of  "The  University  of  Texas." 

5.  We  repudiate  as  false  the  charge  that  the  Democratic  party 
of  Texas  has  been  opposed  to  immigration,  and,  while  the  constitu- 
tion prohibits  the  use  of  public  money  for  the  support  of  a  bureau 
of   immigation,   we  urge  the   next   legislature   to   make  ample   pro- 
vision for  the  collection  and  dissemination  of  statistics  pertaining 
to  our  agricultural  and  other  resources,  to  the  end  that  all  seeking 
new  homes,  knowing  our  great  advantages,  may  settle  in  our  midst, 
extending  to  them  a  most  cordial  welcome. 

6.  The  suffering  and  losses  of  our  people  on  the  frontier  enlist 
our  deepest  sympathy,  and  we  pledge  our  most  energetic  efforts  to 
afford    them   adequate    protection   in    person   and    in   property,    and 
demand  of  the  General  Government  that  protection  for  our  people 
thus    exposed    to    which    they    are    entitled    under   the    Constitution 
of  the  United  States,  and  which  they  have  never  yet  received. 

7.  We  enjoin   upon  the  next  legislature  the  duty  of  proposing 
such  constitutional  amendments  as  will  secure  a  more  efficient  ju- 
diciary system. 

8.  We  favor  the  most  vigorous  enforcement  of  the  law  for  the 
suppression   of  all  lawlessness  and  crime,  and  pledge  the  Democratic 
party  of  Texas  to   hold  all   officers  to   the  fullest  measure  of  duty 
and  responsibility  in  that  behalf. 

9.  We  demand  the  most  rigid  economy,  consistent  with  efficiency, 
in  all  the  departments  of  the  government,  and  favor  the  reduction 
of  taxation  as  soon  as  the  same  can  be  safely  done. 

MINORITY  REPORT. 

[The  following  minority  report  was  presented  and  read  by  Chas. 
Stewart.  Without  permitting  debate,  the  majority  report  was 
adopted  by  390  ayes  to  139  noes.] 

The  undersigned,  constituting  a  minority  of  your  Committee  on 
Platform  and  Resolutions,  beg  leave  to  submit  this  as  their  report 
on  platform: 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  in  convention 
assembled,  indorse  in  all  respects  the  action  of  the  National  Demo- 
cratic convention  of  the  pres-ent  year,  and  pledges  to  the  nominees 
thereof  its  sincere  and  earnest  support. 


204  Platforms  of  Political 

2.  That    the    Democratic    party    of   Texas    recognizes    its   responsi- 
bility to  the  people,  and  pledges  itself  that  so  long  as  it  shall  be 
intrusted   with  the  administration  of  the  government  it  will  deem 
it  a  duty  not  to  be  disregarded  to  enact  such  laws  and  make  such 
regulations  as  will  insure  an  efficient  government  in  all  its  branches, 
and  to  execute  the  laws  fearlessly,  promptly,  and  impartially;  and 
while  exercising   all   due  economy  in  the   administration  of  public 
affairs   will,    first,   provide  a   good   government,   and,    second,    raise 
a  revenue  sufficient  to  maintain  the  same  without  annual  deficiencies 
and  further  increase  of  taxation. 

3.  That  regarding  the  maintenance  and  perfection  of  an  efficient 
system  of  public  free  schools  as  an  essential  to  good  government, 
the  Democratic  party,   true  to  its  traditions  and  policy  from  1836 
to   the  present  time,   does  solemnly  declare  the  free   education  of 
the  children   of   this   State,   without  regard   to    class   or   condition, 
in  the  ordinary  branches  of  an  elementary  education,  is  a  subject 
of  paramount  importance  in  State  legislation,  and  to  that  end  will 
earnestly  favor  the   appropriation   of   the   maximum  amount  of  such 
revenues  as  is  permitted  by  the  constitution. 

4.  It  was  the  Democratic  party  which  first  inaugurated  the  wise 
and  generous  policy  which  has  made  the  United  States  the  asylum 
of  all  nations  from  oppressive  governments  and  less  favorable  means 
of  livelihood  and  independence,  and  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas, 
true  to  the  early  teachings   and  practices   of  the   party,  advocates 
the  most  liberal  and  active  policy  to  encourage  and  increase  immi- 
gration, to  develop  the  resources  of  our  fertile  State,  as  well  as  to 
perpetuate  the  government  through  the  intelligence  and  moral  worth 
of  her  citizens,  and  to  that  end  the  Democratic  party  pledges  itself 
to  earnestly  favor  the  adoption  of  such  means  by  the  seventeenth 
legislature  as  will  practically  and  reasonably  encourage  immigration 
to  this  State. 

5.  The  Democracy  of  Texas  declare  it  to  be  their  firm  conviction 
that  legal   interference  with  merely  the  social  habits  of  any  class 
of  citizens,  native  or  of  foreign  birth,  is  contrary  to  sound  policy, 
a  genuine  democracy,  and  to  the  enlightened  spirit  of  the  age. 

6.  That  the  statute   commonly   known  as   the  Bell   Punch-  law 
shall  be  repealed. 

7.  That  the  sale   of  our  public  and  common  free  school  lands 
shall  be  confined  to  actual  settlers,  and  in  such  quantities  and  upon 
such  terms  as  shall  put  them  in  reach  of  persons  of  limited  means, 
and  to   that  end  such  methods  as  will  lead  to  the  speedy  sale  of 
such   lands  in  the  manner  above  indicated  should   be  immediately 
adopted. 

8.  Believing   that    it   is    of   the   highest   importance   that    unor- 
ganized counties  shall  become  organized  so  soon  as  they  have  the 
population  required  by  law,  and  that  the  inner  line  of  our  frontier 


Parties  in  Texas  205 

shall  run  with  the  boundaries  of  the  State,  and  recognizing  that 
the  ordinary  constabulary  of  the  country  will  not  be  sufficient  for 
a  number  of  years  to  repress  lawlessness  and  crime,  the  Democratic 
party  favors  the  maintenance  of  a  body  of  mounted  troops,  sub- 
ordinate to  and  under  the  direction  of  the  civil  authorities,  sufficient 
to  afford  the  most  complete  and  ample  protection  to  life  and  prop- 
erty in  our  frontier  and  sparsely  settled  counties. 

9.  The  Democratic  party  is  opposed  to  the  further  increase  of 
our    bonded    debt    and    of    taxation,    and    to    the    hoarding    of    money 
in   the  treasury,    and   views   with    disfavor  any   system   of   taxation 
which   is   calculated   to   embarrass   the   right  to   labor  or  place   un- 
necessary or  discriminating  burdens  thereon;  and  also  does  so  con- 
sider all  occupation  taxes  levied  on  any  business  or  profession  not 
pernicious    in    its    tendencies    or    requiring    police    supervision,    and 
from-  such   occupations   will   favor   the  collection   of   a   license  tax. 

10.  Jt  is  contrary  to  the  traditions  of  the  Democratic  party  and 
contrary    to    public    policy    to    invest    the    executive    with    the    power 
of  appointing  and  removing  officers  to  high  and  important  public 
trusts  at  pleasure,  and  the  Democratic  party  pledges  itself  against 
the  enactment  of  laws  of  such  character. 

11.  That    whilst    democracy    means    perfect    equality   for    every 
American  citizen  in  the  benefits  and  privileges  of  the  government, 
State  and  Federal,  yet  in  choosing  public  servants,  the  people  should 
carefully  choose  officers  who  are  in  sympathy  with  them,  and  who 
are  opposed  to  centralization  in  all  its  forms,  emanating  from  as- 
sociated   capital    or    political   combination,    that   may   endanger   the 
right   of  the  several   States  and   the   people  thereof. 

12.  That  the  utmost  good  faith  must  be  observed  in  the  payment 
of  the  obligations  of  the  State. 

CHAS.  STEWART, 
SILAS  HARE, 
A.  HAIDUSEK, 
W.  R.  WALLACE, 
J.  B.  FORD, 
T.  T.  TEEL, 
R.  D.  HARRELL. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Geo.  W.  Smith,  of  Kaufman, 
chairman :  T.  W.  Fort,  of  Jasper ;  Geo.  F.  Ingraham,  of  Nacog- 
doches;  F.  J.  Johnson,  of  Shelby;  Wm.  Aubrey,  of  Harrison; 
M.  L.  Crawford,  of  Morris;  A.  M.  Taylor,  of  Red  River;  N.  W. 
Finley.  of  Smith-;  F.  W.  Gammage,  of  Anderson ;  H.  S.  Randall, 
of  Fannin;  J.  N.  Rushing,  of  Kaufman;  J.  R.  Jeter,  of  Gray- 
son;  T.  H.  Murray,  of  Collin;  W.  C.  Holland,  of  Dallas;  C. 


206  Platforms   of  Political 

Forty,  of  Navarro;  W.  H.  Harmen,  of  Brazos;  Sam  T.  Rabb, 
of  Trinity;  E.  Harms,  of  Wharton;  E.  P.  Hill,  of  Harris;  C.  C. 
Sweeney,  of  Galveston;  Joe  W.  Gordon,  of  Burleson;  Enoch 
Breeding,  of  Milam;  M.  A.  Oatis,  of  Johnson;  J.  M.  Hogshead, 
of  Tarrant;  Geo.  P.  Miller,  of  Hamilton;  Jno.  F.  Coffee,  of 
Williamson ;  B.  D.  Orgain,  of  Bastrop ;  Thos.  Ponton,  of  Gon- 
zales;  D.  P.  Marr,  of  Atascosa;  W.  E.  Roe,  of  Uvalde;  Bryan 
Cunningham,  of  Bexar ;  J.  V.  Hutchins,  of  Hays. 

GREENBACK  STATE  CONVENTION,  1882 

FORT  WORTH,  June  29  and  30 

One  hundred  and  forty  delegates,  representing  about  thirty 
counties  of  North  and  Central  Texas,  assembled  at  Fort  Worth 
June  29,  1882.  General  James  B.  Weaver  addressed  the  con- 
vention. On  June  28,  ex-Governor  Davis,  chairman  of  the 
Republican  State  executive  committee,  published  a  call  for  a 
convention;  in  it  he  suggested  that  all  elements  opposed  to  the 
Democrats  unite  in  supporting  independent  candidates,  and  that 
the  Republicans  refrain  from  putting  a  State  ticket  in  the  field. 
This  same  proposition  was  the  great  issue  before  the  Greenback 
convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Ward  Taylor,  of  Marion; 
permanent,  Dr.  Rankin,  of  McLennan.  Vice-Presidents,  one  for 
each  congressional  district  represented  (names  not  found).  Sec- 
retary, D.  B.  Withers,  of  Smith. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  C.  H.  Jenkins,  Car- 
los Murray,  W.  E.  Farmer,  H.  C.  Still,  J.  R,  Johnson,  Ward 
Taylor,  and  W.  A.  Moore. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Greenbackers  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  de- 
clare: that  upon  the  subject  of  National  politics  we  indorse  the 
principles  .set  forth  in  the  Greenback  National  ^platform,  adopted 
at  Chicago,  June  8,  1880.  We  suggest  a  change  in  the  wording 

aThe  proceedings  of  the  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Herald  and 
the  Galveston  News. 


Parties  in  Texas  207 

so  as  to  read  as  follows:  The  bonds  of  the  United  States  should 
not  be  refunded,  but  should  be  paid  when  due,  or  when  declared 
due  by  law,  in  any  lawful  money  that  the  government  may  have 
on  hand. 

State  Policy 

1.  We  declare  that  the  Democratic  party  was  put  into  power  to 
right  the  wrongs  inflicted  upon  us  by  the  Republican  party,  which 
wrongs  consisted  in  part  in  involving  the  State  in  debt  and  in  grant- 
ing enormous  subsidies  to  corporate  monopolies. 

2.  That    the   Democratic    party   has    betrayed   its   trust.      It   has 
doubled  the  debt.      It  has  exempted  the  lands  of  the  International 
Railroad  from  taxation,  in  violation  of  the  constitutional  provision 
that  taxation  shall  be  equal  and  uniform,  and  exempted  said  railroad 
company  from  the  constitutional  requirements  of  locating  alternate 
sections  for  the  benefit  of  the  common  school  fund;    it  has  issued 
land   certificates   to   railroads,    irrigating  companies,   and   pretended 
canal   companies  to   the   amount  of  many   million   acres   in  excess   of 
the  public  domain.      It  has  robbed  the  public  school  fund  and  our 
people  of  homes;   established  gigantic  land  monopolies  in  our  midst 
by   granting   to   four   Chicago   capitalists    3,000,000   acres   of   public 
domain    to   build    a    State    House.     It   has    inaugurated    a    system    of 
class  legislation  in  favor  of  the  rich  by  refusing  to  sell  the  public 
domain   in  tracts   less   than   six  hundred   and   forty  acres,   thus  de- 
priving her  men  of  the  opportunity  to  acquire  homes  in  our  State. 
It  has  sold  State  bonds  at  eighty-five  cents,  and  bought  them  back 
at  one   dollar  and  forty   cents.     It  has   persistently  refused  to   ex- 
ercise the  constitutional  prerogative  of  State  control  over  railroads. 
It  has  withdrawn  from  circulation  in  this  State  over  a  million  and 
a  half  dollars  and  piled  it  up  in  the  treasury  as  useless  cash  bal- 
ance,  save  for  electioneering  purposes,   and   at  the  same  time  has 
refused    to    make   the   constitutional   appropriation    for   the   support 
of   public   schools   upon   the   false   plea   of   insufficient   revenue.     It 
refused  to  submit  to  a  vote  of  the  people  the  question  of  prohibition, 
though  petitioned  so  to  do  by  a  large  and  respectable  portion  of  the 
citizens  of  this  State,  thus  practically  denying  the  inalienable  right 
of  petition.      Under  a  pretense  of  favoring  the  laboring  men  it  has 
exempted  from  taxation  the  cotton  and  sugar  crops  of  the  wealthy 
and  at  the  same  time  taxed  the  mechanic's  tools.      In  redistricting 
the  State  it  resorted   to  shameless  and  outrageous  gerrymandering 
which  is  odious  to  all  honest  people  and  contrary  to  the  principles 
and  teachings  of  true  democracy.     In  short,  the  Democratic  party 
of  Texas  has  ceased  to  be  democratic,  but  has  become  a  close  cor- 
poration run  by  and  in  the  interest  of  a  syndicate  of  machine  poli- 
ticians. 

3.  That  the  Republican  party  of  this  State  is  not  in  any  sense 


208  Platforms  of  Political 

republican  as  tested  by  the  teachings  of  that  great  republican  apostle 
of  liberty,  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  that  it  is  no  more  worthy  of  sup- 
port now  than  when  driven  from  power  by  the  righteous  wrath 
of  an  indignant  people;  that  we  call  upon  all  true  Democrats  and 
Republicans  to  abandon  these  old  organizations,  and  join  with  us 
in  an  attempt  to  establish  in  this  State  an  administration  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  exactions  and  oppressions  of  corporate  monopolies, 
State  debt,  competition  of  convict  with  honest  labor,  political  gerry- 
mandering, property  suffrage,  occupation  taxes  upon  occupations 
that  are  local  in  their  nature  and  useful  to  the  people,  and  in  favor 
of  an  efficient  system  of  public  free  schools  and  the  appropriation 
of  one-fourth  of  the  general  revenue  therefor,  and  an  increase  of 
the  scholastic  age  from  seven  to  eighteen  years,  and  in  favor  of  an 
honest,  economical,  and  progressive  administration. 

Additional  Resolution 

[4]  That  when  this  Convention  adjourns  it  will  adjourn  to  meet 
at  the1  instance  of  the  Executive  Committee  at  a  date  not  later 
than  the  first  of  September  and  at  a  point  not  further  north  than 
Corsicana,  nor  further  south  than  Calvert,  Texas,  for  the  purpose 
of  making  nominations  for  the  different  State  offices. 

State  Executive  Committee:  H.  C.  Still,  of  Travis,  chairman; 
S.  S.  Withers,  of  Smith;  James  Monk,  of  Fannin;  W.  C.  West, 
of  Cooke ;  J.  W.  Martin,  of  Tarrant ;  Dr.  Dixon,  of  Washington ; 
A.  B.  Crozier,  of  Burnet;  Colonel  Burns,  of  Brown. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1882 
GALVESTON,  July  18-21 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  J.  W.  Booth,  of  Wise;  per- 
manent, John  Hancock,  of  Travis.  Vice-Presidents,  1st  Congres- 
sional district,  Hugh  Jackson,  2.  T.  T.  Gammage,  3.  B.  W. 
Brown,  4.  G.  T.  Todd,  5.  Silas  Hare,  6.  G.  R.  Gibson,  7.  Geo. 
Quinan,  8.  W.  M.  Flournoy,  9.  J.  D.  Sayers,  10.  F.  Willis,  11. 
J.  W.  Booth.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  George  R.  Dashiel,  of 
Bexar ;  permanent,  Will  Lambert. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  John  Ireland,  of  Guad- 
alupe;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Marion  Martin,  of  Navarro;  At- 
torney-General, John  D.  Templeton,  of  Tarrant;  Comptroller, - 
W.  J.  Swain,  of  Red  River;  Treasurer,  F.  R.  Lubbock,  of  Gal- 


Parties  in  Texas  209 

veston ;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  C.  "Walsh, 
of  Travis;  Supreme  Court,  Asa  H.  Willie,  of  Galveston,  J.  W. 
Stayton,  of  Victoria,  and  C.  S.  West,  of  Travis;  Court  of  Ap- 
peals, James  M.  Hurt,  of  Dallas,  John  P.  White,  of  Guadalupe, 
and  Sam  A.  Willson,  of  Cherokee. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  District,  J.  E. 
Hill,  of  Polk:  2.  G.  H.  Gould,  of  Rusk;  3.  W.  J.  Cavin,  of 
Harrison;  4.  A.  G.  Clopton,  of  Marion;  5.  F.  B.  Alexander, 
of  Hunt;  6.  B.  W.  Brown,  of  Gregg;  7.  R.  H.  Guinn,  of  Cherokee; 
8.  W.  D.  Wood,  of  Leon,  chairman;  9.  J.  E.  McComb,  of  Mont- 
gomery, secretary ;  10.  M.  S.  Munson,  of  Brazoria ;  11.  T.  M.  Har- 
wood,  of  Gonzales;  12.  T.  S.  Reese,  of  Waller;  13.  A.  Haidusek, 
of  Fayette ;  14.  J.  N.  Henderson,  of  Brazos ;  15.  John  R.  Henry, 
of  Limestone ;  16.  Z.  T.  Adams,  of  Kaufman ;  17.  J.  A.  Carroll, 
of  Denton;  18.  Silas  Hare,  of  Grayson;  19.  0.  E.  Finlay,  of 
Young;  20.  I.  N.  Roach,  of  Parker;  21.  F.  M.  Sansom,  of  John- 
son; 22.  L.  C.  Alexander,  of  McLennan;  23.  Geo.  C.  Pendleton, 
of  Bell;  24.  John  Cardwell,  of  Travis;  25.  F.  R.  Stringfellow, 
of  Caldwell;  26.  F.  S.  Stockdale,  of  DeWitt;  27.  C.  M.  Rogers, 
of  Nueces;  28.  E.  R.  Lane,  of  Bexar;  29.  E.  L.  Shropshire,  of 
Comanche ;  30.  John  P.  Estis,  of  Hood ;  31.  Charles  De  Morse, 
of  Red  River. 

PLATFORM1 

We.  your  Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions,  respectfully 
report  the  following  and  ask  its  adoption: 

The  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  reannounces 
the  primal  elements  of  Democratic  faith  as  constituting  the  un- 
changing faith  of  the  Democrats  of  Texas,  and  relies  upon  the 
intelligence  and  integrity  of  the  people  for  their  success. 

1.  That  all  men  are  politically  equal,  and  that  the  objects  of 
government  are  subverted  when  legislation  recognizes  distinctions 
between  persons,  or  favors  one  class  of  business  pursuits  at  the 
expense  of  another  and  by  any  means  impoverishes  the  many  to 
enrich  the  few. 

2^  We  oppose  -centralization,  and  that  dangerous  and  growing 
spirit  of  encroachment  which  tends  to  consolidate  the  powers  of 
3ll  the  departments  of  government  into  one,  and  thus  creates  a 
real  despotism,  whatever  be  the  form  of  government. 

1Tlie  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  Daily 
News. 

14—328 


210  Platforms  of  Political 

3.  That  we  are  opposed  to  the  present   system  of  National   banks 
of  issue;    that  we  favor  the  free   and  honest  coinage  of  gold  and 
silver,  and  are  in  favor  of  a  paper  currency  consisting  of  treasury 
notes,    of   the    government    gold    and    silver    certificates,    based    en 
bullion  deposited,  sufficient  in  volume  with  gold  and  silver  to  an- 
swer all  of  the  business  and  commercial  purposes  of  the  people  and 
a  strict  maintenance  of  the  public  faith,  State  and  National. 

4.  We  are  opposed  to  a  protective  tariff,  believing  it  to  be  un- 
just and   detrimental   to   the  best   interests   of  our   people   and   are 
in  favor  of  a  tariff  for  revenue  only. 

5.  We  favor  the  subordination  of  the  military  to  the  civil  powers 
of    the    government,    and    a    genuine   and    thorough    reform    of    the 
civil  service. 

6.  We  declare  that  the  right  to  a  full  and  free  ballot  is  a  right 
preservative   of  all   rights,    and   should   be   sacredly   maintained    in 
every  part  of  the  United  States. 

7.  We  favor  free  ships  and  a  living  chance  for  American  com- 
merce on  the  seas  and  on  land.      No  discrimination  in  favor  of  trans- 
portation lines  or  monopolies. 

8.  The  Democratic  party  proposes  to   protect  labor  and  the  la- 
boring men  of  our  country,  and  pledges  itself  to  protect  them  alike 
against  the  cormorant  and  the  commune. 

9.  We  declare  that  a  liberal  provision  should  be  made  to  endow 
with  the  public  lands  set  apart  for  the  payment  of  public  debt — 
or  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  same — the  State  University  and 
its  branches,  but  in  no  case  should  any  portion  of  the  common  school 
lands  or  fund  be  used  for  this  purpose.     We  further  declare  that 
the  debts  due  the  University  and  common   school  funds  of  Texas, 
denominated  as  of  doubtful  validity,  should  be  recognized  and  paid, 
with  the  interest  due  thereon. 

10.  We   favor   the   fullest  education   of   the  masses,   white   and 
colored,   in  separate  common  schools,  and  the  advanced  education 
of  the  youths  of  the  country  in  our  higher  schools  and  State  Uni- 
versity.    We  favor  the  maintenance  of  normal  schools  for  the  in- 
struction of  teachers. 

11.  We  favor  the  submission  to  the  people,  of  a  constitutional 
amendment  authorizing  the  levy  and  collection  of  a  special  school 
tax,  separate  from  the  general  revenues,  to  the  end  that  an  efficient 
system    of   public    free  schools    may   be   maintained,    and   that   the 
State  taxes  may  be  reduced  to  the  actual  necessities  of  the  State 
government. 

12.  We  favor  the  protection  of  the  public  school  lands  of  the 
State  from  waste  and  sacrifice,  and  pledge  ourselves  to  secure  returns 
from   said   lands,  commensurate  with  the   real  value  of  the  same. 

13.  We  declare   that  the  railroads   and  other   corporations  are 
subordinate  and  subject  to  the  control  of  the  political  power  of  the 


Parties  in  Texas  211 

State  and  of  the  General  Government  in  their  respective  spheres 
of  constitutional  authority  by  such  conservative  legislation  as  will 
protect  the  rights  of  the  people,  and  enforce  the  provisions  of  our 
constitution  without  injury  to  the  just  interests  of  those  corporations. 

14.  We   deprecate  and   protest  against  the  continuous  increase 
of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Federal  courts  as  subversive  of  the  rights 
of  the  people,  civil  liberty,  and  local  self-government,  as  contemplated 
by  the  founders  of  our  government. 

15.  As  heretofore,  we  demand  the  strictest  economy  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  every  department  of  the  government  consistent  with 
efficient  and  full  execution  of  the  laws. 

16.  Recognizing  these  as  the  great  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party — principles  upon  which  our  civil  liberty  and  free  institutions 
are  based — we  appeal  to  all  lovers  of  the  Union,  the  Constitution, 
and  the  government,  by  the  people  in  the  State  of  Texas,  to  assist 
in   the   maintenance   and   success   of   the   same  as  essential   to   the 
individual  rights  of  the  citizen  and  general  welfare  of  the  country. 

State  Executive  Committee:  John  M.  Claiborne,  of  Galves- 
ton,  chairman;  1st  District,  L.  W.  Ford,  of  Jasper;  2.  Jas.  R. 
Sparks,  of  Nacogdoches;  3.  J.  B.  Forrest,  of  Harrison;  4.  L.  C. 
De  Morse,  of  Bowie;  5.  B.'  M.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  6.  J.  S. 
Hogg,  of  Wood;  7.  T.  G.  Garrison,  of  Rusk;  8.  W.  L.  Denman, 
of  Angelina;  9.  blank;  10.  J.  C.  Walker,  of  Galveston;  11.  W. 
S.  Fly,  of  Dallas ;  12.  R.  R.  Lawther,  of  "Washington ;  13.  W.  H. 
Ledbetter,  of  Fayette;  14.  J.  K.  P.  Hanna,  of  Robertson;  15. 
Bryan  T.  Barry,  of  Navarro;  16.  Z.  T.  Adams,  of  Kaufman; 
17.  T.  M.  Murray,  of  Collin;  18,  J.  H.  Garnet,  of  Cook;  19.  A.  R. 
Crozier,  of  Young;  20.  J.  W.  Booth,  of  Wise;  21.  J.  W.  Brown, 
of  Johnson;  22.  B.  H.  Rice?  of  Falls;  23.  H.  B.  Robinson,  of  Bell; 
24.  John  W.  Robertson,  of  Travis ;  25.  Thomas  McNeil,  of  Cald- 
well;  26.  Jonathan  Payne,  of  Goliad;  27.  E.  F.  Hall,  of  Webb, 
28.  John  R.  Jefferson,  of  Tom  Green;  29.  J.  T.  Berry,  of  Taylor; 
30.  W.  H.  Devine,  of  Erath;  31.  D.  H.  Scott,  of  Lamar. 

TEXAS  STATE  GRANGE,  1882 
BELTON,  August  8-12 

S 

Officers:  A.  J.  Rose,  of  Bell,  Worthy  Master;  R.  T.  Kennedy, 
of  Limestone,  Worthy  Secretary. 


212  Platforms  of  Political 

DEMANDS1 

[1]  All  Subordinate  Granges  were  requested  to  memorialize  the 
next  legislature  to  pass  "just  and  equitable  laws  in  relation  to  freight 
charges  on  railroads"  (p.  20). 

[2]  That  it  is  the  sense  of  the  Texas  State  Grange  that  our  State 
legislature  should  enact  such  laws  as  will  make  our  free  school  sys- 
tem more  effective,  so  that  the  free  school  term  may  be  extended  at 
least  to  eight  months  in  the  year;  that  the  public  lands  set  apart  to 
it  be  kept  intact  from  every  encroachment  and  as  speedily  as  prac- 
ticable made  available  for  their  intended  use;  that  we,  as  an  organi- 
zation, will  labor  by  the  use  of  all  proper  effort  to  bring  about  such 
result. 

[3]  That  the  elementary  principles  of  the  science  of  agriculture 
should  be  taught  in  the  rural  schools,  and  we  will  labor  to  secure  the 
same  to  be  done  by  the  necessary  legislation  therefor  (p.  26). 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1882 

AUSTIN,  August  23  and  24 

In  his  address  to  the  delegates,  Chairman  Davis  referred  to 
his  recommendation  to  the  convention  of  1880,  and  to  his  call 
of  June  28th  last,  a»d  repeated  that  it  was  his  judgment  the 
Republicans  ought  not  to  nominate  a  State  ticket  but  support 
acceptable  independent  candidates.  About  four  hundred  dele- 
gates were  present;  half  of  them  were  colored. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  N.  W.  Cuney,  of  Galveston; 
permanent,  J.  Gr.  Tracy,  of  Harris.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  T.  A. 
Knox,  of  Falls;  permanent,  C.  M.  Campbell,  of  Marion. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  A.  Siemering,  of 
Bexar,  chairman  ;  names  of  other  members  not  found. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  recog- 
nizing the  fact  that  our  National  and  social  welfare  as  citizens  is 
largely  the  result  of  the  policy  that  controls  our  State  government, 
therefore,  in  the  interest  of  what  we  conceive  to  be  liberal  and 


of   the   Eighth   Annual    Session   of   the    Texas   State    Grange, 
held  at  Belton,  Texas,  August  8,  9,  10,  11  and  12,  1882. 

1The  proceedings   of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  Daily 
News. 


Parties  in  Texas  213 

progressive  government,  we  announce  our  intention  to  support,  Jit 
the  approaching  election  for  State  officers,  candidates  who  eome 
before  the  people  for  suffrage  purely  as  independents,  free  from 
party  nominations  or  other  forms  of  caucus  dictation,  and  who  do 
to  a  reasonable  extent  agree  to  support  and  enforce  the  following 
policies  in  our  State  government: 

1.  We    favor   an   amendment    to    the    constitution    directing    the 
levy  and  collection  of  a  special  school  tax,  sufficient  in  the  minimum 
amount,  together   with   other  moneys   accruing  to  the  schoo.l   fund, 
to   maintain   free   schools   for  ten   calendar  months   in  the  year,   in 
all  communities  where  there  is  sufficient  scholastic  population. 

2.  We  disapprove  in  the  strongest  terms  the  breaking  open  of 
offices   and    counting   out    of    legally   elected    officers,    as   practiced    by 
the  Democrats  in  some  of  the  counties  of  Texas. 

3.  We  favor  a  revision  of  the  jury  laws,  to  the  end  that  jurors 
shall   be   drawn  impartially   from  the  body  of  the  people  liable  to 
jury  service. 

4.  That  the  Republican  party  is  aggressive  and  progressive,  and 
that  we  point  with  much  pride  to  the  five  thousand  miles  of  railroad 
in  this  State,  the  result  of  friendly  legislation  during  the  Republican 
administration. 

5.  We   believe   that   the   school   and   University  lands   should   be 
sold  only  to  actual  and   bmia  fide  settlers  at   current  market  values, 
and  on  long  time,  with  a  reasonable  rate  of  interest,  and  in  parcels 
not  exceeding  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  for  farming  and  grazing 
lands,  and  in  large  bodies  for  purely  grazing  lands. 

6.  We  believe  that  such  endowments  as  have  been  made  to  the 
University  should   be  husbanded  and   strictly  applied  to  the  main- 
tenance  of   the   same,    but   that  no   further   endowments  should   be 
made  to  the  University  until  the  State  shall  have  perfected  a  thor- 
ough system  of  public  free  schools. 

7.  We  believe  that  humanity  dictates,  and  our  social  well-being 
demands,  that  ample  provision  should  be  made  for  the  maintenance 
of  lunatics  in  well  ordered  asylums,  to  the  end  that  our  civilization 
shall  not  longer  be  disgraced  by  the  incarceration  of  such  unfortu- 
nates in  common  jails  with  felons. 

8.  We    believe   that   a    humane    consideration   for    the    criminal 
classes  and  the  welfare  of  society  demand  that  ample  penitentiary 
room  be  provided  in  different  sections  of  the  State  for  the  accom- 
modation of  convicts  within  the  prison  walls,  to  the  end  that  the 
inhumanities,   brutalities,   and   demoralization  that  result  from   the 
outdoor  lease  system  may  remain  no  longer  a  blot  on  our  civilization. 
We  favor,   also,   that   the   State  provide   houses   of   refuge   or   cor- 
rection for  juvenile   offenders. 

9.  We  believe   that   the   revenues   should   be   derived   from   an   ad 
valorem   tax   on    property    and   other   forms    of   moneyed   values,   and 


214  Platforms  of  Political 

that   oppressive    occupation    taxes    and    head    money    or    capitation 
taxes -have  no  rightful  place  in  a  republican  government. 

10.  We  believe  that  the  State  ought  to  promote  and  foster  im- 
migration  by  all  practicable  methods. 

11.  We  believe  that  the  ends  of  equitable  government  would  be 
conserved  by  the  repeal  of  the  existing  road  laws  and  the  substitu- 
tion therefor  of  the  levying  and  collection  of  the  road  and  bridge 
tax    to    be    expended    by    the   commissioners    court    of    each    county 
in  the  maintenance  of  public  highways. 

12.  We  believe  that  no  more  money  should  be  collected  in  the 
shape   of   taxes   than   is   necessary  for   the   reasonable   maintenance 
of  the  government. 

13.  That  in  President  Arthur  we  have  a  chief  executive  of  the 
Nation,    who,    by    wisdom    and    manly    efforts    to    serve    the    material 
welfare  of  the  whole   people,   has  earnestly  commended   himself  to 
the  Republicans   of   Texas.      That  we  reaffirm  our  adhesion   to   the 
great  National  Republican  party,  and  adopt  as  our  sentiments  the 
platform  promulgated  at  Chicago  in  1880. 

14.  In  order  that  the  Republicans  may  act  unitedly,  resolved,  that 
N.    W.    Cuney,    E.    W.    Martin,    Richard    Allen,    S.    A.    Hackworth, 
A.    R.    Collins,    J.    B.    Williamson,    A.    Siemering,    L.    W.    Cooper, 
Colonel    Robert    Taylor,    W.    H.    Andrews,    and    Colonel    Car    be    con- 
stituted  a  committee   to   confer   with  other  anti-Bourbon   organiza- 
tions as  to   whom  among  the  Independent  candidates  the  Republi- 
cans  shall   support   for   State   offices   and   publish   an   address   setting 
forth  their  names.      That  the  eminent  public  services  of  E.  J.  Davis 
to   the   people   of   Texas  commend   him   to   the  confidence  and   sup- 
port of  all  good  men,  irrespective  of  party. 

Additional  Resolution 

[15]  That  we  ask  the  next  legislature  to  extend  the  scholastic 
age  from  six  to  eighteen. 

State  Executive  Committee:  C.  C.  Binkley,  of  Grayson,  chair- 
man; W.  R.  Carson,  of  McLennan,  secretary. 

GREENBACK  CONVENTION,  1882 

CORSICANA,  August  31 

In  accordance  with  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Greenback 
convention  at  Fort  Worth  on  June  30,  1882,  another  convention 
was  held  at  Corsicana  on  August  31,  1882.  The  attendance  was 
small. 


Parties  in  Texas  215 

Officers:  Chairman,  A.  F.  Corning,  of  McLennan;  Viee-Presi- 
dent,  J.  W.  Fleming,  of  Tarrant;  Secretary,  M.  J.  Nolan,  of 
Travis. 

RESOLUTIONS 

Be  it  resolved  by  this  Convention: 

1.  That    we    indorse    and    affirm    the    platform    adopted    by    the 
Greenback  convention  at  Fort  Worth  on  June  29th  last. 

2.  That   the   Greenback   party  of  Texas   favor   and   support  the 
Independent  candidates  in  the  ensuing  election  who  favor  the  prin- 
ciples enunciated  in  said  platform. 

3.  That  a  campaign   committee  be  appointed,  consisting  of  one 
person    from    each    congressional    district,    to    aid    in    securing    the 
election  of  said  Independent  candidates. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1884 

FORT  WORTH,  April   29-May  1 

E.  J.  Davis,  hitherto  the  leader  of  Texas  Republicans,  was 
dead.  The  convention  was  marked  by  struggles  between  the 
office  holders  and  those'  who  had  no  offices,  between  the  Arthur 
supporters  and  the  Elaine  men,  between  the  whites  and  the 
colored  contingents.  In  each  case  the  last  named  was  successful. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  J.  C.  De  Gress,  of  Travis; 
permanent.  J.  G.  Tracy,  of  Harris.  Vice-Presidents,  1st  Con- 
gressional district,  J.  L.  Williams,  of  Jefferson;  2.  J.  F.  Pitts, 
of  Anderson;  3.  C.  M.  Campbell,  of  Camp;  4.  J.  F.  Fleming, 
of  Red  River ;  5.  0.  T.  Lyon,  of  Grayson :  6.  A.  W.  Chancy,  of 
Tarrant ;  7.  Henry  Ballinger,  of  Galveston ;  8.  W.  A.  Hutchinson, 
of  Hays;  9.  R.  G.  Wells,  of  Falls;  10.  H.  F.  Clifton,  of  Wil- 
liamson; 11.  B.  Jackson,  of  Tom  Green. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  C.  C. 
Binkley,  N.  W.  Cuney,  Richard  Allen,  and  Robert  Zapp;  1st 
Congressional  district,  Evans  and  Farish;  2.  Burkhardt  and 
Davis ;  3.  Flanagan  and  Burge ;  4.  contested ;  5.  Lyon  and 
Cleeves ;  6.  Acker  and  Whitmeyer ;  7.  Rentf ro  and  Ferguson ; 
8.  Rosenthal  and  Green;  9.  Patton  and  Blount;  10.  De  Gress 
and  Hanselke;  11.  Campbell  and  McConnell. 

Presidential  Electors:     State  at  large,  J.  M.  Dilley  and  Bob 


216  Platforms  of  Political 

Taylor ;  1st  Congressional  district,  J.  L.  Taylor,  of  Montgomery ; 
2.  L.  W.  Cooper,  of  Houston;  3.  J.  F.  Anderson,  of  Smith;  4. 
S.  C.  McCoy,  of  Marion;  5.  T.  B.  Hanna,  of  Grayson;  6.  J.  M. 
McCormick,  of  Dallas;  7.  John  L.  Haynes,  of  Cameron;  8.  M. 
Meisner,  of  Austin;  9.  Jno.  W.  McDonald,  of  McLennan;  10. 
Jas.  W.  Talbot,  of  Williamson ;  11.  S.  C.  Slade,  of  El  Paso. 
Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  N.  M.  Cane,  of 
Grimes;  P.  W.  Hall,  of  Robertson;  Webb  Flanagan,  of  Rusk; 
J.  C.  Easton,  of  Lamar ;  G.  W.  Pasco,  of  Grayson ;  Geo.  Hawkins, 
of  Dallas;  J.  0.  Luby,  of  Duval;  J.  G.  Shermack,  of  Fayette; 
J.  C.  Cone,  of  Washington;  J.  B.  Rector,  of  Travis,  chairman; 
S.  C.  Slade,  of  El  Paso. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The   Republican    party   of    Texas,    in    convention    assembled, 
declares  its  faith  in  the  Republican  party  of  the  Nation  to  conserve 
and  protect  the  best  interests  of  the  country,  and  advance  and  edu- 
cate the  citizens. 

2.  That  we  earnestly  approve  the  wise,  consistent,  and  patriotic 
administration  of  Chester  A.  Arthur. 

3.  That  we  favor  a  tariff  for  revenue  to  defray  the  necessary 
expenses  of  the   Government,   and  discriminating  with   special   refer- 
ence to  the  protection  of  the  domestic  labor  of  the  country;   and 
in  this  connection  we  strike  hands  with  the  Ohio  Republicans  and 
demand  the  restoration  of  the  wool  tariff  of  1867. 

4.  That   free   schools   are   essential   to  the   life   and   prosperity 
of  the  State  and  Nation,  and  we  greet  with  approbation  the  bill  that 
lately   passed   the   Senate   of   the  United   States   to   distribute   over 
seventy  million   dollars  in   aid  of   such  schools,   and  condemn  the 
course  of  our  senators  in  opposing  said  bill. 

5.  We  demand  that  the  thirty  million  of  acres  of  land  belonging 
to  the  school  fund  in  Texas  shall  contribute  at  once,  by  a  system 
of   lease  to  the   highest  bidder,   to   the  education   of   the   children 
of  the  State,  and  demand  that  not  one  acre  of  said  land  shall  be 
leased  at  less  than  the  present  rates. 

6.  That  we  are  opposed  to  a  herd  law  and  in  favor  of  free  grass 
on  all  uninclosed  lands. 

7.  That  we  are  unalterably  opposed  to  the  further  squandering 
of  the  public  lands  of  Texas,  and  in  favor  of  reserving  those  re- 

xThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Fort  Worth  Daily 
Gazette. 


Parties  in  Texas  217 

maining  to  the  State,  the  free  schools  and  the  asylums,  for  sale  to 
actual  settlers  in  quantities  sufficient  for  homesteads. 

8.  That  while  we  deprecate  the  action  of  the  Democratic  party 
in    squandering   the    public    lands    upon   railroads    and   individuals, 
notably  in  the  case  of  the  Texas  &  Pacific  and  International  rail- 
roads, in  selling  millions  of  the  school  lands  at  one  dollar  per  acre, 
and  of  the  public  lands  at  fifty  cents,  most  of  which  was  acquired 
by  corporations   and   speculators   to   the   detriment  of  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  State,  yet  we  can  not  condemn  in  too  strong  language 
the   bad  faith   of  the   party  in   attempting  to   destroy  the   titles  it 
had  created  after  they  had  vested  and  the  lands  had  risen  in  value^ 
through  smelling  boards  and  their  vicious  reports  so  hurtful  to  the 
fair  fame  and  good  name  of  the  State,  at  home  and  abroad. 

9.  That  we  disapprove  the  course  of  the  present  Democratic  ad- 
ministration  of   Texas  in   loaning   the  school   fund    (the   children's 
money)  to  the  various  counties  of  the  State:   that  the  party  squan- 
dered enough  of  the  school  fund  during  the  late  war  to  have  learned 
wisdom  by  experience;   that  we  apprehend  a  fruitful  brood  of  evils 
In  the  near  future  from  the  reckless  course  it  is  pursuing. 

10.  That  equal  civil  rights  should  be  enjoyed  by  all  classes  of 
citizens,  and  to  that  end  we  recognize  the  duty  and  obligation  of 
the    National    government   to    protect    the    citizen    in    a    free    ballot, 
and  to  see  that  the  same  is  counted. 

11.  That   we   invite   the   hearty    cooperation    of   all    good    citizens 
who   are    opposed    to    the    narrow   and    sectional   ways    of   the   De- 
mocracy to  unite  with  us  in  redeeming  this  great  State  from  the 
rule  of  that  party. 

State  Executive  Committee:  C.  C.  Binkley.  of  Grayson,  chair- 
man. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1884 

FORT  WORTH,  June  11  and  12 

The  committee  on  permanent  organization  recommended  that 
the  two-thirds  rule  be  observed,  but  it  was  rejected  by  a  vote 
of  165  ayes  to  303  noes.  The  delegates  to  the  National  convention 
were  not  instructed. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Thomas  H.  Murray,  of  Col- 
lin;  permanent,  Joseph  D.  Sayers,  of  Bastrop.  Vice-Presidents, 
M.  W.  Garnett  of  Harris;  D.  A.  Nunn,  of  Houston;  N.  W. 
Finley,  of  Smith;  Chas.  D.  Grace,  of  Fannin;  G.  B.  Pickett, 


238  Platforms   of  Political 

of  Wise ;  Anson  Rainey,  of  Ellis ;  James  Bates,  of  Brazoria ; 
W.  F.  Upton,  of  Fayette;  Marion  Martin,  of  Navarro;  J.  T. 
Brackenridge,  of  Travis;  J.  H.  Traylor,  of  Hood.  Secretary 
pro  tempore,  Maurice  Coffee,  of  Galveston;  permanent,  Will 
Lambert,  of  Travis. 

Delegates  to  tlw  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  J.  P. 
Smith,  of  Tarrant ;  D.  C.  Giddings,  of  Washington ;  A.  W.  Ter- 
rell, of  Travis ;  and  T.  J.  Brown,  of  Grayson ;  1st  Congressional 
district,  0.  T.  Holt,  of  Harris,  and  John  N.  Henderson,  of 
*Brazos;  2.  T.  T.  Gammage,  of  Anderson',  and  T.  A.  Dunn,  of 
Houston;  3.  H.  Kretz,  of  Harrison,  and  H.  M.  Gate,  of  Wood; 

4.  J.  B.  Donaho,   of  Red  River,  and  J.  M.  Adams,  of   Cass; 

5.  Silas  Hare,  of  Grayson,  and  G.  P.  Mead,  of  day;  6.  J.  W. 
Ferris,  of  Ellis,  and  W.  P.  McFarland,  of  Johnson ;  7.  W.  Gus- 
sett,   of  Nueces,  and  C.   C.   Sweeney,  of  Galveston;  8.  W.  H. 
Surges,  of  Guadalupe,  and  R.  L.  Ford,  of  Colorado;  9.  L.  C. 
Alexander,  of  McLennan,  and  E.  J.  Simkins,  of  Navarro;  10. 
Henry  Exall,  of  Lampasas,  and  J.  E.  Dwyer,  of  Bexar;  11.  J. 
R.  Fleming,  of  Eastland,  and  C.  K.  Bell,  of  Hamilton. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, Sam  R.  Perryman,  of  Liberty ;  2.  S.  J.  Hendrick.  of  Rusk  ; 
3.  0.  P.  Forrest,  of  Harrison;  4.  C.  A.  Culberson,  of  Marion; 
5.  E.  W.  Terhune,  of  Hunt;  6.  H.  G.  Robertson,  of  Smith; 
7.  J.  S.  Spinks,  of  Van  Zandt;  8.  B.  F.  Frymier,  of  Houston, 
9.  blank;  10.  Seth  Shepherd,  of  Galveston;  11.  John  Woods, 
of  Lavaca ;  12.  D.  C.  Giddings,  of  Washington ;  13.  J.  D.  Say- 
ers,  of  Bastrop ;  14.  D.  Fort  Smith,  of  Brazos ;  15.  L.  L.  Foster, 
of  Limestone;  16.  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rockwall;  17.  W.  A.  Kendall, 
of  Denton;  18.  J.  M.  Lindsey,  of  Cook;  19.  J.  R.  McLain,  of 
Baylor;  20.  J.  A.  Kidd,  of  Parker;  21.  ;  22.  J.  A. 

Martin,  of  Falls;  23.  M.  S.  Duffy,  of  Coryell;  24.  Wm.  P.  Gaines, 
of  Travis;  25.  L.  J.  Storey,  of  Caldwell;  26.  E.  D.  Linn,  of 
Victoria;  27.  R.  W.  Hudson,  of  Frio;  28.  A.  W.  Houston,  of 
Bexar;  29.  E.  L.  Shropshire,  of  Comanche;  30.  J.  H.  Hyman, 
of  Erath;  31.  A.  M.  Taylor. 


Parties  in  Texas  219 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  rene'-v 
our  allegiance  and  attest  our  devotion  to  the  great  principles  of  the 
party  founded  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  which,  so  long  as  they  pre- 
vailed in  the  government  of  the  United  States,  maintained  purity 
in  the  administration  of  public  affairs,  commanded  the  respect  of 
foreign  nations,  and  secured  peace,  happiness,  and  prosperity  to  the 
people  of  all  the  States  of  the  Union.  We  demand  a  return  to  the 
practices,  methods,  and  republican  simplicity  of  the  fathers  of  the 
Constitution. 

Resolved,  1.  That  no  government  has  the  right  to  impose  taxes 
direct  or  indirect  in  their  nature  for  any  other  than  a  strictly  pub- 
lic government  purpose.  No  government  has  the  right  to  foster 
monopolies  or  to  encourage  any  industry  at  the  expense  of  others. 
It  is  the  duty  of  every  branch  of  the  government  to  enforce  and 
practice  the  most  rigid  economy  in  the  conduct  of  our  public  affairs, 
and  no  more  revenue  ought  to  be  raised  than  is  necessary  to  defray 
the  necessary  expenses  of  the  government  and  for  the  gradual  but 
certain  extinction  of  the  public  debt. 

2.  No    duty    should    be    imposed    upon    imports    except    to    raise 
revenue  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  an  economical  and  efficient 
government  and  the  payment  of  the  public  debt.      And  no  discrimina- 
tion should  be  made  in  the  imposition  of  duties  for  the  purposes 
of   protecting  any  industry.      A  tariff  for  protection   is  unconstitu- 
tional,   unjust,    and   in    conflict   with  the   genius   and   spirit   of   free 
government. 

3.  We  denounce  the  present  tariff  as  a  scheme  for  the  protection 
of   monopolies,   and   a   masterpiece   of   injustice   and   false  pretense. 
It  has  destroyed  American  commerce,  and  has  diminished  the  profits 
and    returns    of   American    agriculture.      It    has   enslaved    American 
labor,  under  the  false  pretense  of  its  protection.      It  has  enriched 
a  few  at  the  expense  of  the  mass  of  the  people,  under  the  false  pre- 
tense of  the  development  of  the  country  and  the  promotion  of  the 
public  good. 

4.  We    earnestly    indorse    the    action    of    the    Democratic     repre- 
sentatives of  Texas   in   Congress  in   their   vote   in   favor   of   the   Mor- 
rison bill. 

5.  While  we  favor  the  education  of  the  masses  by  every  legiti- 
mate means,  yet  we  regard  the  educational  bill  pending  in  Congress, 
which    proposes    to    appropriate    money    from   the   Federal   treasury 
to   educational   purposes   within   the  States,   as   an   unconstitutional 
and  dangerous  encroachment  upon  the  rights  of  the  States  and  as 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Fort  Worth  Daily 
Gazette. 


220  Platforms  of  Political 

another  great  step  towards  the  centralization  of  all  power  in  the 
Federal  government  and  the  destruction  of  the  Republic,  and  we 
heartily  indorse  the  action  of  our  senators  in  opposing  the  passage 
of  the  bill. 

Additional  Resolution 

[6]  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
pledges  itself  to  the  grand  principle  embodied  in  the  Monroe  Doc- 
trine, and  demand  of  the  Federal  government  adequate  protection 
for  its  citizens  abroad,  and  that  our  delegates  be  requested  to  give 
expression  thereof  before  the  National  convention  at  Chicago. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1884 

HOUSTON,  August  10-21 

The  convention  was  harmonious.  The  two-thirds  rule  was 
observed  in  the  selection  of  candidates.  The  western  delegates 
desired  action  on  the  subjects  of  free  grass,  the  lease  of  school 
lands,  and  the  sale  of  public  lands  in  large  bodies,  but  were 
not  sufficiently  numerous  to  carry  their  point.  "The  Young 
Democracy  came  in  for  its  full  share  of  recognition  during  the 
convention." 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Thos.  R.  Bonner,  of  Smith; 
permanent,  W.  F.  Upton,  of  Fayette.  Vice-Presidents,  1st  Con- 
gressional district,  J.  L.  Epperson,  2.  S.  W.  Blount,  3.  Barney 
B.  Hart,  4.  W.  A.  Wortham,  5.  Jos.  Bledsoe,  6.  D.  A.  Williams, 
7.  G.  R.  Scott,  8.  Wells  Thompson,  9.  Geo.  Clark,  10.  W.  W.  Mar- 
tin, 11.  W.  R.  Shannon.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  J.  W.  Booth, 
of  Wise;  permanent,  George  W.  Finger. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  H.  McLeary,  of 
Bexar,  and  Silas  Hare,  of  Grayson;  1st  Congressional  district, 
J.  E.  McComb.  of  Montgomery;  2.  Peyton  F.  Edwards,  of  Na- 
cogdoches ;  3.  N.  W.  Finley,  of  Smith ;  4.  H.  C.  Hynson,  of  Bowie ; 
5.  A.  L.  Matlock,  of  Montague;  6.  W.  F.  Ramsay,  of  Johnson; 
7.  J.  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron;  8.  R.  H.  Phelps,  of  Fayette;  9. 
George  W.  Tyler,  of  Bell;  10,  John  T.  Brackenridge,  of  Travis; 
11.  K.  K.  Leggett,  of  Taylor. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  John  Ireland,  of 
Guadalupe;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Barnett  Gibbs,  of  Dallas;  At- 


Parties  in  Texas  221 

t 

torney-General.  John  D.  Templeton,  of  Tarrant;  Comptroller, 
Win.  J.  Swain,  of  Red  River:  Treasurer,  F.  R.  Lubbock,  of 
Galveston ;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  C. 
Walsh,  of  Travis;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  B.  M. 
Baker,  of  Tom  Green. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, T.  W.  Ford,  of  Jasper;  2.  W.  W.  Spivey,  of  Rusk;  3. 
blank;  4.  E.  W.  Taylor,  of  Marion;  5.  S.  B.  Simpson,  of  Hunt; 
6.  0.  Ruce ;  7.  J.  G.  Kearby ;  8.  M.  Y.  Randolph,  of  Madison ; 
9.  A.  T.  McKinney.  of  Walker ;  10.  Thomas  Gary,  of  Galveston ; 
11.  Wells  Thompson,  of  Colorado;  12.  A.  Chesley,  of  Austin; 
13.  W.  S.  Robson,  of  Fayette ;  14.  L.  L.  Foster,  of  Limestone, 
secretary;  16.  John  L.  Cochran,  of  Dallas;  17.  W.  A.  Kendall, 
of  Denton;  18.  H.  0.  Head,  of  Grayson;  19.  J.  R.  McLain,  of 

,  Baylor;  20.  W.  R.  Shannon,  of  Parker;  21.  E.  F.  Yeager,  of 
Ellis;  22.  J.  C.  Gaither,  of  Falls;  23.  F.  D.  Wilkes,  of  Lampasas; 
24.  Thomas  E.  Sneed,  of  Travis;  25.  W.  W.  Martin,  of  Blanco; 
26.  W.  W.  Woodward,  of  Goliad;  27.  D.  P.  Marr,  of  Frio; 
28.  H.  E.  Barnard,  of  Bexar;  29.  D.  E.  Bentley,  of  Mitchell; 

'  30.  L.  N.  Frank,  of  Erath ;  31.  Charles  De  Morse,  of  Red  River, 
chairman. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We,  the  Democrats  of  Texas,   in  convention  assembled,  cor- 
dially endorse  the  principles  announced  in  the  platform  adopted  by 
the   National   convention   of   the   Democratic   party,    in   the   City   of 
Chicago,   in  July  last,  and  we  hail  with  satisfaction  the  nomination 
of   the    Hon.    Grover    Cleveland,    of   New   York,   and   Hon.    Thomas 
A.    Hendricks,   of   Indiana,   for   President   and   Vice-President   of   the 
United  States,  and  we  pledge  our  earnest  and  enthusiastic  support 
to  said  nominees. 

2.  We   declare   that  the   people   are   the   source  of  all  political 
power,  and  the  Democratic  party  is  a  party  of  the  people,  and  that 
it  has  with  unfaltering  faith  always  adhered  to  the  doctrine  that 
government  was  instituted  among  men  by  their  consent  for  mutual 
protection,    and   we   point   with,  pride  to   the   giant   strides   of  our 
great  commonwealth  under  its  fostering  care  and  protection. 

3.  We  declare  that  a  free  ballot  and  a  fair  count  is  necessary 
to  the   existence  of  free  government  among  men,   and   the  Demo- 

1The;  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  Daily 
'  News, 


222          .  Platforms  of  Political 

cratic    party   pledges   itself    that    this    right   shall   remain    inviolate. 

4.  We  believe  that  an  efficient  system  of  common  free  schools, 
both  for  the  white  and  colored  races,   is  essential  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  liberties  of  the  people,  and  that  our  public  institutions 
of  learning  should  be  fostered  by  judicious  legislative  enactments; 
and  to  this  end  we  favor  the  raising  of  revenue  for  these  purposes 
by  such  a  disposition  of  the  lands  set  apart  for  these  objects  under 
such   limitations  as   may   best  subserve   these   ends,   so   that   taxation 
for    such    purposes   may    be    reduced    to    the  lowest    possible   limit. 

5.  We   declare   that  the  free   school  and   asylum  lands  are  segre- 
gated from  the  public  domain,   and  are,  by  law,   a  sacred  trust  in 
the  custody  of  the  legislature,  to  be  held  and  managed  for  the  best 
interests  of  the  respective  funds  to  which  they  have  been  dedicated, 
and  we  hold  it  to  be  the  highest  duty  of  the  representatives  of  the 
people    to   see  to   it   that   that  trust  may   not   be   sacrificed  to   the 
greed  of  any  class. 

6.  We  believe  that  the  school  and  general  interests  of  our  State 
will  be  best  subserved  by  the  leasing  of  such  lands  until  such  time 
as  they  may  be  purchased  by  actual  settlers,  at  a  reasonable  price 
fixed  by  law,  without  competition  and  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to 
retard   the  development  and  prosperity  of  the  frontier. 

7.  We  are  opposed  to  the  enactment  of  a  herd  law. 

8.  We  believe  that  the  existing  laws  of  our  State  for  the  pro- 
tection of  mechanics  and  laborers  by  liens  should  be  more  compre- 
hensive and  efficient,  to  the  end  that  the  real  laborer  may  be  thor- 
oughly protected. 

9.  We  declare  that  the  legislature  of  this  State  should  limit  the 
amount  of  real  estate  owned  or  held  by  corporations  in  this  State, 
and  that  our  incorporation  laws  should  be  so  amended  as  to  prevent 
rather  than  encourage  landed  and  other  monopolies. 

10.  We   declare   that   the   proper  and   immediate    regulation   of 
the   transportation    of    freight    by   common    carriers    is    a    matter    of 
the  gravest  concern  to  the  public  at  large,  and  that  the  delays  and 
discriminations  to  which  persons  and  places  are  often  subjected  by 
said  carriers  should  be  remedied  by  prompt  and  efficient  legislation. 

11.  Recognizing    these    great    principles    of    Democratic    faith,    as 
essential  to  the  prosperity  of  the  people  and  to  the  continuation  of 
our   free   institutions,   we   confidently  appeal   to  all   lovers  of  good 
government  in  Texas  to  assist  in  the  maintenance  of  the  same. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[12]  That  the  Democratic  party,  in  convention  assembled,  un- 
qualifiedly condemns  the  criminal  indifference  exhibited  by  the  Re- 
publican party  at  all  times  and  especially  during  the  period  when 
James  G.  Elaine  was  Secretary  of  State  in  reference  to  the  care 


Parties  in  Texas  223 

and  protection  of  American  citizens  of  foreign  birth  while  visiting 
in  foreign  countries. 

[13]  That  we  indorse  the  course  of  our  senators  and  Democratic 
representatives  in  Congress,  and  especially  do  we  commend  their 
course  with  reference  to  the  tariff  issue. 

[14]      That  this  Convention  recommend  to  the  nineteenth  legis- 
lature of  the   State  of  Texas  the  formulating  of  a  law  providing  for 
the    organization    of    district    criminal    courts    whenever    necessary 
.throughout  the  respective  judicial  districts  of  the  State. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Bryan  T.  Barry,  of  Navarro, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  S.  B.  Tackaberry,  of  Polk; 
2.  R.  T.  Milner,  of  Rusk;  3.  W.  H.  Pope,  of  Harrison;  4.  L.  A. 
Whatley,  of  Cass;  5.  J.  S.  Sherrill,  of  Hunt;  6.  Robert  M.  Staf- 
ford, of  Wood ;  7.  John  Y.  Gooch,  of  Anderson ;  8.  B.  F.  Fry- 
mier.  of  Houston;  9.  Henry  Scherffius,  of  Harris;  10.  Joe  A. 
Owens,  of  Galveston;  11.  T.  F.  Harwood,  of  Gonzales;  12.  R,  R. 
Lawther,  of  "Washington ;  13.  Ed.  R.  Sinks,  of  Lee ;  14.  Leonard 
Isaacs,  of  Milam:  15.  L.  D.  Lillard,  of  Freestone;  16.  Jeff  Word, 
Jr.,  of  Dallas ;  17.  Thos.  H.  Murray,  of  Collin ;  18.  Jot  Gunter, 
of  Grayson;  19.  R.  J.  Browning,  of  Baylor;  20.  L.  C.  Sparkman, 
of  Wise;  21.  Anson  Rainey,  of  Ellis;  22.  Robt.  H.  Rogers,  of 
McLennan;  23.  J.  A.  Eidson,  of  Hamilton;  24.  John  Threadgill, 
of  Williamson;  25.  Ed.  R.  Kone,  of  Hays;  26.  S.  F.  Grimes, 
of  De  Witt ;  27.  Solon  Stewart,  of  Kinney ;  28.  W.  Crosby,  of 
El  Paso;  29.  J.  M.  Moore,  of  Shackelford;  30.  0.  L.  Lockett, 
of  Bosque ;  31.  J.  W.  'Dunn,  of  Fannin. 

GREENBACK  STATE  CONVENTION,  1884 
WACO,  August  26 

The  attendance  at  this  convention  was  limited  to  the  counties 
of  Central  Texas.  The  State  executive  committee  was  au- 
thorized to  fill  vacancies. 

Officers:  Chairman,  A.  F.  Corning,  of  McLennan;  Secretary, 
R.  E.  Pitt,  of  Limestone. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  D.  Rankin,  of  Lime- 
stone, and  C.  H.  Jenkins,  of  Brown ;  3rd  congressional  district, 
F.  P.  Rogers,  of  Smith ;  6.  A.  Harris,  of  Tarrant :  9.  Wm.  Cleve- 
land, of  Limestone ;  11.  Horace  Baker,  of  Parker. 


224  Platforms  of  Political 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  Dr.  J.  D.  Rankiii, 
of  Limestone;  Dr.  Andrew  Young,  of  Johnson;  Wm.  Cleveland, 
of  Limestone ;  S.  C.  Cureton,  of  Bosque ;  F.  P.  Rogers,  of  Smith. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  your  Committee  on  Platform,  beg  leave  to  submit  the  fol- 
lowing declaration: 

The  National  Greenback  party  of  the  State  of  Texas,  in  convention 
at  Waco,  declaring  their  unswerving  admiration  and  allegiance  to 
a  true  democratic  republican  royalty  of  the  people  as  opposed  to 
aristocracy  and  monarchy,  and  recognizing  the  fact  that  our  govern- 
ment, as  established  by  the  fathers,  has  been  subverted,  and  instead 
of  being  a  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  general 
welfare  of  the  whole  people,  has  become  an  aristocracy,  ruled  and 
governed  by  land,  money,  and  transportation  oligarchs  or  monopolists; 
and  as  it  is  manifest  that  this  revolution  has  been  accomplished  by  and 
through  the  autocratic  power  assumed  by  Congress  and  by  the  States, 
so  far  as  they  have  exercised  it,  of  selling,  giving,  and  distributing  the 
National  or  sovereign  properties  of  the  people  in  large  amounts,  or 
unequal  shares,  to  individuals  and  corporations;  therefore, 

We  denounce  the  exercise  of  such  power,  whether  delegated  or  not. 
as  being  destructive  to  the  equal  rights  and  sovereignty  of  the  people — 
the  fundamental  basis  of  republican  governments,  as  antithetic  to 
aristocracy  and  monarchy,  and  we  here  announce  our  unswerving  pur- 
pose to  restrain,  as  far  as  possible,  the  exercise  of  such  revolutionary 
power. 

The  assumption  of  such  powers  by  Congress,  we  declare  to  be  a  gross 
usurpation  of  power  not  delegated,  near  akin  to  treason;  and  is,  as  it 
were,  a  proclamation  or  advertisement  to  the  world,  that  we,  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States,  have  the  power  to  sell  and  alienate  the 
common  properties  of  the  people  to  whomsoever  we  will,  at  our  auto- 
cratic discretion.  Ho!  every  one  who  desires  to  monopolize  the  wealth 
and  power  of  the  people.  We  will  transfer  it  to  those  who  will  bribe  us 
the  highest.  Who  will  give  most?  Going,  going,  gone!  Hence  has 
proceeded  the  flood  of  bribery  and  corruption  that  has  disgraced  'our 
civilization  and  government;  that  has  opened  the  floodgates  to  avarice, 
cupidity,  and  ambition,  which  has  swept  over  the  land  like  a  moral 
leprosy,  till  even  the  high  orders  in  the  Christian  church  have  been 
corrupted,  and  even  the  ravenous  ghouls  of  European  monarchy,  glutted 
with  the  spoils  of  Europe  and  the  isles  of  the  sea,  have  become  bidders 
in  this  market  place  for  the  rich  spoils  of  our  people. 

That  the  government  established  by  the  fathers  has  been  practically 

lfThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Waco  Daily  Ex- 
aminer, August  27,  1884. 


Parties  in  Texas  225 

subverted;  that  the  equal  rights  and  sovereignty  of  the  people  have 
been  destroyed;  that  the  great  mass  of  the  people,  instead  of  being 
equals  and  sovereigns,  have  become  slaves — mere  tax  and  tribute  pay- 
ers to  and  for  the  benefit  of  a  comparatively  few  of  their  own  fellow- 
citizens;  that  wealth  and  power  to  rule  is  being  rapidly  centralized 
more  and  more  in  the  control  of  these  few,  and  that  these  conditions 
result  from  the  powers  usurped  by  Congress  of  selling,  giving,  and 
distributing  the  common  properties  of  the  people  in  large  amounts  or 
unequal  shares  to  individuals  and  corporations,  are  facts  too  manifest 
to  every  intelligent  man  to  require  proof  or  even  need  assertion.  If 
proof  were  required  we  have  only  to  ask,  To  whom  and  for  what  have 
we  become  tribute  payers?  The  answer  springs  almost  spontaneously 
from  the  lips  of  every  intelligent  man:  In  rent  for  the  use  of  land, 
interest  for  the  use  of  money,  and  excessive  tolls  and  charges  on  our 
commerce  over  the  public  highways  of  our  country  to  those  whom 
Congress  and  our  State  legislatures  have  transferred  these  common 
properties  of  the  people.  This  answer  explains  it  all,  from  cause  to 
effect,  from  sill  to  capstone,  and  no  argument  cou,ld  demonstrate  it 
more  clearly;  therefore, 

We  declare  that  the  public  lands,  the  public  money,  and  the  public 
highways  of  our  country  rightfully  belong  to  all  the  people  who  consti- 
tute our  government:  that  the  ownership  and  control  of  these  sovereign 
properties  embody  the  very  elements  and  prerogatives  of  sovereignty, 
and  which  are  universally  found  in  the  possession  of  the  ruling  power 
or  sovereign  in  every  form  of  government;  and  hence  we  declare  that 
in  a  true  republican  government  the  ownership  of  these  sovereign 
properties  cannot  be  transferred  or  alienated  in  unequal  shares  without 
destroying  the  equal  rights  and  sovereignty  of  the  people,  and  which, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  has  been  accomplished  through  this  autocratic 
power  usurped  by  Congress,  and  largely  by  the  State  of  Texas,  by  sell- 
ing, giving,  and  distributing  these  sovereign  properties  in  large  amounts 
or  unequal  portions  to  individuals  and  corporations. 

As  we  have  denounced  the  assumption  of  this  power  by  Congress  as 
a  gross  usurpation  we  here  present  all  the  grants  of  power  to  Congress 
over  these  subjects:  In  Art.  1,  Sec.  8,  of  the  Constitution  it  is  pro- 
vided that  Congress  shall  have  power  to  "coin  money  and  regulate  the 
value  thereof,"  and  in  Art.  4,  Sec.  3,  power  is  delegated  to  Congress 
"to  dispose  of  and  make  all  needful  rules  and  regulations  respecting 
the  territory  or  other  property  belonging  to  the  United  States."  But 
we  insist  that  the  power  to  dispose  of  does  not  necessarily  mean  an 
unlimited  power  to  sell  and  alienate  at  discretion;  and  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  the  ownership  of  these  properties  is  inherent  in  and 
embody  the  very  elements  of  power  and  sovereignty,  and  which  are 
universally  found  in  possession  of  the  ruling  power  or  sovereign  in  all 
forms  of  government,  and  as  no  sovereign  would  willingly  delegate 
power  to  any  authority  to  alienate  his  sovereignty,  it  is  manifest  that 
the  power  to  dispose  of  cannot  rationally  be  construed  as  a  power  to 

15—328 


226  .  Platforms  of  Political 

sell  and  alienate  at  discretion,  but  only  a  power  in  trust  to  divide  or 
distribute  in  equal  shares  or  benefits,  according  to  the  fundamental 
principles  of  a  true  democratic  republican  royalty  of  the  people;  and 
the  truth  becomes  manifest,  -as  charged,  that  the  assumption  of  this 
power  by  Congress  is  gross  usurpation  nearly  allied  to  treason  against 
the  sovereignty  to  the  people. 

As  to  the  public  money  and  the  public  highways  belonging  to  all  the 
people  by  creation,  as  well  as  by  right  of  sovereignty,  we  most  em- 
phatically declare  there  is  not  a  shadow  of  constitutional  authority  for 
the  transfer  of  the  ownership  and  control  of  these  properties.  In  the 
first  place,  we  charge  and  aver  that  Congress  has  no  authority  to  create 
a  corporation.  It  is  well  known  that  the  States  in  convention  over- 
whelmingly refused  to  grant  such  power.  And  to  further  guard  the 
people  against  the  usurpation  of  powers  not  delegated,  the  States  made 
and  ratified  the  Tenth  Amendment  to  the  Constitution  declaring  that: 
"all  powers  not  delegated  to  Congress  by  this  Constitution  are  reserved 
to  the  States  and  to  the  people."  It  would  be  needless  to  say  more  to 
men  of  common  sense  on  this  point. 

The  power  "to  coin  money,"  as  delegated  to  Congress,  is  manifestly 
a  power  to  make  or  create  money,  and  is  limited  by  the  term  MONEY 
as  used  in  the  grant  of  power.  It  is  not  a  power  tq  create  any  mere 
"currency,"  such  as  bank  notes,  government  notes,  promising  to  pay 
money,  nor  any  other  hybrid  substitutes  for  money.  For  we  declare 
that  money,  in  its  true  constitutional  sense  and  in  common  sense,  has 
as  precise  and  distinctive  attributes  as  any  other  creation  of  God  or 
man,  viz. :  the  attributes  of  legal  tender  in  .the  payment  of  all  taxes  and 
all  debts,  public  and  private.  And  these  attributes,  not  a  part,  but  all 
of  them,  when  imparted  to  any  suitable  substance  or  material,  properly 
prepared,  (gold,  silver,  paper,  or  other  material,)  by  the  sovereign 
creative  power,  is  the  crowning  act  in  its  creation,  and  what  constitutes 
money  and  gives  to  it  its  existence  and  nomenclature.  It  is,  as  it  were, 
the  breath  of  life  breathed  into  the  soulless  clay  of  man  by  his  creator, 
which  gave  to  him  existence  and  his  name.  Without  these  life  giving 
attributes  no  money  was  ever  made  nor  can  be  made;  and  the  pretense 
that  the  power  of  Congress  is  limited  to  the  process  of  milling  or 
stamping — coining  as  it  is  called — of  mere  pieces  of  gold  and  silver,  is 
not  supported  by  reason  or  facts,  for  we  may  thus  manipulate  all  the 
gold  and  silver  in  the  world  and  yet  not  have  a  dollar  in  money. 

We,  therefore,  denounce  and  most  emphatically  condemn  the  power 
usurped  by  Congress  of  creating  mere  currencies — bank  notes,  govern- 
ment notes,  promising  to  pay  coin,  or  any  other  hybrid  substitutes 
for  money — as  being  unknown  to  the  Constitution  and  unauthorized 
by  it;  and  history  is  luminous  with  the  record  that  they  have  ever 
proved  the  most  potent  and  effective  means  of  plundering  the  great 
mass  of  the  people,  through  interest,  usury,  and  otherwise,  and  of  cen- 
tralizing their  wealth  and  power  in  the  hands  of  the  few. 


Parties  in  Texas  227 

We  charge  that  the  National  debt,  with  all  the  billions  of  interest  we 
have  been  compelled  to  pay  on  it,  for  the  benefit  of  the  few,  is  one  of 
the  direct  results,  and  that  the  National  banks — a  hydra-headed  mon- 
ster— the  progeny  of  usurped  power,  to  which  Congress  has  created  and 
given  $356,000,000  of  these  substitutes  for  money  with  power  to  loan  or 
issue  the  same  for  interest  and  usury,  as  for  money,  and  to  otherwise 
control  the  whole  financial  system  of  the  country,  with  the  prices  of 
labor  and  its  productions,  are  but  further  badges  or  links  in  the  chain 
of  slavery  of  the  many  to  the  few. 

We,  therefore,  demand  that  Congress  shall  cease  to  prostitute  the 
sovereign  power  of  the  people  by  the  creation  of  bank  notes  or  other 
hybrid  substitutes  for  money,  and  shall  execute  the  sacred  trust  dele- 
gated to  it  by  the  States  and  the  people,  of  creating  or  coining  a  suffi- 
cient amount  of  absolute  money,  of  uniform  value,  whether  of  gold, 
silver,  paper,  or  other  material,  invested  with  all  the  attributes  of 
money,  for  the  payment  of  all  taxes  and  all  debts,  public  and  private, 
and  the  exchange  of  commerce;  this  being  the  manifest  purpose  for 
which  the  power  to  coin  or  create  money  was  delegated  to  Congress 
by  the  States  and  the  people. 

We,  therefore,  demand  that  the  notes  of  the  National  banks  be  called 
in  and  substituted  by  an  absolute  paper  money,  endowed  with  full  legal 
tender  attributes  and  the  bonds  upon  which  they  were  issued  be  de- 
clared paid  and  cancelled  to  the  extent  of  such  substitution;  that  all 
acts  chartering  or  extending  the  existence  of  the  National  banks  be 
promptly  repealed  and  the  officers  forced  into  liquidation  and  account; 
that  the  executive  officers  of  the  government,  in  order  to  relieve  the 
present  financial  distress  of  the  country  shall  call  in,  without  delay,  a 
sufficient  amount  of  National  bonds  subject  to  call,  and  proceed  to  pay 
them  off  to  the  full  extent  of  all  legal  tender  money  now  uselessly 
hoarded  in  the  National  treasury;  that  all  the  public  lands,  granted  or 
promised  to  railway  companies  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  their 
several  roads  and  not  earned  by  a  strict  and  full  compliance  with  all 
the  terms  upon  which  such  grants  were  made  or  promised,  shall  be 
promptly  declared  forfeited  by  Congress  and  restored  to  the  public 
domain;  that  no  more  grants  of  the  public  domain,  State  or  National, 
by  sale,  gift,  or  otherwise,  except  in  small  amounts,  in  no  case  exceed- 
ing six  hundred  and  forty  acres  to  actual  settlers  alone;  and  we 
especially  denounce  and  condemn  the  policy,  State  and  National,  which 
has  allowed  the  accumulation  of  large  bodies  of  land  in  the  hands  of 
nonresident  foreigners. 

We  declare  that  all  telegraphic  lines  of  communication  properly 
constitute  a  part  of  the  postal  system  of  the  United  States,  and  for  the 
management  of  which  for  the  general  welfare  of  the  people  power  was 
delegated  to  Congress,  but  we  must  emphatically  condemn  the  policy 
which  has  transferred  the  management  of  this  property  to  individuals 
or  corporations  for  private  or  corporate  profit,  and  demand  a  radical 
reform  of  the  policy. 


228  Platforms  of  Political 

We  indorse  the  National  platform  adopted  at  Indianapolis,  May  29, 
1884,  on  the  tariff  question. 

In  order  to  arrest  the  centralizing  and  revolutionary  tendencies 
growing  out  of  the  autocratic  powers  usurped  by  Congress  as  herein 
before  shown,  we  anxiously  invoke  the  State  and  the  people  to  promptly 
assert  and  maintain  their  reserved  rights  and  authoritatively  demand  of 
their  public  servants  in  the  Federal  government  to  abdicate  their 
usurped  powers,  and  as  a  part  of  these  reserved  rights  of  the  people 
to  promptly  assume  authoritative  control  over  the  management,  fares, 
and  charges  of  all  public  highways  situated  within  their  respective 
borders,  remitting  to  and  demanding  of  their  servants  in  Congress  the 
just  exercise  of  the  power  invested  in  them  by  the  Constitution  regu- 
lating commerce  between  the  States  by  preventing  all  regulations  or 
combinations  tending  to  obstruct  or  hinder  a  free  and  untrammeled 
commerce  of  the  people. 

We  favor  equal  taxation  of  all  property,  including  bonds  and  other 
securities. 

We  favor  a  graduated  income  tax. 

We  deem  it  scarcely  necessary  to  declare  that  the  observance  of  the 
great  principles  we  advocate  with  regard  to  tax,  equal  distribution  of 
all  the  sovereign  properties  of  the  people,  condemns  the  policy  of  leas- 
ing the  public  or  school  lands  of  Texas  in  larger  bodies  than  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres  for  long  periods  of  time,  thus  constituting  a 
temporary  monopoly  only  in  reach  of  wealthy  men,  contrary  to  public 
policy  and  the  true  principles  of  republicanism.  And  we  favor  the 
policy  of  selling  the  school  lands  in  small  bodies  not  exceeding  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  on  a  low  rate  of  interest  on  long  periods  of 
time,  say,  twenty  years,  with  one-tenth  annually  at  three  per  cent, 
interest,  to  actual  occupants  alone,  and  not  transferable  until  the  title 
is  perfected;  but  we  can  discover  no  valid  objection  in  principle  or 
public  policy,  why  the  adjacent  unoccupied  lands  should  not  be  leased 
to  such  actual  occupants  in  limited  amounts  for  short  periods  of  time, 
subject  to  actual  settlement  and  so  be  utilized  as  an  important  adjunct 
to  the  public  school  fund. 

We  are  most  unalterably  opposed  to  the  Democratic  State  legislation 
upon  the  stock  law  that  allows  the  land  holding  colored  man  to  vote 
and  that  denies  the  same  right  to  a  native  born  white  man  not  a  land 
holder,  thus  establishing  a  property  line  with  the  rich  colored  man 
and  the  rich  white  man  in  one  class  and  the  negro  and  the  poor  white 
man  in  another. 

We  also  denounce  the  school  law  as  creating  the  same  condition  of 
things.  We  also  denounce  the  jury  law  for  the  same  reason  that  it 
creates  property  classes. 

For  the  same  reason  we  denounce  the  unconstitutional  execution 
laws  and  the  road  laws. 

We  also  denounce  the  Democratic  platform  as  being  everything  to 


Parties  in  Texas  229 

everybody  and  nothing  to  any  body,  as  it  has  proposed  to  correct  the 
legislation  of  the  Republican  party  and  has  utterly  failed  to  do  so. 

We  also  denounce  the  legislature  of  the  State  of  Texas  for  failing 
and  refusing  to  regulate  the  railroad  freights. 

Whereas,  his  Excellency  Governor  Ireland  has  issued  a  proclamation 
declaring  that  the  necessity  for  carrying  the  six  shooter  no  longer 
exists,  therefore,  we  demand  the  disbanding  of  the  ranger  force. 

We  are  unequivocally  opposed  to  a  herd  law. 

And  in  conclusion  invoke  God  to  guide  the  people  in  ways  they  have 
not  known,  to  make  darkness  light  and  crooked  ways  straight  before 
them.  We  thus  exhibit  principles  for  adoption  or  rejection,  but  it  is 
as  certain  as  effects  follow  causes  that  a  continuation  in  the  past  and 
present  course  will  lead  the  people  into  revolution  and  bloodshed  for 
the  recovery  of  these  sovereign  rights  and  properties  and  in  this  but 
repeat  the  history  of  the  world  through  all  the  ages.  For  to  this  un- 
holy lust  for  acquisition  of  the  sovereign  properties  of  the  people,  as 
steps  upon  which  to  ascend  the  thrones  of  the  world,  may  be  truly 
ascribed  all  the  bloody  wars  of  ancient  and  modern  times. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Dr.  J.  D.  Rahkin,  of  Limestone, 
chairman;  1st  Congressional  district,  T.  J.  Brady,  of  Harris; 
3.  F.  P.  Rogers,  of  Smith;  4.  H.  F.  O'Neal,  of  Cass;  5.  J.  M. 
Perdue,  of  Gregg;  6.  J.  E.  Martin,  of  Tarrant;  10.  M.  J.  Nolan, 
of  Bexar;  11.  J.  R.  Yessen,  of  Palo  Pinto. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1884 
HOUSTON,  September  2  and  3 

The  breach  between  the  white  and  colored  Republicans  was 
widened  at  this  convention  over  the  question  of  a  State  ticket. 
When  the  minority  report  of  the  Platform  Committee  was  re- 
jected, a  number  of  the  former  bolted. 

Officers:  Chairman,  A.  J.  Rosenthal,  of  Fayette.  Vice-Presi- 
dents,  W.  C.  Phillips,  of  Travis;  N.  W.  Cuney,  of  Galveston; 
and  R.  N.  Kerr,  of  Bastrop.  Secretary,  Lock  McDaniel,  of 
Grimes. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  James  P.  Newcomb, 
chairman ;  J.  G.  Tracy,  P.  W.  Hall,  J.  W.  Bradshaw,  H.  Welch, 
F.  S.  Cleaves,  J.  P.  Alexander,  N.  W.  Cuney,  W.  W.  Davis, 
Carl  Schutze,  David  Redfield,  B.  W.  Roberts. 


230  Platforms  of  Political 

PLATFORM1 

Your  committee  beg  leave  to  report  the  following  as  their  action 
upon  the  resolutions  submitted  to  their  consideration: 

In  regard  to  the  resolution  against  nominating  a  State  ticket,  your 
committee  is  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  inexpedient  and  impracticable 
at  this  late  day  to  place  a  State  ticket  in  the  field,  and  recommend 
that  Republicans  aid  all  Independent  candidates  for  State  offices  favor- 
able to  the  defeat  of  the  Democracy. 

We  present  the  following  resolutions  to  your  consideration: 

Resolved,  [1]  That  we  heartily  indorse  the  National  Republican 
platform  and  recommend  its  protection  and  labor  planks  to  the  de- 
liberate judgment  of  the  people  of  Texas,  and  ask  them  to  aid  us  to 
give  the  electoral  vote  to  Elaine  and  Logan. 

[2]  That  we  reaffirm  the  principles  adopted  at  the  Republican  Con- 
vention at  Fort  Worth,  except  that  we  are  opposed  to  the  lease  law  and 
in  favor  of  selling  the  public  lands  to  actual  settlers. 

[3]  That  we  condemn  the  present  mode  of  drawing  grand  and  petit 
juries  in  the  county^and  district  courts.  That  the  authority  given  by 
law  to  the  judges  of  said  courts  to  select  jury  commissioners,  intended 
by  the  Democratic  legislature  that  enacted  said  law  to  enable  Demo- 
cratic judges  to  deprive  Republican  citizens  of  the  right  to  sit  on 
juries,  and  has  had  this  effect  in  all  such  districts  and  counties,  and 
we  demand  such  a  change  in  the  drawing  of  juries  that  all  citizens, 
without  regard  to  white  or  colored  proclivities,  shall  have  the  right 
and  privilege  to  participate  in  the  administration  of  justice. 

[4]  That  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  is  pledged  to  the  enactment 
and  enforcement  of  an  equitable  civil  law  by  which  the  wages  of  labor 
may  be  secured  to  the  laborers. 

MINORITY    BEPOBT 

In  behalf  of  the  minority  of  the  Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolu- 
tions, we  desire  to  submit  the  following  resolutions: 

WHEEEAS,  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  recognizes  the  National  right 
of  every  American  citizen  to  cast  his  vote  according  to  the  dictates  of 
his  conscience,  and  recognizing  the  fact  that  the  failure  of  this  Con- 
vention to  place  in  nomination  for  the  different  offices  to  be  filled  in 
this  State  such  men  as  represent  principles  in  harmony  with  the 
Republican  party  will  deprive  a  large  number  of  citizens  of  this  right 
and  privilege,  and  recognizing  the  fact  that  the  dignity  of  the  Republi- 
can party  of  Texas  demands  that  a  full  State  ticket,  composed  of  men 
who  represent  its  principles,  be  placed  before  the  people,  and  recogniz- 
ing the  fact  that  Elaine  and  Logan,  the  Republican  nominees  for 

VThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Gdlveston  Daily 
News. 


Parties  in  Texas  231 

President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  are  representative 
men  of  our  party  and  that  they  fully  represent  our  principles;  there- 
fore, 

Resolved,  That  this  Convention  do  place  in  nomination  a  full  State 
ticket  and  that  the  delegates  here  assembled  pledge  themselves  not  to 
support  any  candidate  or  candidates  for  State  offices  who  will  not 
pledge  themselves  to  support  the  Republican  nominee  for  President, 
James  G.  Elaine,  and  for  Vice-President,  Jno.  A.  Logan. 

F.  L.  CLEAVES, 
J.  W.  BRADS  HAW, 
HORACE  WELCH. 

The  minority  report  was  rejected  by  a  vote  80  ayes  to  308  noes. 

State  Executive  Committee:  C.  C.  Binkley,  of  Grayson,  chair- 
man ;  1st  Senatorial  district,  T.  J.  Russell,  3.  Charles  Mont- 
gomery, 4.  W.  J.  Worsham,  5.  James  McDowell,  8.  Loch  Mc- 
Daniel,  9.  H.  D.  Johnson,  10.  J.  H.  Washington,  13.  J.  T.  Sher- 
mack,  15.  Z.  A.  Dent,  16,  T.  C.  Byrne,  17.  D.  A  Robinson,  26. 
W.  L.  Booth,  22.  Gieo.  A.  O'Brien,  23.  J.  P.  Osterhout. 

PROHIBITION  MEETING,  1884 

FORT  WORTH,  September  8 

The  chairman  of  the  State  executive  committee  submitted 
a  communication  from  the  chairman  of  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Greenback  party  of  Texas  offering  to  fuse  with 
the  Prohibition  party  and  run  a  common  ticket  for  presidential 
electors.  It  was  not  accepted. 

Officers:  Chairman,  E.  L.  Dohoney;  Secretary,  J.  M.  Thoma- 
son. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  W.  K.  Homan,  of 
Burleson,  and  A.  Wishart,  of  Dallas;  1st  Congressional  district, 
Charles  Calmore,  of  Harris;  2.  blank;  3.  Rev.  W.  M.  Allen, 
of  Harrison;  4.  Dr.  J.  L.  Burton,  of  Lamar;  5.  Dr.  E.  E. 
Winn,  of  Grayson;  6.  E.  Hovenkamp,  of  Tarrant;  7.  blank; 
8.  Willis  Holmes,  of  Lee ;  9.  Rev.  Wm.  Gary  Crane,  of  Washing- 
ton; 10.  Dr.  C.  R.  King,  of  Lampasas;  11.  Elder  Randolph 
Clark,  of  Hood.1 

*The  proceedings  of  this  meeting  are  taken  from  the  Fort  Worth  Gazette, 
September  .9,  1884. 


232  Platforms  of  Political 

"STRAIGHT-OUT"  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION,  1834 

DALLAS,  September  23  and  24 

The  bolters  from  the  Houston  Convention  issued  a  call,  signed 
by  J.  L.  Haynes,  A.  M.  Cochran,  W.  C.  Phillips,  W.  N.  Norton, 
and  others,  in  which  they  called  upon  "the  Republicans  of  the 
different  counties  in  Texas,  who  are  in  favor  of  maintaining  the 
unity  and  integrity  of  the  Rpublican  party,  and  of  having  a 
Republean  State  ticket  in  the  field  .  .  .to  send  from  each 
county  one  or  more  Republicans  to  a  conference  to  be  held  at 
Dallas,  September  23,  1884."  The  attendance  was  small,  but 
was  composed  mostly  of  whites.  The  conference  resolved  itself 
into  a  State  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  A.  M.  Cochran,  of  Dallas; 
permanent,  Loch  McDaniel,  of  Grimes.  Vice-Presidents,  W.  C. 
Phillips,  of  Travis;  Melvin  Wade,  of  Dallas;  and  Robert  Arm- 
strong, of  Ellis.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  T.  L.  Wren,  of  Travis; 
permanent,  Geo.  W.  Hynson,  of  Dallas. 

Nominees  for  State  Officers:  Governor,  A.  B.  Norton,  of  Dal- 
las; Lieutenant-Governor,  John  L.  Haynes,  of  Webb;  Attorney- 
General,  L.  C.  Grothaus,  of  Bexar ;  Comptroller,  Fred  W.  Miner, 
of  Lamar;  Treasurer,  Sam  M.  Johnson,  of  Bexar;  Commissioner 
of  the  General  Land  Office,  R.  J.  Evans,  of  Grimes;  Superin- 
tendent of  Public  Instruction,  H.  B.  Kinney,  of  Travis. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  W.  Y.  Leader,  of 
Travis;  W.  N.  Norton,  of  Dallas;  Daniel  Taylor,  of  Grimes; 
W.  C.  Phillips,  of  Travis;  M.  H.  Redwood,  of  Bexar;  E.  S. 
Thayer,  of  Dallas;  and  Melvin  Wade,  of  Dallas. 

PLATFORM1 

This  Republican  State  Conference,  representing  the  Republicans  who 
believe  that  the  organization  and  the  identity  of  our  party  should  be 
preserved,  do  promulgate  the  following  platform: 

Resolved,  [1]  That  it  is  essential  to  the  growth  and  success  of  the 
Republican  party  that  it  should  have  a  full  State  ticket,  composed  of 

xThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Daily 
Herald. 


Parties  in  Texas  233 

men  who  support  the  principles  and  candidates  of  the  National  Re- 
publican party. 

[2]  That  we  heartily  indorse  the  National  Republican  platform,  and 
recommend  its  protection  and  labor  planks  to  the  deliberate  judgment 
of  the  people  of  this  State,  and  ask  them  to  aid  us  to  give  the  electoral 
vote  to  Elaine  and  Logan. 

[3]  That  we  favor  a  tariff  for  revenue  to  defray  the  necessary  ex- 
penses of  the  government,  and  discriminating  with  special  reference 
to  the  protection  of  domestic  labor,  home  industries,  and  home  pro- 
duction. 

[4]  That  we  believe  the  educational  bill  now  before  Congress,  com- 
monly known  as  the  Blair  Bill,  is  constitutional  in  all  of  its  pro- 
visions, and  we  believe  it  to  be  to  the  interest  of  the  people  of  this 
State  that  the  members  of  Congress  from  Texas  should  heartily  sup- 
port the  same,  and  in  this  connection  we  condemn  the  action  of  Sena- 
tors Coke  and  Maxey  in  voting  against  the  bill  while  before  the  senate. 

[5]  That  we  declare  ourselves  opposed  to  all  sumptuary  laws,  and 
all  laws  infringing  upon  the  personal  liberties  and  rights  of  the  people. 

[6]  That  we  believe  that  homesteads  to  the  value  of  at  least  two 
thousand  dollars,  and  all  farm  implements  and  mechanics'  tools,  now 
exempt  from  levy  or  sale  under  execution  for  debt,  should  be  exempt 
from  taxation,  and  to  this  end  we  favor  a  constitutional  amendment 
giving  the  legislature  power  to  make  such  exemption  . 

[7]  That  the  idea  that  the  State  cannot  sell  or  lease  its  public  lands 
is  absurd  and  ridiculous,  that  we  believe  that  the  school  lands,  or  lands 
set  apart  for  public  education,  should  be  so  disposed  of  as  to  give  the 
present  generation  the  largest  amount  of  benefit. 

[8]  That  we  favor  the  early  completion  of  the  University  of  Texas 
and  its  colored  branch,  and  favor  liberal  appropriations  by  the  State 
for  the  erection,  maintenance,  and  equipment  of  these  institutions. 

[9]  That  we  favor  a  wise,  liberal,  and  efficient  road  law  that  will 
give  to  every  county  in  the  State  good  and  substantial  roads. 

[10]  That  we  favor  the  repeal  of  the  obnoxious  occupation  tax,  and 
we  do  not  believe  that  legitimate  labor  should  be  taxed. 

[11]  That  we  favor  such  legislation  as  will  prevent  corporations  or 
monopolies  of  any  kind  purchasing  and  owning  immense  tracts  of 
lands,  and  believe  that  the  amount  of  land  owned  by  any  corporation 
should  be  limited  by  law. 

[12]  That  the  Republican  party  denounces  the  squandering  of  public 
lands  of  the  State  by  the  Democratic  party  since  it  came  into  power, 
especially  in  giving  to  the  International  &  Great  Northern  Railway 
Company  seven  million  acres  of  land  not  in  alternate  sections,  as  to 
other  companies,  but  in  solid  bodies,  and  exempting  not  only  this  land 
but  all  the  real  and  personal  property  of  that  corporation  from  taxes 
for  twenty-five  years. 

[13]  That  we  believe  this  exemption  from  taxes  of  the  property  of 
the  International  &  Great  Northern  Railway  Company,  by  which  the 


234  Platforms  of  Political 

taxpayers  of  the  State  have  been  robbed  of  many  millions  of  dollars, 
to  be  in  violation  of  the  constitution,  therefore  illegal,  and  the  legality 
of  this  exemption  should  be  tested  by  the  courts  of  the  State. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[14]  That  we,  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  do 
extend  to  and  commend  to  the  lovers  of  public  free  schools,  free  speech, 
free  ballot,  and  an  honest  count  of  colored  votes  of  our  National  gov- 
ernment in  the  strong  Democratic  States,  to  come  out  on  November  4, 
1884,  and  show  by  your  votes  that  you  are  in  favor  of  true  Republican- 
Ism,  which  is  now,  and  ever  has  been  in  favor  of  civil  liberty  and 
right  against  slavery  and  wrong  of  any  and  every  kind.  Show  this 
then  we  urge  upon  you  by  voting  only  for  State  officers  men  who  are 
avowed  supporters  of  our  National  ticket,  Elaine  and  Logan,  and 
against  men  who  do  by  their  actions  and  words  vilify  and  condemn 
before  the  people  of  Texas  our  National  leader. 

[15]  That  there  be  appointed  a  Republican  campaign  committee, 
consisting  of  a  chairman  and  secretary  and  one  member  from  each 
congressional  district  in  the  State,  who  shall  be  authorized  to  act  as  a 
committee  for  the  supervision  of  the  affairs  of  the  Republican  party, 
looking  to  its  unity  and  integrity  in  Texas,  and  that  said  committee 
confer  with  Judge  Binkley,  chairman  of  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee, and  the  advisory  committeemen  in  each  senatorial  district, 
and  its  functions  to  end  with  this  campaign. 

Campaign  Committee:  A.  B.  Norton,  of  Dallas,  chairman; 
1.  Richard  Allen,  of  Harris;  2.  Win.  Phillips,  of  San  Angus- 
tine;  3.  W.  W.  Collins,  of  Smith;  4.  Horace  Welch,  of  Marion; 
5.  L.  T.  Miller,  of  Wichita;  6.  T.  C.  Byrnes,  of  Kaufman;  7. 
Calvin  G.  Brewster,  of  Webb;  8.  and  9.  blank;  10.  W.  Y.  Leader, 
of  Travis ;  11.  W.  T.  Baird,  of  Callahan. 

GRAND  STATE  FARMERS'  ALLIANCE,  1886 

CLEBURNE,  August  3-7 

Although  not  a  political  party,  the  numerical  strength  of 
the  Farmers'  Alliance  in  1886  was  sufficient  to  secure  attention 
for  its  demands,  and  to  incur  the  solicitude  of  politicians. 

"These  demands,  first  enunciated  at  Cleburne,  in  1886,  modi- 
fied at  St.  Louis,  in  1889,  perfected  at  Ocala,  in  1890,  reindorsed 
at  Indianapolis,  and  still  further  modified  at  Washington  in  Feb- 


Parties  in  Texas  235 

ruary,  1896,  are  the  embodiment  of  all  the  fundamental  principles 
of  republican  form  of  government,  and  of  the  highest  type  of 
civilization.  They  have  stood  the  test  of  the  most  merciless 
criticism,  abuse,  and  misrepresentation  of  the  old  line  politicians, 
and  at  last  hare  in  a  great  measure  been  indorsed  by,  and  recom- 
mended in  the  platform  of  one  of  the  political  parties  that  once 
denounced  them  so  persistently." — Evan  Jones,  President  State 
Farmers  Alliance.1 

Officers:  President.  Andrew  Dunlap,  of  Parker;  Vice-Presi- 
dent,  J.  S.  Morris,  of  Tarrant;  Secretary,  C.  M.  Wilcox,  of 
McLennan. 

Committee  on  Good  of  the  Order  and  Demands:  W.  M.  Mathes, 
H.  T.  Clark,  J.  M.  Perdue,  B.  F.  Rogers,  E.  B.  Warren,  J.  H. 
Morrow,  Geo.  H.  Stovall.2 

DEMANDS    AND    RESOLUTIONS 

We,  the  delegates  to  the  Grand  State  Farmers'  Alliance  of  Texas,  in 
convention  assembled  at  Cleburne,  Johnson  County,  Texas,  A.  D.  1886, 
do  hereby  recommend  and  demand  of  our  State  and  National  govern- 
ments, according  as  the  same  shall  come  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
one  or  the  other,  such  legislation  as  shall  secure  to  our  people  freedom 
from  the  onerous  and  shameful  abuses  that  the  industrial  classes  are 
now  suffering  at  the  hands  of  arrogant  capitalists  and  powerful  cor- 
porations. We  demand: 

1.  The   recognition   by  incorporation  of   trade  unions,   co-operative 
stores,  and  such  other  associations  as  may  be  organized  by  the  indus- 
trial classes  to  improve  their  financial  condition,  or  to  promote  their 
general  welfare. 

2.  That  all  public  school  land  be  held  in  small  bodies,  not  exceeding 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  to  each  purchaser,  for  actual  settle- 
ment, on  easy  terms  of  payment. 

3.  That  large  bodies  of  land  held  by  private  individuals  or  corpora- 
tions, for  speculative  purposes,  shall  be  rendered  for  taxation  at  such 
rates  as  they  are  offered  to  purchasers,  on  credit  of  one,  two,  or  three 
years,  in  bodies  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  or  less. 

4.  That  measures  be  taken  to  prevent  aliens  from  acquiring  title  to 
land  in  the  United  States  of  America,  and  to  force  titles  already  ac- 
quired   by   aliens   to   be  relinquished   by   sale   to   actual   settlers  and 
citizens  of  the  United  States. 

^Dallas  News,  August  19,  1896- 

'-'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  Daily 
News,  August  4  and  8,  1886. 


236  Platforms  of  Political 

5.  That  the  lawmaking  powers  take  early  action  upon  such  meas- 
ures as  shall  effectually  prevent  the  dealing  in  futures  of  all  agricul- 
tural  products,   prescribing   such   procedure   in   trial   as   shall   secure 
prompt  conviction,    and  imposing  such  penalties  as  shall  secure  the 
most  perfect  compliance  with  the  law. 

6.  That  all  lands,  forfeited  by  railroads  or  other  corporations,  im- 
mediately revert  to  the  government  and  be  declared  open  for  purchase 
by  actual  settlers,  on  the  same  terms  as  other  public  or  school  lands. 

7.  That  fences  be  removed,  by  force  if  necessary,  from   public  or 
school  lands  unlawfully  fenced  by  cattle  companies,  syndicates,  or  any 
other  form  or  name  of  corporation.  • 

8.  That  the  statutes  of  the  State  of  Texas  be  rigidly  enforced  by 
the  attorney-general,  to  compel  corporations  to  pay  the  taxes  due  the 
State  and  counties. 

9.  That  railroad  property  shall  be  assessed  at  the  full  nominal  value 
of  the  stock  on  which  the  railroad  seeks  to  declare  a  dividend. 

10.  We  demand  the  rapid  extinguishment  of  the  public  debt  of  the 
United    States,   by   operating   the   mints   to   their   fullest   capacity   in 
coining  silver  and  gold,  and  the  tendering  of  the  same  without  dis- 
crimination to  the  public  creditors  of  the  Nation,  according  to  contract. 

11.  We  demand  the  substitution  of  legal  tender  treasury  notes  for 
the  issue  of  the  National  banks;  that  the  Congress  of  the  United  States 
regulate  the  amount  of  such  issue  by  giving  to  the  country  a  per  capita 
circulation  that  shall  increase  as  the  population  and  business  interests 
of  the  country  expand. 

12.  We  demand   the  establishment  of  a  National  bureau  of  labor 
statistics,  that  we  may  arrive  at  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  educational, 
moral,  and  financial  condition  of  the  laboring  masses  of  our  citizens; 
and  further,  that  the  commissioner  of  the  bureau  be  a  cabinet  officer 
of  the  United  States. 

13.  We  demand  the   enactment  of  laws  to  compel  corporations  to 
pay  their  employees  according  to  contract,  in  lawful  money,  for  their 
services,  and  the  giving  to  mechanics  and  laborers  a  first  lien  upon  the 
product  of  their  labor  to  the  full  extent  of  their  wages. 

14.  We   demand  the  passage  of  an   interstate  commerce  law,  that 
shall  secure  the  same  rates  of  freight  to  all  persons  for  the  same  kind 
of  commodities,  according  to  distance  of  haul,  without  regard  to  amount 
of  shipment;    to  prevent  the  granting  of  rebates;   to  prevent  pooling 
freights  to  shut  off  competition;  and  to  secure  to  the  people  the  benefit 
of  railroad  transportation  at  reasonable  cost. 

15.  We  demand  that  all  convicts  shall  be  confined  within  the  prison 
walls,  and  the  contract  system  be  abolished. 

16.  We  recommend  a  call  for  a  National  labor  conference,  to  which 
all  labor  organizations  shall  be  invited  to  send  representative  men,  to 
discuss  such  measures  as  may  be  of  interest  to  the  laboring  classes. 

Resolved,   [17]    That  the  president  of  the  Grand  State  Alliance  be, 
and  he  is  hereby,  directed  to  appoint  a  committee  of  three  to  press 


Parties  in  Texas  237 

these  demands  upon  the  attention  of  the  legislators  of  the  State  and 
Nation,  and  report  progress  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Grand  State 
Alliance.  That  newspapers  be  furnished  copies  of  these  demands  for 
publication.  That  the  president  of  the  Grand  State  Alliance  have  fifty 
thousand  copies  of  these  demands  and  resolutions  printed  and  dis- 
tributed to  the  Sub-Alliances,  through  the  respective  county  secre- 
taries. That  each  delegate  to  this  State  Alliance  present  a  copy  of 
these  demands  and  resolutions  as  early  as  possible  to  each  candidate 
for  a  legislative  office,  State  or  National,  and  endeavor  to  secure  his 
indorsement  and  assistance  in  carrying  them  to  a  successful  issue. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1886 

GALVESTON,  August  10-13 

The  Prohibitionists,  Farmers'  Alliance,  and  Knights  of  Labor 
possessed  sufficient  strength  to  make  an  impress  on  the  acts  of 
this  convention.  Many  of  the  delegates  went  home  not  at  all 
pleased. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Thos.  B.  Bonner,  of  Smith; 
permanent,  B.  M.  Wynne,  of  Tarrant.  Vice-Presidents,  1st  Con- 
gressional district,  John  M.  Henderson,  of  Brazos;  2.  T.  J.  Sim- 
mons, of  Robertson;  3.  Wm.  M.  Giles,  of  Wood;  4.  S.  L.  Gilbert, 
of  Hopkins;  5.  B.  D'Armond,  of  Collin;  6.  B.  D.  Tarleton,  of 
Hill;  7.  Joseph  Bates,  of  Brazoria;  8.  M.  H.  Townsend,  of 
Colorado ;  9.  Geo.  C.  Pendleton,  of  Bell ;  10.  J.  D.  Harrison,  of 
Gillespie;  11.  J.  B.  Fleming,  of  Shackelford;  Joel  Bobison,  of 
Fayette ;  and  Stephen  W.  Blount,  of  San  Augustine.  Secretary, 
Will  Lambert,  of  Travis. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Gjovernor,  L.  S.  Boss,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; Lieutenant- Governor,  T.  B.  Wheeler,  of  Eastland;  At- 
torney-General, James  S.  Hogg,  of  Smith ;  Comptroller,  John  D. 
McCall,  of  Travis;  Treasurer,  F.  B.  Lubbock,  of  Galveston; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  B.  M.  Hall,  of  Wil- 
liamson; Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  O.  H.  Cooper, 
of  Harris;  Supreme  Court,  B.  B.  Gaines,  of  Lamar. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  H.  Davenport, 
of  Eastland ;  D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Limestone ;  B.  C.  Foster,  of 
Grayson;  J.  A.  Carroll,  of  Denton;  B.  F.  Frymier,  of  Johnson; 
D.  P.  Marr,  of  Frio ;  A.  S.  Fisher,  of  Williamson ;  C.  B.  Kilgore, 


238  Platforms  of  Political 

of  Van  Zandt ;  N.  A.  Cravens,  of  Montgomery ;  George  F.  Ingram, 
of  Nacogdoches ;  R.  S.  Gould,  Jr.,  of  Brazos ;  J.  N.  Browning,  of 
Wheeler;  W.  L.  Crawford,  of  Dallas;  C.  M.  Boynton,  of  Hamil- 
ton; "W.  H.  Pope,  of  Harrison;  T.  M.  Campbell,  of  Gregg;  L.  J. 
Storey,  of  Cal  dwell,  chairman;  George  T.  Todd,  of  Marion, 
secretary;  H.  Templeton,  of  Hopkins;  D.  A.  Nunn,  of  Houston; 
A.  "W.  Houston,  of  Bexar ;  W.  H.  Woodward,  of  Calhoun ;  J.  G. 
Dudley,  of  Fannin;  George  McCall,  of  Parker;  J.  E.  Hill,  of 
Polk;  L.  N.  Bruce,  of  ;  E.  H.  Phelps,  of  Fayette; 

J.  W.  Ragsdale,  of  Burleson;  Howard,  of  Gonzales; 

Geo.  P.  Finley,  of  Galveston. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We,  the  Democrats  of  Texas,  express  our  hearty  satisfaction  with 
the  administration   of   our   distinguished  President,  the  Hon.   Grover 
Cleveland,  and  testify  our  confidence  in  his  ability,  purity,  and  integrity. 

2.  We  pledge  ourselves  that  the  current  public  expenditures  shall 
be  confined  within  the  current  revenue. 

3.  We  recommend  the  submission  to  the  popular  vote  of  an  appro- 
priate amendment  to  the  judiciary  article  of  our  constitution,  so  as  to 
secure  a  more  efficient  and  prompt  administration  of  law. 

4.  We  favor  the  best  system   of  education  for  white  and  colored 
children  in  separate  common  schools,  which  may  be  provided  by  lib- 
eral, without  excessive,  taxation.   We  believe  that  the  education  of  the 
children  is  a  matter  of  State  right  and  duty,  and  that  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  has  no  right  to  appropriate  money  to  its  aid.     We 
congratulate  the  people  of  Texas  upon  the  successful  establishment  of 
our  State  University,  and  we  recommend  the  enactment  of  legislation 
to  remove  the  same,  as  far  as  possible,  from  all  political  influences, 
and   that   its   properties    and   revenue   shall    be   strictly   guarded,    in- 
creased, and  fostered  so  far  as  it  can  be  done  without  taxation  upon 
the  people. 

5.  We  believe  that  the  true  policy  of  the  State,  with  respect  to  her 
public  lands,  is  to  provide  for  their  sale,  in  tracts  of  reasonable  size 
with  reference  to  their  quality  and  uses,  at  fair  prices  and  upon  long 
cretiit,  to  bona  fide  settlers  for  homestead  purposes.     We  favor  such  a 
classification  of  the  school,  university,  and  asylum  lands  as  may  permit 
the  unconditional  leasing,  for  short  terms,  of  lands  only  fit  for  grazing; 
and  that  the  remainder  may  be  leased  temporarily  and  entirely  sub- 
jected to  the  right  of  the  State  to  sell  to  actual  and  bona  fide  settlers. 
And  to  these  ends  we  favor  the  enactment  of  laws  to  compel  the  re- 

1The  proceedings   of  this  convention   are  taken  from  the  Galveston  Daily 
News. 


•  Parties  in  Texas  239 

moval  of  trespassers  and  free  grazers  from  the  public  lands,  and  to 
force  the  payment  of  rent  for  their  use;  and  to  fix  absolutely  the 
rental  price  of  the  lands  to  be  leased.  There  should  be  such  legislation 
as  will  make  it  practicable  to  enforce  all  laws  intended  to  prevent  the 
illegal  use  of  the  school  or  other  public  lands  of  the  State. 

6.  We  pledge   ourselves   to  encourage   and  foster  all  works  of  in- 
ternal improvement,  and  the  development  of  the  manufacturing  inter- 
ests of  the  State. 

7.  We  denounce  the   unlawful   interference  with   or  injury  to  cor- 
porate property  and  corporate  rights,  as  equally  intolerable  as  is  such 
interference  with  or  injury  to  the  rights  of  a  citizen.     And  while  we 
recognize  the  high  obligation  of  the  Democratic  party  to  control  and 
subordinate  all  public  corporations  to  the  general  good  we  pledge  our- 
selves to  enact  and  enforce  all  laws  that  may  be  necessary  to  protect 
their  property  from  every  danger  from  whatever  surce  the  same  may 
come. 

8.  The   Democratic   party   looks   with   apprehension   upon    the   fact 
that  foreign  railway  corporations  have  acquired  contK)!  of  the  railways 
of  Texas  in  violation  of  the  provisions  of  the  constitution;  and  protest 
against  the  methods  by  which  they  are  being   operated.    We  pledge 
ourselves  to  pass  laws  to  correct  abuses  and  prevent  unjust  discrimina- 
tions; to  compel  all  railways  doing  business  in  this  State  to  maintain 
an  office  in  the  State  in  compliance  with  article  10,  section  3,  of  the 
constitution;  and  we  pledge  ourselves  to  secure  by  law  the  right  of  the 
State  to  inspect  all  the  books,  belonging  or  appertaining  to  the  organi. 
zation,  operation,  and  business  of  the  railways  of  Texas.     We  protest 
against  the  consolidation  of  parallel  and  competing  lines  in  the  State 
and  pledge  ourselves  that  laws  shall  be  passed  and  enforced  to  correct 
this  evil.    We  pledge  ourselves  to  pass  general  laws  forfeiting  to  the 
State  all  lands  heretofore  granted  to  railway  corporations,  where  such 
corporations  have  failed  to  comply  with  the  terms  of  their  charters,  or 
have   failed  in  good  faith   to  alienate  their  lands  within  the  period 
fixed  by  law. 

9.  We  believe  that  stockholders  in  private  corporations  should  be 
held  liable  to  pay  the  debts  of  the  corporation  to  the  amount  due  on 
their  stock,  and  an  additional  amount  equal  to  the  stock  owned  by 
them,  and  that  the  legislature  shall  regulate  and  fix  the  terms  upon 
which  private  corporations  may  do  business  in  this  State.    And  that 
laws   shall  be  passed   prohibiting  corporations   not  chartered   by  the 
laws  of  this  State  from  buying  or  leasing  the  public  lands  of  this  State 
or  any  of  the  school,  university,  or  asylum  lands. 

10.  We  believe  that  the  existing  law  of  our  State  for  the  protection 
of  mechanics  and  laborers  by  lien  should  be  comprehensive  and  effi- 
cient, to  the  end  that  the  real  laborer  may  be  thoroughly  protected. 

11.  We  declare  that  all  State  convicts  should  be  confined  within  the 
walls  of  the  penitentiary  and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  legislature  to  provide 
penitentiaries  sufficient  for  this  purpose.     We  are  also  in   favor  of  a 


240  Platforms  of  Political 

reform  school,  or  house  of  correction,  for  minors  and  females  con- 
victed of  offenses,  to  the  end  that  they  may  be  separated  from  the  adult 
convicts  of  the  State. 

12.  We  do  not  believe  that  the  views  of  any  citizen  upon  the  ques- 
tion of  local  option  should  interfere  with  his  standing  in  the  Demo- 
cratic party;   and  we  declare  the  question  to  be  one  in  which  every 
Democrat  may  indulge  his  own  views  without  affecting  his  Democracy. 

13.  The    Democrats    of   Texas   declare  that   it   is   the   duty   of  the 
general  government  to  protect  and  defend  the  humblest  American  citi- 
zen against  the  unlawful  acts  of  any  and  all  nations;    and  that  de- 
cisive action  in  demanding  indemnity  for  past  and  existing  grievances, 
and  security  for  the  future;  will  meet  with  the  unqualified  approval  of 
the  Democracy  of  Texas. 

MINORITY  REPORTS 


The  undersigned,  constituting  a  minority  of  your  Committee  on 
Platform  and  Resolutions,  beg  leave  to  report  that  we  do  not  concur 
with  the  majority  of  the  committee  in  its  platform  as  reported.  We, 
however,  agree  to  all  the  platform  reported  by  the  majority  of  the 
committee  except  section  5,  and  ask  that  it  be  stricken  out  and  the 
following  adopted  in  lieu  thereof: 

We  regard  the  settlement  and  development  of  the  State  by  intelligent 
and  law  abiding  citizens  as  paramount  to  all  other  questions  of  State 
policy,  and  pledge  that  wholesome  and  effective  laws  looking  to  that 
end  shall  be  enacted  as  speedily  as  possible,  that  simple,  comprehensive, 
and  efficient  laws  should  be  enacted  whereby  the  lands  set  apart  for  the 
benefit  of  the  common  school  and  other  trust  funds  shall  be  disposed 
of  in  limited  quantities  to  bona  fide  settlers  only,  and  in  such  manner 
as  not  to  injure  said  trust  funds. 

J.  N.  BROWNING, 
J.  H.  DAVENPORT, 
GEORGE  A.  MCCALL, 
HOWARD  TEMPLETON, 
J.   A.    CARROLL, 
W.  H.  POPE, 
W.  H.  WOODWARD. 

The  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  vote  of  575  ayes  to  142  noes. 
Section  5  of  the  majority  report  was  retained  by  a  vote  of  449  ayes  to 
282  noes. 

IP 

The  following  report,  too,  was  tabled;  vote  not  given: 

We,  the  undersigned  members   of  the  Committee  on  Platform  and 

*Fort  Worth  Gazette,  Aug.  13,  1886. 
*G-alveston  Daily  News,  August  15,  1886. 


Parties  in  Texas  241 

Resolutions,  believing  that  there  exists  a  state  of  facts  calling  for  a 
declaration  of  first  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  that  all 
secret  political  societies  are  dangerous  to  the  liberties  of  the  people 
and  the  principles  of  free  government,  do  submit  the  following  resolu- 
tions and  ask  that  the  same  be  adopted  in  lieu  of  so  much  of  the 
majority  report  as  relates  to  this  subject: 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of 
Texas  in  convention  assembled: 

1.  That  all  secret  political  organizations  are  inimical  in  spirit  and 
method  to  democratic  principles. 

2.  That   it   is   not   democratic   or   consistent    for   members   of   the 
Democratic  party  to  deliberate  on  political  questions  with  any  other 
society,  whether  secret  or  otherwise,  organized  upon  the  principles  of 
exclusion  of  a  portion  of  their  fellow-citizens  by  class  or  classes,  and 
thereafter  to  seek  to  carry  into  effect  the  action  of  such  secret  delibera- 
tion by  the  agency  of  the  Democratic  party. 

3.  That  while  we  have  no  issues  to  make  with  secret  societies  organ- 
ized for  benevolent,  social,  or  other  like  purposes,  so  long  as  they  con- 
fine themselves  to  the  legitimate  and  specific  objects  of  their  creation, 
we   do   abhor   and   detest   the   attempt   to   use   them    as    agencies   for 
political  ends. 

4.  That  such  secret  societies,  composed  of  men  not  in  accord   in 
political  principles,  are  incapable  of  properly  and  usefully  influencing 
the  deliberations  or  action  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  their  decrees 
as  to  men  or  measures  are  not  entitled  to  respect  from  the  Democratic 
party,  and  any  attempt,  by  concerted  action  or  otherwise,  to  carry  the 
same  into  effect  through  the  agency  of  the  Democratic  party,  meets 
with  the  condemnation  of  this  Convention. 

5.  We  appeal  to  all  true  Democrats,  of  whatever  vocation  or  pro- 
fession, to  withdraw   from  all  such  secret  political  associations,   and 
to  align  themselves  with  the  membership  of  their  party  in  support  of 
the  principles  of  good  government. 

D.   A.   NUNN, 
D.  M.  PRENDERGAST, 
J.  H.   DAVENPORT, 
J.  A.  CARROLL, 
GEORGE  A.  McCALL, 
J.  W.  RAGSDALE, 
A.  W.  HOUSTON. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Henry  Exall,  of  Lampasas,  chair- 
man; 1.  John  H.  Kirby,  of  Tyler;  2.  S.  W.  Blount,  of  San  Ja- 
cinto;  3.  Tom  A.  El<rin,  of  Harrison ;  4.  R.  D.  Harrold,  of  Bowie; 
5.  E.  W.  Terhune,  of  Hunt;  6.  H.  M.  Gate,  of  Wood;  7.  A.  W. 
Craig,  of  Anderson;  8.  blank;  9.  Mose  M.  Garnett,  of  Harris; 

16 — 328 


242  Platforms  of  PoWical 

10.  P.  H.  Hennessy,  of  Galveston;  11.  C.  J.  Battle,  of  Wharton; 
12.  Thos.  S.  Reese,  of  Waller;  13.  R.  H.  Phelps,  of  Fayette; 
14.  R.  M.  Smith,  of  Brazos;  15.  James  Kimble,  of  Limestone; 
16.  J.  M.  L.  Terrell,  of  Kaufman;  17.  K.  R,  Craig,  of  Collin; 
18.  J.  H.  Garnett,  of  Cook;  19.  T.  W.  Robison,  of  Wilbarger; 
20.  B.  M.  Rhome,  of  Wise;  21.  W.  A.  Houching,  of  Johnson; 
22.  Robt.  H.  Rogers,  of  McLennan;  23.  Charles  Beall,  of  Lam- 
pasas;  24.  B.  C.  Giles,  of  Travis;  25.  H.  B.  Storey,  of  Caldwell; 
26.  Ed.  F.  Grimes,  of  De  Witt;  27.  Demos  Givins,  of  Nueces; 
28.  J.  M.  Dean,  of  Presidio;  29.  J.  W.  Rushing,  of  Callahan; 
30.  B.  C.  Long,  of  Erath ;  31.  J.  W.  Stiles,  of  Red  River. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1886 

WACO,  August  25  and  26 

The  colored  delegates  controlled  the  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  C.  M.  Ferguson,  of  Fort 
Bend;  permanent,  A.  J.  Rosenthal.  of  Fayette.  Secretary  pro 
tempore,  A.  White,  of  Grimes;  permanent,  E.  W.  Roberts,  of 
Harris. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Dr.  A.  M.  Cochran, 
of  Dallas ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Lodowick  McDaniel,  of  Grimes : 
Attorney-General,  C.  N.  Johnson,  of  Young;  Comptroller,  J.  M. 
Brown,  of  Tarrant;  Treasurer,  Frank  Cleaves,  of  Cook;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  A.  Zadek,  of  Navarro; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Henry  Kline,  of  Harris. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  H.  K.  Lane,  W.  H. 
Burkhart,  W.  H.  Blount,  J.  P.  Osterhout,  W.  L.  Booth,  M. 
Johnson,  L.  J.  Russell,  G.  F.  Franklin,  W.  S.  Mesmer,  N.  W. 
Cuney,  and  John  W.  McDonald. 

PLATFORM1 

The   Republican  party  of  Texas,  in  convention   assembled,   does  re- 
affirm its  allegiance  to  the  National  Republican  party,  reasserting  ita 
approval  of  the  platform  adopted  by  the  National  Republican  party  at. 
•Chicago,  in  1884.  and  desiring  to  go  before  the  people  of  Texas  upom 
State  issues  with  no  uncertain  sound,  resolves  as  follows: 

*The    Galveston   Daily   News. 


Parties  in   Terns  24:> 

[1]  Prohibition — The  people  in  a  republic  being  the  source  of  power 
we  believe  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  legislature  to  submit  to  'the  people 
for  their  acceptance  or  rejection  such  amendments  to  our  organic  laws 
as  they  may  ask:  such  submission,  when  petitioned  by  a  sufficient 
number  in  accordance  with  the  bill  of  rights. 

[2]  Public  Lands — We  are  opposed  to  the  leasing  by  the  State  of 
large  bodies  of  land,  thereby  shutting  it  out  from  immediate  and  actual 
settlement. 

[3]  Public  Roads — We  are  opposed  to  the  present  law  requiring  the 
citizen  to  work  upon  the  public  roads  of  this  State,  but  believe  that  the 
roads  ought  to  be  worked  at  public  expense. 

[4]  Though  in  favor  of  an  ad  valorem  tax  on  property  and  occupa- 
tion taxes,  we  are  opposed  to  occupation  taxes  on  trades  and  professions. 

[5]  The  Republican  party,  having  been  in  favor  of  the  education  of 
the  masses  to  the  fullest  extent  within  the  means  of  the  government 
and  ability  of  the  people,  favors  the  largest  appropriation  practicable 
by  the  State  for  that  purpose,  and  we  do  further  indorse  and  approve 
of  that  educational  measure  known  as  the  Blair  bill  passed  by  the 
United  States  Senate.  We  are  also  in  favor  of  county  superintendents 
of  public  schools. 

[6]  Laborers — (1)  That  we  reaffirm  our  confidence  and  acceptance 
of  the  principle  set  forth  by  Abraham  Lincoln  in  his  message  to  Con- 
gress in  December,  1861,  in  which  he  defined  the  relations  of  the  Re- 
publican party  to  American  labor,  and  affirmed  its  superiority  to  the 
mere  capital  it  had  created. 

(2)  That  we  stand   and   abide  by  the   principles  set  forth   by  the 
martyred  President  a  quarter  of  a  century  since,  in  which  he  affirmed 
the  dignity  of  labor  and  the  right  of  the  laborer  to  legislative  protection, 
and  that  we  do  all  in  our  power  to  make  these  the  principles  of  our 
State  and  National  governments. 

(3)  That  we  recognize  the  right  of  labor  to  share  in  the  profits  of 
the  wealth  it  has  created,  and  that  we  do  all  in  our  power  to  harmonize 
the  interests  of  capital  and  labor  and  make  the  legislation  of  this  State 
and  Nation  equally  protective  of  the  one  as  of  the  other. 

(4)  That  we  are  opposed  to  the  employment  of  convict  labor  upon 
the  public  works  of  the  State. 

(5)  We  are  opposed  to  the  leasing  of  convict  labor  in  any  form,  and 
that  we  favor  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  will  confine  convicts  within 
the  walls  of  the  penitentiary  of  the  State. 

(6)  That  we  denounce  that  system  of  employing  convict  labor  which 
compels  the  free  labor  of  American  citizens   to  come  in  competition 
with  it  in  the  public  market. 

(7)  That  we  favor  the  passage  of  such  laws  for  the  arbitration  of  all 
differences  arising  between  corporations  and  those  employed  by  them  aa 
will  most  effectively  prevent  strikes  and  secure  harmony. 

(8)  We  approve  the  existing  laws  making  the  importation  of  con- 
tract labor  a  crime,  and  demand  their  enforcement. 


244  Platforms  of  Political 

<9)  We  favor  such  legislation  as  will  most  effectually  prevent  the 
oppressing  of  the  mercantile  and  industrial  interests  by  monopoly. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  B.  Rector,  of  Travis,  chair- 
man. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1886 

DALLAS.   September  7  and  8 

"The  Texas  Democratic  State  Convention  placed  in  its  plat- 
form the  following  sop  to  catch  the  votes  of  the  Prohibitionists : 
[Paragraph  12  of  the  Democratic  Platform,  1886,  follows  here]. 
The  Prohibitionists  who  have  backbone  are  not  satisfied  with  it, 
and  steps  will  be  taken  to  put  a  State  Prohibition  ticket  in  the 
field."1  .  .  .  The  attendance  at  the  convention  was  small. 
There  was  opposition  to  the  nomination  of  a  State  ticket  by  a 
convention  on  so  short  notice. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  Cory  ell; 
permanent,  Rev.  S.  A.  Beauchamp,  of  Denton.  Secretary  pro 
tempore,  Rev.  M.  P.  Matheny,  of  Dallas;  permanent,  D.  P. 
Haggard,  of  Dallas. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  B.  L.  Dohoney,  of 
Lamar;  Lieutenant-Governor,  S.  G.  Mullins,  of  Navarro;  Attor- 
ney-General, B.  F.  Williams,  of  Young;  Comptroller,  Dr.  T.  L. 
Yoakum,  of  Smith;  Treasurer,  W.  D.  Jackson,  of  McLennan; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  L.  Blain,  of  Hunt; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Addison  Clark,  of  Hood. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  E.  L.  Dohoney,  Wil- 
liam H.  Hamman,  W.  P.  Hull,  W.  J.  Halsell,  Rev.  S.  A.  Beau- 
champ,  Mrs.  Jenny  Bland  Beauchamp,  J.  B.  Cranfill. 

PLATFORM2 

Be  it  resolved  by  the  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  convention 
assembled: 

1.     That    we    reverently    acknowledge    Almighty    God    as    the   great 

1J.  B.  Cranfill  in  the  New  York  Voice,  quoted  by  the  Galveston  News,  Aug.  28, 
1886. 

-Dallas   News,   September   8   and   9,   1886. 


Parties  in  Texas  245 

source  of  all  just  government,  and  we   humbly  invoke  His  blessings 
upon  our  work. 

2.  That  we  recognize  it  as  an  immortal  political  axiom,  that  what  is 
morally  wrong  can  never  be  politically  right;  that  the  liquor  traffic  is 
the  prolific   source  of  crime,  pauperism,  bribery,  political   corruption, 
and  anarchy,  and  should  be  prohibited  by  law. 

3.  We  declare  that  the  leading  object  of  the  Prohibition  party  of 
Texas  is  the  suppression  by  constitutional  law  of  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage  in  this  State;   and  being  in 
fact  a  home-protecting  party,  that  we  solicit  the  cooperation  in  this 
grand  object  of  all  the  women  of  this  State. 

4.  We  denounce  the  Democratic  party   for  its   persistent  and  con- 
tinued refusals  to  submit  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  Texas 
a  prohibitory  constitutional  amendment,  and  charge  that  their  action 
is  tyrannical  and  destructive  of  pure  democratic  principles,  and  now, 
that  we  further  denounce  them  for  nominating  a  saloon  stump  speaker 
for  governor  of  a  Christian  people,  and  that  their  action  is  an  insult 
to   the   morals    of   our   State,   and   that   this   policy   is    being   followed 
throughout  the  State   in  congressional  and  other  Democratic  nomina- 
tions.    We  further  charge  that  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties 
are  in  league  with  the  liquor  traffic  in  the  National  and  State  organiza- 
tions and  administrations. 

5.  We  demand  of  the  next  legislature  the  submission  of  a  constitu- 
tional amendment  to  prohibit  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating 
liquors  as  a  beverage  in  Texas.     We  demand  that  the  local  option  law 
be  amended  so  that  it  can  be  efficiently  enforced  by  making  its  violation 
a  felony,  punishable  by  confinement  at  hard  labor  in  the  State  peni- 
tentiary. 

6.  We  demand  that  our  State  legislature  enact  a  scientific  temper- 
ance restriction  bill  similar  to  the  bill  lately  passed  by  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States. 

7.  We  demand  that  the  legislature  of  Texas  shall  prohibit  by  law  all 
sales  and  purchases  of  "futures"  of  every  character,  and  declare  the 
violation  of  the  law  a  felony,  punishable  by  hard  labor  in  the  State 
penitentiary. 

8.  We  denounce  the  action  of  the  late  Democratic  State  convention, 
which  pledged  the  support  of  that  party  to  corporations,  but  refused  aid 
and  sympathy  to  the  laboring  and  producing  class.     We  claim  that  labor 
is  the  creator  of  all  wealth,  the  handmaid  of  virtue,  and  the  source  of 
all  material  prosperity  and  happiness.     We  demand  that  labor  be  pro- 
tected, and  that  corporations  be  rigidly  regulated  by  such  laws  as  will 
prevent  all  combinations^   discriminations,   and  granting  of  rebate  by 
transportation  companies.     That  we  denounce  and  condemn  the  theory 
established  and  maintained  by  the  courts  of  the  country  that  so-called 
chartered  rights  are  above  and  superior  to  legislative  enactment  and 
government  control.     We  also  demand  that  a  law  providing  for  a  simple, 
speedy,  and  effective  system  of  arbitration  be  enacted  for  the  settlement 


246  Platforms  of  Political 

of  all  issues  and  controversies  between  corporations  and  their  em- 
ployes in  reference  to  the  wages  of  labor,  and  we  favor  legislation 
encouraging  cooperation  and  profit  sharing  associations.  We  recognize 
the  right  of  labor  to  organize  for  its  protection,  and  we  solicit  the 
assistance  of  the  great  laboring  classes  in  the  overthrow  of  monopoly, 
at  the  head  and  front  of  which  stands  the  liquor  traffic. 

9.  We  denounce  the  action  of  the  Democratic  party  in  giving  away 
and  nominally  selling  the  public  lands  at  fifty  cents  an  acre  to  capital- 
ists and  cattle  syndicates,  just  at  the  time  when  they  were  becoming 
valuable,  thereby  permitting  them  to  fence  up  whole  counties  and  pre- 
vent the  settlement  and  civilization  of  the  west.     We  demand  the  for- 
feiture of  all  lands  granted  to  individuals  and  corporations  where  the 
title  has  not  absolutely  vested,  and  that  th-ese  lands,  together  with  the 
public  domain  yet  remaining,  be  reserved  for  homesteads  for  our  citi- 
zens, and  sold  only  to  actual  settlers  on  long  time  with  interest  for 
the  benefit  of  the  school  fund. 

10.  We  believe  that  the  most  direct  way  out  of  our  present  land 
complications  is  the  unconditional  repeal  of  our  present  lease  system 
and  the  sale  of  the  public  lands  only  to  actual  settle-rs.     We  declare 
that  all  the  fences  and  other  improvements  illegally  placed  on  public 
school  lands  are  part  of  the  realty,  as  if  they  had  been  placed  on  private 
property,  and  we  demand  that  the  State  shall  at  once  take  control  of 
these  lands  and  the  improvements  thereon  and  prosecute  all  parties 
who  may  unlawfully  interfere  with  or  destroy  the  same,  and  we  demand 
that  the  attorney-general  shall  at  once  proceed  to  recover  such  damages 
from  trespassers  on  these  lands  as  have  been  sustained  by  the  use  and 
occupation  thereof. 

11.  We  favor  an  efficient  system  of  free  schools. 

12.  We  hereby  pledge  our  cooperation  and  sympathy  to  the  National 
Prohibition  party. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  Coryell,  chair- 
man; 1.  Rev.  F.  M.  Law,  of  Brazos;  2.  Win.  H.  Hamman,  of 
Robertson ;  3.  Rev.  J.  L.  Terry,  of  Gregg ;  4.  Prof.  H.  C.  Gowdey, 
of  Lamar;  5.  A.  L.  Darnell,  of  Grayson;  6.  Rev.  J.  P.  Haggard, 
of  Dallas;  7.  D.  S.  Snodgrass,  of  Victoria;  8.  blank;  9.  W.  P. 
Hull/of  Bell;  10.  J.  B.  Goff,  of  Travis;  11.  Rev.  J.  P.  Massett, 
of  Coryell. 

ANTIMONOPOLY  CONVENTION,  1886 

FORT  WORTH,,  September  15 

Pursuant  to  a  call,  issued  by  H.  S.  Broiles,  chairman  of  the 
Antimonopoly  executive  committee,  a  convention  was  held  at 


Parties  in  Texas  2-17 

Fort  Worth,  September  15,  1886,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing 
an  Antimonopoly  party.  Twenty-eight  counties  were  represented. 
After  much  discussion  it  was  decided  not  to  place  a  State  ticket 
in  the  field. 

Officers:  Chairman,  S.  P.  Burns,  of  Brown;  Secretary,  T.  D, 
Jones,  of  Jack. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  M.  J.  Nolan,  of 
Tarrant;  J.  T.  Loe,  of  Travis;  W.  T.  Daniels,  of  Erath;  J.  M, 
Foss,  of  Dallas ;  M.  D.  Priest,  of  Tarrant. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Your  Committee  on  Platform  beg  leave  to  report  that  they  deem  it 
inexpedient  at  this  time  to  promulgate  a  platform. 

2.  That  we  recommend  that  the  work  of  organization  be  pushed  as 
rapidly  as  possible. 

3.  That  we  recommend  that  all  antimonopolists  in  Texas  use  their 
influence  to  secure  the  election  of  such  candidates   for  Congress  and 
members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  as  will  come  nearest  repi*e- 
senting  their  sentiments. 

State  Executive  Committee:  State  at  large,  S.  P.  Burns,  of 
Brown;  J.  E.  Martin,  of  Tarrant;  J.  T.  Loe,  of  Travis;  W.  G. 
Moore,  of  Lamar. 

NONPOLITICAL     PROHIBITION     STATE     CONVENTION, 

1887 

WACO,  March  15  and  16 

An  amendment  to  the  constitution,  to  prohibit  the  manufacture 
and  sale  of  intoxictting  liquors  in  this  State,  having  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  people  for  adoption  or  rejection,  the  supporters 
of  the  amendment  met  in  convention  at  Waco,  March  15,  1887. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  J.  Z.  Miller,  of  Bell:  per- 
manent, D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Limestone.  Secretary  pro  tem- 
pore, R.  0.  Rounsavall;  permanent,  W.  S.  Blackshear,  of  Waco. 

Committee  on  Plan  of  Campaign:  1st  Congressional  district, 
F.  M.  Law,  2.  Wm.  Shumatt,  3.  T.  N.  Jones,  4.  W.  I.  Ward,  5. 

^Dallas    Morning    News,   September    16,    1886. 


248  Platforms  of  Political 

G.  W.  Rogers,  6.  M.  H.  Neely,  7.  J.  D.  Scott,  8.  T.  L.  Johnson, 
9.  B.  H.  Carroll,  10.  W.  H.  Brooker,  11.  Randolph  Clark. 

REPORT1 

1.  That  we  make  this  campaign  as  citizens  of  Texas,  without  refer- 
ence to  race,  party  politics,  religious  distinctions,  or  temperance  socie- 
ties, as  such,  leaving  to  all  organizations,  moral  or  religious,  to  adopt 
their  own  methods  of  helping  in  this  great  conflict. 

2.  That  there  shall  be  a  State  Central  Committee  appointed  by  this 
body  to  which   shall  be   referred   the  management  of  the  campaign. 
That  we  include  under  the  term  management  all  questions  of  finance, 
literature,  general  organization,  State  canvassers,  in  a  word,  whatever 
is  necessary  to  the  prosecution  of  the  work. 

3.  That  this  Central  Committee  may  be  representative  of  all  sections 
of  the  State,  it  shall  be  composed  of  the  following  named  citizens,  to 
wit:     Judge  D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Limestone;  James  Z.  Miller,  of  Bell; 
Judge  J.  M.  Fleming,  of  Albany;  Judge  J.  C.  Matthews,  of  Lampasas; 
Judge  H.  O.  Head,  of  Sherman;   J.  S.  McLendon,  of  Robertson;   J.  N. 
Roach,  of  Weatherford;  H.  W.  Lightfoot,  of  Lamar;  Thomas  W.  Dodd, 
of  Laredo;  W.  K.  Homan,  of  Caldwell;   Thomas  R.  Bonner,  of  Tyler; 
Rev.  G.  W.  Briggs,  of  Galveston;   R.  B.  Parrott,  of  Waco;    Dr.  F.  M. 
Law,   of  Bryan;    W.   B.  Ward,  of  Jefferson;    Judge  T.  L.  Nugent,  of 
Erath;    W.   O.    Reeve,    of   Palestine;    Judge   W.   W.   Weatherhead,    of 
Sabine;  Harry  Haynes,  of  Washington;  A.  A.  Johnson,  of  Tarrant;  W. 
H.  Brooker,  of  Bexar;   T.  N.  Jones,  of  Smith;  W.  B.  Denson,  of  Gal- 
veston; G.  W.  Baines,  Jr.,  of  El  Paso;  A.  Grant,  of  Travis;  Judge  J.  V. 
Cockrell,  of  Jones;  B.  F.  Rogers,  of  Anderson;  R.  C.  White,  of  Collin; 
D.  Mattier,  of  Guadalupe;  Edwin  Hobby,  of  Polk;   H.  C.  Ferguson,  of 
Denton;    Judge   W.   H.   Ford,  of  Jasper;    Judge   James  C.  Wilson,  of 
Karnes;  James  B.  Dibbrell,  of  Guadalupe;  Rev.  A.  R.  Griggs,  of  Dallas; 
C.  H.  Yoakum,  of  Hunt;  R.  M.  Gano,  of  Dallas;  L.  W.  Folts,  of  Austin; 
John  Townes,  of  Georgetown;  K.  M.  Van  Zandt,  of  Fort  Worth;  A.  J. 
Rose,  of  Salado;  Col.  Martin,  of  Colorado  City. 

4.  That  the  headquarters  of  this  committee  be  at  Waco,  with  the 
following  local  members:     Thomas  Moore,  J.  M.  Anderson,  E.  A.  Jones, 
J.  B.  Cranfill,  J.  C.  Stephenson,  W.  I.  Barrett,  Dr.  J.  C.  J.  King,  Dr.  B. 
H.   Carroll,    chairman   of  the  Central   Committee,   T.   O.   Blair,   E.    J. 
Gurley 

5.  That  the  Central  Committee  be  empowered  to  fill  vacancies  and 
make  such  additions  or  changes  as  circumstances  may  require. 

6.  That  the  committee  shall  meet  at  its  headquarters  at  least  once  a 
month  during  the  canvass,  and  in  order  to  secure  a  full  attendance, 
that  all  members  of  the  committee  outside  of  Waco  be  allowed  trayel- 

TThe   proceedings   of   this   convention   are   taken  from   the   Dallas  Morning 
News.  ' 


Parties  in  Texas  249 

ing  expenses  incurred  in  attending  the  monthly  or  stated  meetings. 

7.  That  the  Central  Committee  shall  elect  an  executive  committee, 
consisting  of  the  local  members  of  said  committee,  and  of  such  others 
as   they  may  deem  necessary.     This  executive  committee   shall  hare 
power  to  carry  on   the  work   during  the  intervals  between  monthly 
meetings,  under  such  instructions  as  the  Central  Committee  may  im- 
pose, at  the  stated  meetings,  and  that  all  such  work  shall  be  reported 
to  the  next  stated  meeting  thereafter. 

8.  The  Central  Committee  shall  hold  a  session  at  the  close  of  this 
convention  and  send  out  an  address  to  the   people  of  Texas,   setting 
forth  the  nature  and  issues  of  the  canvass,  and  suggesting  the  best 
methods  of  work. 

9.  That  this  address  may  cover  all  the  ground  necessary,  all  plans 
of  the  work  and  resolutions  relating  thereto  be  referred  to  the  Central 
Committee. 

10.  We  recommend  that  there  be  county  organizations,  with  county 
executive  committees  having  control  of  the  county  canvass,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Central  Committee. 

ANTI-PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,   1887 
DALLAS,  May  4 

The  opponents  of  the  prohibition  amendment,  or  "True  Blues," 
met  at  Dallas,  May  4.  1887. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  George  C.  Pendleton,  of 
Bell;  permanent,  D.  C.  Giddings,  of  Washington.  Secretary, 
Will  Lambert,  of  Travis. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  W.  W.  Spivey,  of 
Busk;  W.  H.  Poland,  of  Harrison;  G.  T.  Todd,  of  Marion; 
R.  R.  Neyland,  of  Hunt;  Horace  Chilton,  of  Smith;  C.  B.  Kil- 
gore,  of  Van  Zandt;  W.  B.  Page,  of  Houston;  Gustave  Cooke, 
of  Harris;  J.  W.  Mitchell,  of  Galveston;  M.  Kennon,  of  Colo- 
rado; J.  H.  Shelburn,  of  Austin;  H.  M.  Garwood,  of  Bastrop; 
J.  N.  Henderson,  of  Brazos;  R.  Q.  Mills,  of  Navarro;  Seth 
Shepard,  of  Dallas ;  Joe  Foreman,  of  Collin ;  J.  V.  Bemusdoffer, 
of  Grayson;  S.  H.  Hodges,  of  Montague;  A.  J.  Hood,  of  Parker; 
A.  P.  McKinnon  of  Hill;  George  Clark,  of  McLennan;  E.  A. 
McDougall,  of  Cory  ell;  John  Hancock,  of  Travis;  W.  E.  Good- 
rich, of  Guadalupe ;  E.  D.  Linn,  of  Victoria ;  G.  H.  Kalteyer,  of 
Bexar;  L.  B.  Perry,  of  Callahan;  J.  H.  Humphries,  of  Erath; 
H.  P.  Wright,  of  Red  River. 


250  Platforms   of   Political 


PLATFORM1 

1.  We  oppose  the   pending  prohibition  amendment  because   it  is  a 
proposition  to  change  our  form  of  government  from  a  free  republic  of 
sovereign  and  independent  citizens  to  a  species  of  paternalism,  hateful 
to  our  people.     It  will  take  from  the  citizen  his  most  sacred  and  in- 
alienable rights  and  will  add  to  and  augment  the  powers  of  govern- 
ment, and  is,   therefore,  undemocratic  and  'antirepublican. 

2.  We  oppose  this  amendment  because  it  is  sumptuary  and  will  vex 
the  citizens  and  interfere  with  individual  liberty. 

3.  We  oppose  this  amendment  because  it  is  at  war  with  the  funda- 
mental principles   of   Anglo-Saxon   civilization,   and   will    destroy  that 
inalienable    right    of   the    citizen    to    determine    for   himself   by   what 
method  he  will  pursue  his  own   happiness  without   interference   with 
the  rights  of  others,  which  principle  is  the  basis  of  our  liberties  and 
the  sole  hope  for  the  perpetuity  of  our  institutions. 

4.  We  oppose  the   amendment  because   its   enforcement   will  entail 
upon  the  government  the  necessity  of  promoting  a  system  of  spies  and 
informers,  detestable  to  our  people,  and  the  enactment  of  extreme  legis- 
lation of  doubtful  constitutionality,  and  under  the  sanction  of  which 
our  homes  may  be  searched,  our  property  seized,  and  our  dearest  rights 
invaded.     Texas  cannot  hope   to   escape  these   curses,  which  have   in- 
variably attended  similar  experiences  in  other  States. 

5.  Its  adoption  will  suppress  the  general  use  of  milder  stimulants 
and  encourage  the  use  of  the  stronger  drinks,  and  thus  retard  the  ad- 
vancement of  genuine  temperance.     It  will  stamp  as  criminal  the  man- 
ufacture of  wines  from  our  domestic  grapes  for  family  purposes,  and 
will  degrade  drug  stores  into  dramshops  and  elevate  our  doctors  into 
autocrats  over  our  appetites. 

6.  It  will  enable  the  rich  to  import  and  use  their  liquors  without 
taxation  or  restraint,  and  will  prohibit  only  those  of  our  people  who 
are  too  poor  to  buy  their  liquors  in  unbroken  packages.     And  under  its 
operations  the  saloon  will  give  place  to  the  gilded  club  room  for  the 
rich,  while   the  poor  will  be   forced  to  make   their  purchases  at  low 
dives  and  in  violation  of  law.     Such  class  legislation  is  odious  to  our 
people  and  contrary  to  free  government. 

7.  It  proposes,  by  the  preponderance  of  a  majority  in  certain  sec- 
tions of  the   State,  to  fasten  by   force  on  other  sections  a  theory  of 
moral  and  social  conduct  and  habit  distasteful  and  repugnant  to   the 
latter.     The  varied  interests  of  the  sections  in  our  State  have  been  a 
prolific    source   of   care    and  thought   in   our   statesmanship,   and    this 
amendment   if   adopted   will    engender   a   hostile    public    sentiment   in 
certain  localities  fatal  to  its  enforcement,  and  thus  beget  a  disrespect 
for  law  and  a  disregard  of  constitutional  authority,  and  will  produce 

1  Dallas  Morning  News. 


Parties  in   Texas  '2")1 

a   lasting  and  permanent  evil  to   our  people   and   tend   to   disrupt  the 
State. 

8.  It    proposes    to    confiscate    and    destroy,    without    compensation, 
large  property  interests  of  our  people.     It  will  unsettle  business  and 
impair  property  values,  paralyze,  for  a  period  at  least,  the  commercial 
interests  of  our  State,  and   destroy  great  industries  already  in  opera- 
tion for  the  manufacture  of  the  milder  stimulants.     It  will  abolish  the 
source  of  public  revenues  fully  one-third  and  increase  to  a  correspond- 
ing amount  the   burdens  upon  our  lands  and  the  necessaries  of  life, 
already  overburdened  with  the  exactions  of  government. 

9.  The  zealous  adherents  of  this  prohibition  idea  have  already  es- 
tablished and  organized  a  third  poltical  party,  and  have  waged  relent- 
less warfare  upon  the  principles 'and  organization  of  the  other  estab- 
lished parties.     Instigated  by  foreign  emissaries  they  have,  by  agitation 
for  years,  secured  from  the  legislature  of  our  State  the  concession  of 
this  proposition  to  change   our  organic  law,  and  by  studied  purpose 
and  concerted  movement  they  now  seek  to  stifle   political   expression 
from  our  people  until  their  own  political  designs  are  fully  accomplished. 
We  warn  our  people  of  this  threatened  danger,  and  call  upon  them  to 
rebuke  at  the  polls  this  sinister  conspiracy  against  their  political  or- 
ganizations and  the  fundamental  principles  of  American  liberty. 

State  Executive  Committee:  George  Clark,  of  McLennan, 
chairman. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1888 
FORT  WORTH,  April  24  and  25 

The  old  rivalry  between  white  and  colored  marked  the  pro- 
ceedings of  this  convention,  and  the  latter  practically  controlled. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  A.  M.  Cochran,  of  Dallas; 
permanent,  Webster  Flanagan,  of  Rusk.  'Secretary,  J.  C.  Mar- 
tin, of  Tarrant. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  J.  B. 
Rector,  of  Travis:  A.  J.  Rosenthal.  of  Fayette;  C.  M.  Ferguson, 
of  Fort  Bend ;  N.  W.  Cuney,  of  Galveston ;  1st  Congressional  dis- 
trict, M.  A.  Baker,  of  Harris,  and  Joshua  Houston,  of  Walker; 
2.  Geo.  W.  Burkitt,  of  Anderson,  and  Alex  Alsberry,  of  Robert- 
son ;  3.  Webster  Flanagan,  of  Rusk,  and  L.  B.  Fish,  of  Smith; 

4.  Samuel   Wright,   of  Lamar.   and  John   Coffee,   of  Hopkins; 

5.  H.  M.  Spalding,  of  Denton,  and  J.  W.  Hearne,  of  Grayson ; 

6.  J.  P.  Alexander,  of  Tarrant,  and  C.  F.  Alterman,  of  Dallas; 


252  Platforms  of  Political 

7.  H.  C.  Ferguson,  of  Wharton,  and  R.  B.  Renfro,  of  Cameron; 

8.  A.  J.  Johnson,  of  Colorado,  and  M.  M.  Rogers,  of  Fayette; 

9.  W.  F.  Crawford,  of  Milam,  and  W.  H.  Blount,  of  Washington ; 

10.  E.  H.  Terrell,  of  Bexar,  and  J.  C.  DeGiress,  of  Travis;  11. 
Robt.  F.  Campbell,  of  El  Paso,  and  W.  E.  Morton,  of  Parker. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  T.  B.  Hanna,  of  Gray- 
son,  and  A.  J.  Evans,  of  Bexar ;  1st  Congressional  district,  J.  H. 
Stewart,  of  Liberty,  2.  C.  C.  Flanagan,  of  Robertson,  3.  W.  H. 
McCarver,  of  ,  4.  blank,  5.  E.  L.  Andrews,  of  Collin, 

6.  Phillip  Altbayer,  of  Terrell,  7.  C.  G.  Brewster,  of  Webb,  8. 
W.  H.  Maynard,  of  Caldwell,  9. -John  D.  McDonald,  of  McLen- 
nan, 10.  Herman  Seele,  of  Comal,  11.  Geo.  A.  Knight,  of  Reeves. 

Committee  on  'Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  W.  E.  Hightower,  2.  Mr.  Norton,  of  Calvert,  3.  Webster 
Flanagan,  4.  Hamilton  Walker,  5.  D.  A.  Robinson,  6.  J.  C.  Big- 
ger, secretary,  7.  Wright  Cuney,  8.  A.  J.  Rosenthal,  chairman, 
9.  Paul  Fricke,  10.  W.  E.  Easton,  11.  Robert  F.  Campbell. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  your  Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions,  beg  leave  to  sub- 
mit the  following  resolutions,  and  recommend  the  adoption  thereof: 

1.  The  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  State  convention  assembled,  renew 
their  allegiance  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  upon  which 
they  have  achieved  so  many  glorious  victories. 

2.  We  ratify  and  confirm  the  principles  of  our  National  platform 
of  1884. 

3.  We   condemn  the  free  trade  doctrine  and  sentiments  expressed 
in  the  message  of  President  Cleveland  to  Congress. 

4.  We  favor  a  tariff  for  protection  in  order  to  afford  security  to 
our  industries  and  protection  to  the  rights  and  wages  of  the  laborer 
and  mechanic. 

5.  We  recognize  the  importance  of  sheep  husbandry  in  this   State 
and  the   danger  threatening  its   future   prospects,   and  we,  therefore, 
respect  the  demands  of  this  important  agricultural  interest  for  a  full 
and  adequate  protection  of  this  product. 

6.  We  demand  that  our  General  Government  at  Washington  make 
ample  provisions  for  the  construction  of  a  first-class  deep  water  harbor 
on  our  Gulf  coast,  at  such  a  point  as  may  be  designated  by  the  gov- 
ernment engineers,   and  that  Congress  concentrate  all  appropriations 
of  money  for  that  purpose. 

lrrhe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News. 


Parties  in  Texas  253 

7.  We  demand,  in  the  event  Congress  should  fail  in  the  early  estab- 
lishment of  a  deep  water  harbor,  that  the  legislature  of  Texas  shall 
make  sufficient  and  liberal  appropriations  to  commence  this  work  in 
order  to  prove  to  the  country  at  large  the  good  faith  and  the  earnestness 
of  the  citizens  of  Texas. 

8.  We  lament  the  death  of  Roscoe  Conkling.     The  Republic  is  be- 
reft by  his  death  of  one  of  her  noblest  sons  and  humanity  one  of  its 
grandest  and  most  chivalrous  champions  and  one  of  the  brightest  in- 
tellects that  ever  adorned  the  pages  of  our  country's  history. 

Resolutions 

We  recommend  to  the  convention  the  adoption  of  the  following 
resolutions: 

9.  That  our  Texas  delegation  to  the  National  Republican  conven- 
tion at  Chicago  be  not  instructed  as  to  choice  of  candidate  for  Presi- 
dent and  Vice-President,  in  order  that  they  may  be  governed  in  their 
action  by  the  judgment  and  advice  of  the  delegations  from  the  doubt- 
ful Northern  States  that,  in  case  victory  is  to  be  with  us,  must  neces- 
sarily furnish  the  votes  to  elect. 

[10]  That  they  regard  the  efforts  of  a  small  number  of  people  of 
Texas  in  establishing  and  supporting  a  "Home"  for  the  maimed  and 
diseased  ex-Confederate  soldiers  as  praiseworthy,  but  unwise. 

[11]  That  we  believe  it  to  be  the  duty,  and  it  should  be  the  pride 
of  the  State,  to  endow  or  keep  up  by  appropriations  a  "Home"  for 
the  helpless  Union  and  ex-Confederate  soldiers  and  sailors,  so  as 
to  prevent  their  becoming  a  burden  upon  the  charity  of  communities. 

[12]  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  forwarded  to  His  Ex- 
cellency L.  S.  Ross,  governor,  requesting  that  he  submit  them  to  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  State  of  Texas. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[13]  Resolved,  by  the  Republicans,  in  convention  assembled,  that 
they  indorse  the  action  and  statesmanlike  expressions  in  the  recent 
troubles  in  Wharton  and  other  counties  of  Governor  L.  S.  Ross. 

[14]  That  in  the  administration  of  his  office  his  course  has  been 
gallant,  fearless,  and  without  prejudice,  having  by  his  course  won  the 
esteem  and  gratitude  of  his  political  opponents. 

[15]  Tfiat  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  forwarded  to  Governor 
L.  S.  Ross. 

[16]  That  the  Chairman  of  this  Convention  appoint  a  committee 
from  this  body  of  thirty-three  members,  three  from  each  congressional 
district  of  this  State,  to  meet  in  the  city  of  Austin,  Tuesday,  August 
28,  1888,  to  nominate  a  full  Republican  State  ticket. 


254  Platforms  of  Political 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  C.  DeGress,  of  Travis,  chair- 
man ;  1st  Senatorial  district,  H.  H.  Smith,  of  Hardin ;  2.  Webb 
Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  3.  D.  F.  Dennis,  of  Harrison;  4.  Sam  C. 
McCoy,  of  Marion ;  5.  F.  I.  Richardson,  of  Camp ;  6.  blank ; 

7.  J.  J.  Stewart,  of  Henderson;  8.  L.  McDaniel,  of  Anderson; 
9.  S.  J.  Leonard,  of  Harris;  10.  J.  H.  Washington,  of  Galveston; 
11.  N.  S.  Mosly,  of  Colorado;  12.  H.  C.  Ferguson,  of  Fort  Bend; 
13.  J.  G.  Schermack,  of  Fayette;  14.  S.  S.  Miller,  of  Robertson; 
15.  Adolph  Zadek,  of  Navarro;  16.  S.  H.  Williams,  of  Dallas; 
17.  J.  W.  Thomas,  of  Collin;  18.  John  Donaldson,  of  Grayson ; 
19.  W.  B.  Stickney,  of  Clay;  20.  G.  W.  Gillespie,  of  Tarrant; 
21.  blank;  22.  J.  B.  Payne,  of  McLennan;  23.  J.  P.  Osterhout, 
of  Bell;  24.  John  T.  Haynes,  of  Williamson;  25.  C.  G.  Vogel, 
of  Kendall;  26.  J.  R,  S.  Halowell,  of  Goliad;  27.  A.  P.  Tugwell, 
of  Maverick;  28.  W.  S.  Mesmer,  of  Bexar;  29.  F.  R.  Blount,  of 
Mitchell ;  30.  blank ;  31.  E.  A.  Russell,  of  Lamar. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1888 

WACO,  April  25 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Rev.  S.  G.  Mullins,  of 
Navarro ;  permanent,  Rev.  J.  B.  Link,  of  Travis.  Secretary, 
Prof.  F.  0.  McKenzey,  of  Hood. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  E.  L. 
Dohoney,  of  Lamar ;  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  McLennan ;  C.  W.  Mertz,  of 
Johnson;  and  Mrs.  J.  B.  Beauchamp,  of  Denton;  1st  Congres- 
sional district,  A.  0.  Norwood  and  L.  G.  Jordan ;  2.  W.  H.  Ham- 
man  and  Mrs.  Laura  Pennel;  3.  F.  E.  Yoakum  and  Rev.  M.  T. 
Rosseau;  4.  D.  P.  Hallon  and  W.  A.  Kelsy;  5.  G.  W.  Rogers 
and  A.  B.  Ingram;  6.  Henry  Horton  and  M.  P.  Matheny;  7. 
W.  P.  Drew,  of  Galveston,  and  D.  S.  Snodgrass,  of  Victoria; 

8.  0.  B.  Robertson,  of  Gonzales,  and  P.  R.  Stamps,  of  Gonzales ; 

9.  Frank  Leslie,  of  McLennan,  and  Rev.  S.  G.  Mullins,  of  Navarro ; 

10.  L.  L.  Todd,  of  Travis,  and  J.  M.  Malone,  of  Lampasas;  11. 
Dr.  R.  0.  Haughton,  and  Randolph  Clark. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Marion  Martin,  of 
Navarro;  Lieutenant-Governor,  F.  E.  Yoakum,  of  Hunt;  Attor- 
ney-General, J.  B.  Goff,  of  Travis;  Comptroller,  C.  R.  King,  of 


Parties  in   Tera*  255 

Lampasas;  Treasurer,  "W.  D.  Jackson,  of  McLennan;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Laud  Office,  J.  C.  Rathburn,  of  Mid- 
land; Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  F.  0.  McKenzey, 
of  Hood. 

Committee  on  Platform:  E.  L.  Dohoney,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Beau- 
champ,  S.  G.  Mullins,  J.  E.  Boynton,  and  F.  0.  McKenzey. 

PLATFORM1 

Your  Committee  on  Platform  herewith  submit  for  the  consideration 
of  the  convention  the  following  report: 

The  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  acknowledge 
Almighty  God  as  the  source  from  which  the  just  powers  of  government 
are  derived  and  to  whose  laws  human  enactments  should  conform  as  an 
absolute  condition  of  peace,  prosperity,  and  happiness,  adopt  the  fol- 
lowing platform: 

1.  We  favor  the  suppression  of  the  liquor  traffic  by  legislation,  State 
and   National,  and  regard  the  Prohibition   party.   State  and  National, 
as  absolutely  necessary  for  that  purpose. 

2.  We  favor  the  repeal  of  the  United  States  internal  revenue  laws, 
and  the  repeal  of  all  revenue  laws,  State  and  National,  by  which  taxes 
are  collected  on  the  manufacture  or  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors. 

3.  That  such  public  lands  as  remain  to  the  Sltate  of  Texas  be  re- 
served as  homesteads  for  citizens,  and  the  school  lands  be  sold  only 
to  actual  settlers,  in  quantities  not  exceeding  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres. 

4.  That  all   charges   for  services  by  railroad  companies  and  other 
common  carriers  be  regulated  by  law  for  the  protection  of  the  people, 
and  that  an  efficient  system  of  arbitration  be  enacted  for  the  settle- 
ment of  all  differences  between  corporations  and  their  employes. 

5.  That  a  more  efficient  system  of  public  free  schools  be  established 
and  maintained   in  Texas. 

6.  That  all   State  convicts  should  be  confined  within  prison  walls 
and  the  contract  system  abolished. 

7.  That  all  monopolies   and  trusts  are  destructive  of  our  free  in- 
stitutions   and   should   be   suppressed. 

State  Executive  Committee:  1st  Congressional  district,  A.  0. 
Norwood,  of  Grimes;  2.  W.  H.  Hamman,  of  Robertson;  3.  Dr. 
F.  E.  Yoakum,  of  Hunt;  4.  E.  L.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar;  5.  Mrs. 
Jennie  B.  Beauchamp,  of  Denton;  6.  Henry  Horton,  of  John- 

"The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News. 


256  Platforms  of  Political 

son;  7.  D.  S.  Snodgrass,  of  Victoria;  8.  L.  C.  Cunningham,  of 
Gonzales;  9.  W.  D.  Jackson,  of  McLennan;  10.  J.  B.  Link,  of 
Travis;  11.  F.  0.  McKenzey,  of  Hood,  J.  E.  Boynton  and  J.  B. 
Cranfill,  of  McLennan. 

CONVENTION    OF    FARMERS,    LABORERS,  AND   STOCK 
RAISERS,  1888 

WACO,  May  15 

On  April  11,  1888,  a  call  was  issued  from  Dallas  for  a  conven- 
tion to  meet  at  Waco,  May  15,  ''for  the  purpose  of  considering 
what  steps,  if  any,  should  be  taken  in  the  approaching  cam- 
paign." The  call  was  signed  by  some  of  the  principal  officers 
of  the  Farmers'  Alliance.  About  three  hundred  delegates,  repre- 
senting seventy  counties,  attended.  While  the  Alliance  men 
were  most  numerous,  the  Knights  of  Labor  secured  control  of  the 
organization. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  C.  W.  Geers,  of  Denton; 
permanent,  H.  S.  Broiles,  of  Fort  Worth.  Secretary,  Steve  J. 
Harris,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform:  1st  Congressional  district,  L.  L. 
Beach,  of  Harris,  2.  Robert  Prather,  3.  W.  E.  Farmer,  4.  E. 
Davis,  5.  C.  A.  McManus,  6.  J.  B.  Cobb,  7.  H.  C.  Whitehead, 
8.  J.  Sternberg,  9.  J.  V.  Wright,  10.  J.  N.  McFadden,  11.  J.  D. 
Morehead,  J.  F.  Metcalf,  of  Navarre,  A.  L.  Kessler,  of  Comal. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  farmers,  laborers,  and  stock  raisers  of  Texas  in  conven- 
tion assembled,  to  agree  on  a  plan  of  action  in  consequence  of  the 
special  privileges  granted  to  favored  classes,  and  after  repeated  fail- 
ures of  the  existing  political  organizations  to  remedy  the  same  in 
violation  of  the  pledges  given  to  their  constituents,  and  being  pro- 
foundly impressed  with  the  fact  that  all  laws  should  emanate  from 
the  majority  of  the  governed,  and  believing  that  all  class  legislation 
tends  to  destroy  all  democratic  and  republican  governments  and  to 
build  up  a  moneyed  aristocracy  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  our  institu- 

1PThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News. 


Parties  in  Texas  257 

tions  and  destructive  of  liberty;  therefore,  we,  the  farmers,  laborers, 
and  stock  raisers,  representing  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  people  of  the 
State,  hereby  declare  our  independence  of  all  political  parties,  rings, 
bosses,  and  cliques,  and  in  following  platform  express  our  demands: 

1.  The  National  banks  should  be  abolished  and  their  bank  notes 
retired  from  circulation,  and  in  lieu  thereof  we  advocate  a  legal  tender 
money  and  a  direct  loan  of  the  same  to  the  people  at  a  low  rate  of 
interest  on  real  estate  security. 

2.  The  means  of  transportation  and  communication  should  be  owned 
or   controlled   by   the   people  as    is  the   United   States   postoffice,   and 
equitable  rates  everywhere  established. 

3.  No  aliens  should  be  permitted  to  hold  or  own  real  estate  in  the 
United   States,   and   no   further   grants   of   public   lands   be   made   to 
corporations. 

4.  We   demand   that   an   amendment   be  submitted   by   the  United 
States  Congress  to  the  several  State  legislatures  making  the  President, 
Vice-President,  and   United   States  Senators  elective  by  a  direct  vote 
of  the  people. 

5.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  National  usury  law. 

6.  We   demand  a   free  ballot  and   fair  count,  and   that   tampering 
with  the  ballot   box   shall   constitute  one   of  the  greatest  of   crimes. 

In  presenting  the  foregoing  to  the  people  of  Texas,  we  earnestly 
Invite  the  aid  and  cooperation  of  the  liberty-loving  people  in  the  re- 
establishment  of  these,  the  principles  of  the  patriots  of  1776. 

State  Executive  Committee:  H.  S.  Broiles,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1888 
FORT  WORTH,  May  22  and  23 

This  convention  was  called  to  deal  with  Federal  issues.  How- 
ever, the  division  of  the  party  after  the  prohibition  campaign  of 
1887  was  such  that  something  was  absolutely  necessary  to  put 
an  end  to  a  condition  bordering  on  political  persecution.  The 
hard-shells  insisted  upon  adding  a  "heart  of  oak  plank"  to  the 
platform,  but  moderation  prevailed. 

Officers:  Chairman,  J.  W.  Throckmorton,  of  Collin.  Secre- 
tary, George  W.  Finger,  of  Tarrant. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  George 
Clark,  of  McLennan;  J.  W.  Throckmorton,  of  Collin;  D.  C.  Gid- 
dings,  of  Washington;  Horace  Chilton,  of  Smith.  1st  Con- 

17—328 


258  Platforms   of   Political 

• 

gressional  district,  0.  T.  Holt,  of  Harris,  and  R.  M.  Smith,  of 
Brazos;  2.  W.  M.  Lacy,  of  Anderson,  and  G.  F.  Ingraham,  of 
Nacogdoches;  3.  W.  H.  Pope,  of  Harrison,  and  G.  B.  Perkins,  of 
Hunt;  4.  H.  W.  Lightfoot,  of  Lamar,  and  R.  M.  Lusk,  of  Fan- 
nin;  5.  E.  C.  Smith,  of  Denton,  and  C.  L.  Potter,  of  Cooke;  6. 
Robert  McCart,  of  Tarrant,  and  John  Bookhout,  of  Dallas;  7. 
T.  H.  Sweeney,  of  Galveston,  and  J.  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron;  8. 
Thos.  McNeall,  of  Caldwell,  and  E.  G.  Maetze,  of  Austin;  9.  Geo. 
C.  Pendleton,  of  Bell,  and  L.  C.  Alexander,  of  McLennan;  10. 
J.  W.  Robertson,  of  Travis,  and  Edgar  Schramm,  of  Bexar; 
11.  A.  A.  Clark,  of  Shackelford,  and  B.  H.  Davis,  of  El  Paso. 

Presidential  Electors:  1st  Congressional  district,  A.  T.  Mc- 
Kinney,  of  Walker;  2.  C.  C.  Dickinson,  of  Cherokee;  3.  R.  C. 
De  Graffenreid,  of  Gregg;  4.  Howard  Templeton,  of  Hopkins: 
5.  J.  A.  Carroll,  of  Denton;  6.  James  Wood,  of  Kaufman;  7. 
E.  D.  Linn,  of  Victoria;  8.  W.  S.  Fly,  of  Gonzalcs;  9.  W.  H. 
Richardson,  of  Limestone;  10.  J.  H.  McLeary,  of  Bexar;  11.  E.  A. 
McDowell,  of  Coryell. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  E.  J.  Henderson, 
W.  M.  Spivey,  A.  R,  Starr,  M.  D.  K.  Taylor,  J.  J.  Mathews. 
H.  M.  Gate,  J.  S.  Spinks,  J.  E.  Downs,  T.  H.  Ball,  W.  P.  Em- 
mett,  W.  L.  Davi'dson,  D.  C.  Giddings,  W.  S.  Robertson,  A.  C. 
Isaacs,  Bryan  T.  Barry,  J.  W.  Bookhout,  R.  DeArmond,  T.  J. 
Brown,  A.  L.  Matlock,  R.  M.  Wynne,  M.  M.  Crane,  Georjjt; 
Clark,  George  C.  Robinson,  A.  W.  Terrell,  W.  H.  Burgos,  E. 
D.  Linn,  R.  W.  Hudson,  J.  H.  McLeary,  B.  R.  Webb,  A.  G.  Mc- 
Mahon,  S.  B.  Maxey. 

PLATFORM1 

Resolved,  1.  That  the  new  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  in  conven- 
tion assembled,  reaffirms  the  principles  of  the  party  announced  in 
its  National  Democratic  platform. 

2.  That  we   indorse  the   view   expressed  by   Grover   Cleveland,   our 
President,  in  his  annual  message  on  the  subject  of  the  tariff. 

3.  That  there  is  no  power  in  Congress  under  the  Constitution  to 
lay  and   collect  one   farthing  more   of  tax   than    is   necessary  for   the 
support  of  the  government  economically  administered. 

4.  That    we    commend    our   Democratic    senators    and    members    of 

TThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
'News. 


Parties  in  Texas  259 

Congress  from  Texas  in  their  earnest  efforts  to  reduce  the  tax  burdens, 
and  that  we  indorse  the  tariff  bill  reported  by  the  Committee  on 
Ways  and  Means,  commonly  known  as  the  Mills  tariff  bill. 

5.  That  the   enormous  surplus   in  the  treasury,  now   reaching  one 
hundred   and  thirty-seven  million    dollars   over  and   above   all   lawful 
demands  on   the   treasury,    is  the   legitimate   result   of   the  protective 
tariff,  which  taxes  the  many  to  enrich  the  few,  and  that  this  unjust 
burden  on  the  people  emphasizes  the  necessity  of  a  speedy  reduction 
of   the   tariff  to  the   just  and   economical   needs   of   the   government. 

6.  That  we  commend  the  present  National  Democratic  administra- 
tion,  and   instruct   our  delegates   to  the  National   Democratic  conven- 
tion to  cast  their  votes  for  the  renomination  of  Grover  Cleveland. 

7.  That  the  able  and  impartial  administration  of  L.  S.  Ross,  gov- 
ernor of  Texas,  meets  the  hearty  approbation  of  the  Democratic  people 
of  this  State. 

8.  That  we  condemn  the  pools  and  trust  combinations  of  financial 
power  which  are  now  organized  and  on  a  gigantic  scale  threaten  with 
ruin   every   legitimate   industry  involved  by  them,   and  we   commend 
the  efforts  being  made  in  Congress  to  expose  and  correct  them. 

9.  That  we  accept  the  result  of  the  vote  on  the  proposed  amend- 
ment to  the  State  constitution  on  the  question  of  prohibition,  at  the 
election   held  on   August  4,   1887,   as  a   finality,   and   the   Democratic 
party  of  the  State  of  Texas  deprecates  and  will  oppose  any  movement 
looking  to  the  reopening  or  further  agitation  of  the  question  of  State 
prohibition. 

10.  The   Democratic   party   is    opposed    to    rechartering   the   United 
States  banks  and  we  believe  that  all  the  United  States  currency  should 
be   made  a  pure  legal  tender   in  the  payment  of  all   demands,  debts, 
thereafter  contracted. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[11]  That  this  Convention  heartily  indorses  the  course  of  Hon. 
Roger  Q.  Mills  as  chairman  of  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee  in 
Congress,  and  that  our  delegates  to  the  St.  Louis  convention  are 
instructed  to  vote  for  him  for  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  on 
the  Democratic  ticket. 

[12]  That  we  favor  the  cultivation  of  the  most  friendly  relations 
with  our  neighboring  Republic  of  Mexico  and  of  a  free  and  unre- 
stricted commerce  with  her  people,  and  our  delegates  to  the  National 
Democratic  convention  are  hereby  directed  to  advocate  the  adoption 
by  the  convention  of  a  resolution  expressive  of  this  policy  as  a  part 
of  the  National  Democratic  platform. 


260  Platforms  of  Political 

-  -^ 

NONPARTISAN  CONVENTION,  1888 

FORT  WORTH,  July  2  and  3 

The  convention  was  called  by  Chairman  Broiles.  Some  of  the 
leading  men  of  the  Farmers'  Alliance  opposed  placing  a  State 
ticket  in  the  field.  The  attendance  was  small.  Mayor  Broiles, 
in  his  address  of  welcome,  expressed  the  hope  that  the  mortgaged 
serf  and  the  wage  slave  would  date  their  deliverance  from  the 
meeting  of  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  W.  R.  Lamb,  of  Montague.  Secretary, 
M.  S.  Stanford,  of  Coryell. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Evan  Jones,1  of  Erath ; 
Lieutenant-Governor,  H.  S.  Broiles,  of  Tarrant;  Attorney-Gen- 
eral, Win.  Chambers,  of  Chambers;  Comptroller,  C.  W.  Geers, 
of  Denton;  Treasurer,  J.  N.  McFadden,  of  Williamson;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  P.  Philpot,  of  Limestone ; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Ward  Taylor,  of  Marion ; 
Supreme  Court,  J.  C.  Kearby,  of  Dallas,  T.  L.  Nugent,  of  Erath, 
and  W.  K.  Homan,  of  Burleson;  Court  of  Appeals,  Hal  W. 
Greer,  of  Jefferson,  and  Wm.  H.  Burkhart,  of  Fort  Bend. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  W.  B.  Crawford,  of  Jefferson;  2.  blank;  3.  Jno.  0 'Byrne, 
of  Upshur;  4.  Ward  Taylor,  Sr.,  of  Marion;  5.  C.  W.  Geers,  of 
Denton;  6.  J.  E.  Martin,  of  Fort  Worth;  7.  J.  W.  Rigley,  of 
Galveston;  8.  C.  K.  Walters,  of  Gonzales,  9.  W.  G.  Ethridge, 
of  Falls ;  10.  J.  N.  McFaddin,  of  Williamson ;  11.  G.  W.  Wilson, 
of  Comanche. 

PLATFORM2 

We,  the  farmers,  laborers,  and  stock  raisers  of  Texas,  in  convention 
assembled,  to  agree  on  the  action  necessary  for  the  removal  of  the 
burdens  that  are  imposed  upon  us  in  consequence  of  the  special  priv- 
ileges that  are  granted  to  a  favored  class,  and  after  repeated  failures 
of  the  existing  political  organizations  to  remedy  the  cause,  in  viola- 

xEvan  Jones  declined  the  nomination  (Galveston  News,  August  4,  1888)  and 
Marion  Martin,  the  nominee  of  the  Prohibitionists,  filled  his  place  (Ibid., 
August  25,  1888). 

2The  proceedings   of  this  convention   are   taken  from  the   Dallas  Morning 

News. 


Parties  in  Texas  261 

tion  of  the  pledges  given  to  their  constituents,  and  being  profoundly 
impressed  with  the  fact  that  all  laws  should  emanate  from  a  majority 
of  the  governed,  and  believing  that  all  class  legislation  tends  to  destroy 
all  democratic  and  republican  governments  and  to  build  up  a  moneyed 
aristocracy  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  our  institutions,  and  are  de- 
structive to  liberty,  and  that  we  view  with  alarm  the  policy  upon 
which  the  machinery  of  the  National  government  has  been  run  for 
the  last  twenty-five  years.  We  charge  the  Republican  party  while  they 
controlled  the  National  government  with  inaugurating  a  financial  policy 
which  has  brought  such  ruin  upon  us.  And  we  charge  that  the  Demo- 
cratic party  has  continued  the  same  usurious  policy  since  their  accession 
to  power,  thereby  entailing  upon  us  monstrous  trusts,  syndicates,  and 
National  banks.  And  we  charge  the  two  old  parties  as  being  guilty  of 
squandering  our  public  domain,  which  was  the  natural  and  inalienable 
birthright  of  the  people.  Therefore,  we,  the  farmers,  laborers,  and 
stock  raisers,  representing  a  large  percentage  of  the  people  of  the 
State,  hereby  declare  our  independence  of  all  political  parties,  rings, 
bosses,  and  cliques,  and  in  the  following  platform  express  our  demands: 

1.  That  the  National  banks  should  be  abolished  and  the  bank  notes 
retired  from  circulation,  and  in  lieu  thereof  we  demand  that  the  Gov- 
ernment shall  issue  all  money  Direct  to  the  people,  and  that  the  Gov- 
ernment shall  never  charter  another  banking  corporation.     All  money 
shall  be  a  full  legal  tender  and  should  be  issued  in  sufficient  quantities 
to  meet  the  necessary  demands  of  the  people. 

2.  The  means  of  communication  and  transportation  should  be  owned 
and  controlled  by  the  people  as  is  the   United  States  postoffice,  and 
equitable  rates  everywhere  established. 

3.  No  aliens  should  be  allowed  to  own  or  hold  real  estate  in  this 
State  or  in  the  United  States,  and  that  all  lands  now  held  by  foreign 
syndicates  or  individuals  be  alienated  within  five  years  to  actual  set- 
tlers, by  sale  or  otherwise,  and  that  no  further  grants  of  public  lands 
be  made  to  corporations. 

4.  We  demand  that  a  constitutional  amendment  be  submitted  by  the 
United  States  Congress  to  the  several  State  legislatures  making  Presi- 
dent, Vice-President,  United  States  senators  and  postmasters  elective 
by  a  vote  of  the  people. 

5.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  National  usury  law. 

6.  We  demand  a  free  ballot,  a  fair  count,  and  that  tampering  with 
the  ballot  box  shall  constitute  one  of  the  gravest  of  crimes. 

7.  We  demand  the  immediate  payment  of  the  National  debt  at  its 
face  value. 

8.  We  are  in  favor  of  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver. 

9.  We  demand  a' graduated  income  tax. 

10.  We  are  in  favor  of  a  well  regulated  system  of  public  schools, 
as  upon  the  education  of  the  masses  depends  the  hope  of  the  country, 
and  the  prosperity  of  our  republican  institutions. 


262  Platforms  of  Political 

11.  We  are  in  favor  of  rotation  in  office  and  are  opposed  to  third 
termism. 

12.  We   are   unqualifiedly   opposed  to  the  change  or   repeal  of  our 
present  homestead  exemption  laws. 

13.  We  favor  the  passage  of  compulsory  arbitration  laws  by  which 
a  just  and  speedy  settlement  of  differences  can  be  had  between  cor- 
porations and  their  employes,  and  the  repeal  of  all  laws  that  do  not 
bear  equally  upon   capital  and  labor,  and  the  enactment  of  laws  for 
the    regulation  of   corporate  and   class    interests  so  as  to  protect  the 
people  against  oppression  and  wrong. 

14.  We  demand   that  all   real  estate  held  for  speculative  purposes 
be  taxed  to  the  full  amount  at  which  it  is  offered  to  purchasers. 

Mr.  Crawford  moved  that  a  committee  of  eleven  be  appointed  to 
confer  with  the  Union  Labor  convention  that  is  to  meet  here  Thursday 
to  ask  them  to  indorse  the  ticket.  Adopted. 

Committee  on  Conference:  1st  Congressional  district,  W.  B. 
Crawford,  2.  blank,  3.  C.  A.  Burress,  4.  John  Johnson,  5.  J.  F. 
Elliott,  6.  J.  B.  Cobb,  7.  H.  C.  Whitehead,  8.  C.  K.  Walters, 
9.  J.  M.  Smith,  10.  W.  P.  Linthicum,. 11.  S.  P.  Burns. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  E.  Martin,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man. 

UNION  LABOR  CONVENTION,  1888 

FORT  WORTH,  July  5 

The  first  Union  Labor  convention  in  this  State  assembled  at 
Fort  Worth,  July  5,  1888.  About  one  hundred  and  ten  delegates 
were  present,  representing  forty-seven  counties.  Many  of  the 
delegates  were  also  delegates  to  the  Nonpartisan  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Dr.  J.  D.  Rankin,  of  Lime- 
stone; permanent,  Sam  Evans,  of  Tarrant.  Secretary  pro  tem- 
pore, P.  S.  Watts,  of  Hardin;  permanent,  T.  L.  Eldridge,  of 
Rockwall. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  D.  Rankin,  of  Lime- 
stone, and  Wash  Jones,  of  Bastrop;  1st  Congressional  district, 
E.  J.  Smith,  of  Madison;  2.  R.  M.  Humphries,  of  Houston;  3. 
John  0 'Byrne,  of  Upshur;  4.  John  McKinney,  of  Bowie;  5.  A. 
Edwards,  of  Wise ;  6.  Samuel  Foster,  of  Johnson ;  7.  Dr.  R.  H. 
Wayman,  of  DeWitt ;  8.  A.  J.  Carruth,  of  Lee;  9.  W.  G.  Eth- 


n 

ridge,  of  Falls;  10.  James  Denson,  of  Williamson;  11.  -I.  J.  A7'ar- 
deraan,  of  Coryell. 

Committee  on  Conference:  1st  Congressional  district,  P.  S. 
Watts,  of  Hardin,  2.  blank;  3.  A.  J.  Wilburn,  of  Hunt;  4.  John 
Johnson,  of  Bowie:  5.  J.  II.  Mack,  of  Collin;  6.  C.  H.  Hanson,  of 
Johnson ;  7.  J.  W.  Rigley,  of  Gal  vest  on ;  8.  blank ;  9.  J.  M.  Smith, 
of  Bell;  10.  E.  A.  Butler,  of  Travis;  11.  H.  F.  Jones,  of 
Comanche. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  your  Committee  on  Conference  and  Platform,  beg  leave  to  report 
as  follows: 

After  conference  with  the  Nonpartisan  committee,  we  would  recom- 
mend that  the  platform  of  the  Nonpartisan  convention  be  adopted  as 
the  State  platform  of  the  Union  Labor  party  of  Texas  and  that  the 
State  ticket  as  nominated  by  the  Nonpartisan  convention  be  unanimously 
indorsed,  and  that  the  candidates  of  the  National  Union  Labor  party  be 
recommended  to  the  independent  voters  of  Texas,  and  further  we 
recommend  the  indorsement  of  the  platform  of  the  National  Union 
Labor  party  with  the  exception  of  the  tenth  plank  (the  Woman  Suffrage 
plank). 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  E.  Martin,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man ;  1st  Congressional  district,  W.  B.  Crawford,  2.  Dr.  Collins, 
3.  J.  M.  Perdue,  4.  blank,  5.  W.  R.  Lamb,  6.  J.  T.  Loe,  7. 
blank,  8.  G.  W.  Betts,  9.  J.  M.  Alexander,  10.  W.  P.  Linthicumr 
11.  T.  D.  Jones. 

DEEP  WATER  CONVENTION,  1888 
FORT  WORTH,  July  10  and  11 

"The  Deep  Water  Convention  has  drawn  to  this  city  as  dele- 
gates a  very  able  body  of  men,  .  .  .  The  personnel  includes 
ex-governors,  congressmen,  stockmen,  farmers,  wholesale  and  re- 
tail merchants,  manufacturers  and  miners.  Colorado  is  repre- 
sented by  nine  delegates."  The  only  contest  that  marked  the 
convention  was  the  effort  of  rival  localities  to  secure  specific  in- 
dorsement for  their  projects. 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News. 


264  Platforms  of  Political 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  R.  M.  Wynne,  of  Tarrant; 
permanent,  R.  A.  Cameron,  of  Denver,  Colorado.  Secretary, 
Thomas  J.  Hurley,  of  Tarrant. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  F.  A.  Hyatt,  B.  S.  Watham,  "W. 

A.  Adair, Everall,  R.  M.  Henderson,  P.  M.  Jones,  G.  A. 

Wright,  D.  A.  Munn,  J.  G.  Wilson,  J.  T.  Brady,  Walter  Gresham, 
Julius  Runge,  D.  C.  Giddings,  J.  E.  Longman,  0.  C.  Kirvin, 
S.  H.  Traylor,  W.  C.  Connor,  R.  DeArmond,  T.  J.  Brown,  J. 
N.  Browning,  Henry  Warren,  K.  M.  Van  Zandt,  E.  Frymeier, 
J.  E.  Elgin,  W.  Cameron,  W.  G.  Jones,  C.  H.  West,  John  Han- 
cock, John  Ireland,  G.  W.  Fulton,  N.  G.  Collins,  R.  H.  Boerne, 
Uriah  Lott,  H.  Sayles,  J.  H.  Heiman,  W.  E.  Pabor,  W.  P.' 
Caruthers. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Resolved,  1.  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  Convention  that  the  com- 
mercial, agricultural,  mining,  and  stockraising  interests,  not  only  of 
Texas,  but  of  all  the  territory  north  and  west  thereof,  as  well  as  the 
commerce  and  trade  of  the  United  States  with  other  countries,  demand 
a  first  class  port  on  the  coast  of  Texas. 

2.  That   this    Convention   believes   that   such    a   port  ought   to   be 
selected  by   a  board  of  competent  engineers  to  be  appointed  by   the 
United  States  government. 

3.  That  the  senators  and  representatives  in  Congress  from  Texas, 
Colorado,  Kansas  and  other  States  interested  in  securing  a  first  class 
port  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  be  requested  by  memorial  from  this  Con- 
vention to  urge  at  once  the  appointment  of  a  board  of  competent  en- 
gineers by  the  United  States  government,  for  the  purpose  of  selecting 
a  location  on  the  coast  of  Texas  for  a  first  class  port  (to  be  secured 
in  the  shortest  time)    capable  of  admitting  the  largest  merchant  and 
naval  ships,  and  at  which  the  best  and  most  accessible  harbor  can  be 
secured  and  maintained. 

4.  That  the   said  senators  and   representatives  be  and  are  hereby 
earnestly  requested  to  secure  adequate  appropriations  by  the  Federal 
government  sufficient  in  amount  to  give  assurance  to  the  continuous 
prosecution  of  the  work  to  its  ultimate,  speedy,  and  successful  com- 
pletion. 

5.  We  indorse  any  effort  of  private  enterprise  to  secure  deep  water 
on  the  coast  of  Texas  and  pledge  ourselves  to  use  our  influence  to 

lrThe   proceeding's   of   this    convention   are  taken   from  the  Dallas  Morning 

News. 


Parties  in  Texas  265 

induce  the  general  government  to  reimburse  the  outlay  when  twenty 
feet  of  water  shall  have  been  procured. 

6.  That  this  Convention  request  our  delegation  in  Congress  to  urge 
on  the  Federal  government  an  appropriation  of  about  five  million 
dollars  to  give  us  a  deep  water  port  on  the  coast  of  Texas,  to  be 
raised  by  a  special  appropriation,  leaving  the  mode^  manner,  and 
plan  of  expenditure  to  be  determined  by  the  government. 

[7]     The  Committee  also  reported  the  following  resolution: 

WHEREAS,  all  the  States  and  Territories  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River  are  interested  in  the  pressing  importance  of  securing  a  deep 
water  port  on  the  coast  of  the  State  of  Texas; 

WHEREAS,  Denver,  Colorado,  being  centrally  located  and  very  ac- 
cessible to  all  the  sections  of  country  interested;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  citizens  of  the  City  of  Denver  be  requested  by 
the  delegates  to  this  Convention  to  call  an  interstate  deep  water  con- 
vention to  be  held  in  that  city  at  such  date  as  they  may  select,  not 
later  than  September  15,  1888.2 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1888 

DALLAS,  August  14-17 

The  defeat  of  the  railroad  commission,  the  refusal  to  recom- 
mend calling  a  constitutional  convention,  and  a  warm  contest 
over  the  nomination  of  judges  marked  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Geo.  C.  Pendleton,  of  Bell; 
permanent,  Horace  M.  Gate,  of  Wood.  Secretary,  Will  Lambert, 
of  Travis. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  L.  S.  Ross,  of  McLen- 
nan; Lieutenant-Governor,  T.  B.  Wheeler,  of  Eastland;  Attor- 
ney-General, James  S.  Hogg,  of  Smith;  Comptroller,  John  D. 
McCall,  of  Travis;  Treasurer,  F.  R.  Lubbock,  of  Galveston; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  R.  M.  Hall,  of  Wil- 
liamson ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Oscar  H.  Cooper, 
of  Harris ;  Supreme  Court,  John  W.  Stayton,  of  Victoria ;  R.  R. 
Gaines,  of  Lamar,  and  J.  L.  Henry,  of  Dallas;  Court  of  Ap- 
peals, James  H.  Hurt,  of  Dallas,  Sam  A.  Willson,  of  Cherokee, 
and  John  P.  White,  of  Guadalupe. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  G.  Hill,  W.  J. 
Graham,  W.  H.  Pope,  J.  H.  Smelzer,  E.  M.  Tate,  N.  W.  Finley, 
Frank  Templeton,  M.  L.  Randolph,  J.  R.  Joynes,  Walter  Gresh- 

2The  interstate  deep  water  convention  met  at  Denver,  August  28,  1888. 


266  Platforms   of   1'ulHiatl 

am,  C.  S.  Tatum,  W.  W.  Searcy,  Ed  Earl,  M.  W.  Sims,  T.  J. 
Gibson,  W.  E.  Brown,  J.  A.  Carroll,  C.  C.  Potter,  A.  L.  Matlock, 
W.  S.  Pendleton,  J.  W.  Ferris,  Felix  H.  Eobertson,  W.  D. 
Davidson,  W.  L.  Davidson,  Thomas  McNeal,  F.  S.  Stockdale,  T. 
W.  Dodd,  W.  B.  Brock,  M.  Leverett,  M.  W.  Knight,  H..  D. 
McDonald. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  reaffirms  its 
devotion  to  Democratic  principles  as  taught  by  the  fathers  and  from 
time  to  time  declared  by  the  party  in  its  organized  capacity. 

2.  We  heartily  indorse  and  accept  the  principles  announced  in  the 
platforms  adopted  by  the  National  Democratic  convention  held  at  St. 
Louis   in  June  last,  and  by  the   Democratic  State  convention  held  at 
Fort  Worth  May  22,  1888. 

3.  We  express  our  gratification  at  the  nomination  of  Grover  Cleve- 
land and  Allen  G.  Thurman  for  President  and  Vice-President  of  the 
United  States,   recognizing  in   them   the  emphatic   embodiment  of  all 
the  essential  and  vital  principles  of  Democracy,  and  the  inviting  hope 
of  relief  from  high  taxation  and  vicious  class  legislation,  and  we  pledge 
to    them    the    united   and    enthusiastic   support   of   the   Democracy    of 
Texas. 

4.  We  congratulate  the  country  upon  the  good  results  flowing  from 
Democratic  supremacy  in  the  executive  and  in  the  lower  branch  of  the 
legislative  departments  of  the  National  government,  and  trust  to  the 
virtue  and  good  judgment  of  the  people  to  give  the  Democracy  com- 
plete control  of  the  entire  government,  in  order  that  it  may  be  fully 
restored  to  its  pristine  purity. 

9.  We  declare  the  Democracy  of  Texas  to  be  in  full  and  hearty 
sympathy  with  the  efforts  of  Democratic  representatives  in  Congress 
to  lower  tariff  taxation  on  the  necessaries  of  life  and  reduce  the  sur- 
plus in  the  treasury,  and  it  is  with  pride  that  we  commend  the  Texas 
delegation  for  their  earnest  and  successful  work  in  securing  the  pass- 
age of  the  Mills  bill  in  the  interest  of  the  tax-burdened  masses. 

6.  We  earnestly  commend  the  present  State  administration  as  being 
wise,   economical,  and  just   in   the   interest  of  all  the   people,  and  as 
furnishing  to  our  sister  States  a  bright  example  of  the  good  results 
of  Democratic  government. 

7.  We   favor   the   enactment    of  prudent   and    efficient  mining   and 
irrigation   laws  to   develop  the   agricultural  and  mineral  resources  of 
our  State. 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News. 


Parties  in  Texas  2(57 

8.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  such  laws  as  shall  restrict  the  freight 
charges  of  railway  and  express  companies,  so  that  they  may  only 
yield  a  fair  interest  on  the  money  actually  invested  in  them,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  prevent  discrimination  in  charges  against  any 
points  within  the  State. 

Resolutions 

Your  committee  further  report  and  recommend  the  passage  of  the 
following  resolutions  which  have  been  referred  to  them: 

[9]  Resolved,  That  the  next  legislature  shall  pass  laws  defining 
trusts,  pools,  and  all  illegal  combinations  in  restraint  of  trade,  and 
imposing  severe  penalties  in  regard  thereto. 

[10]  Resolved,  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  as- 
sembled, realizing  the  importance  of  a  deep  water  port  or  ports  on  our 
coast,  heartily  indorse  the  resolutions  recently  adopted  at  the  Fort 
Worth  deep  water  convention,  and  we  hereby  pledge  the  Democracy 
to  the  principles  therein  enunciated. 

Additional  Resolution 

[11]  Resolved,  That  we  commend  the  action  of  the  Hon.  Richard 
Coke  and  the  Hon.  John  H.  Reagan,  during  the  present  session  of 
Congress,  in  their  efforts  to  free  the  cattle  industry  of  Texas  from  the 
combinations  that  are  seeking  to  monopolize  the  beef  product  of  the 
United  States,  and  in  favor  of  such  wise  legislation  as  will  secure  to 
both  producers  and  consumers  prices  based  on  the  laws  of  supply 
and  demand. 

.      MINORITY   REPORT 

Robertson,  of  McLennan,  presented  a  minority  report,  and  stated 
that  the  minority  agreed  with  every  proposition  contained  in  the 
majority  report,  but  went  one  step  farther.  For  the  minority  he  pre- 
sented a  resolution  that  the  next  legislature  be  requested  to  call  a 
constitutional  convention. 

The  minority's  resolution  was  laid  on  the  table  by  a  vote  of  456 
ayes  to  338  nays. 

State  Executive  Committee:  N.  W.  Finley,  of  Smith,  chair- 
man; 1st  Senatorial  district,  James  E.  Hill,  of  Polk;  2.  George 
F.  Ingraham,  of  Nacogdoches ;  3.  R.  P.  Littlejohn,  of  Harrison ; 
4.  W.  H.  Rand,  of  Cass;  5.  Hiram  Glass,  of  Franklin;  6.  T.  N. 
Jones,  of  Smith;  7.  A.  B.  Watkins,  of  Henderson;  8.  J.  C. 
Wooters,  of  Houston;  9.  Charles  T.  Renne,  of  Harris;  10.  James 
McDonald,  of  Galveston ;  11.  N.  F.  Miller,  of  Gonzales;  12.  John 


268  Platforms   of  Political 

T.  Haggarty,  of  Austin;  13.  T.  G.  Sayers,  of  Bastrop;  14.  T.  S. 
Henderson,  of  Milam ;  15.  R.  C.  Beale,  of  Navarro ;  16.  Mathew 
Cartwright,  of  Kaufman;  17.  E.  C.  Smith,  of  Denton;  18.  F.  C. 
Dillard,  of  Grayson;  19.  J.  A.  Templeton,  of  Clay;  20.  J.  G. 
Sporer,  of  Jack;  21.  T.  S.  Smith,  of  Hill;  22.  W.  H.  Lessing, 
of  McLennan;  23.  Dr.  Geo.  F.  Perry,  of  Hamilton;  24.  J.  G. 
Cook,  of  Burnet;  25.  F.  Hampe,  of  Comal;  26.  E.  D.  Linn,  of 
Victoria;  27.  J.  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron;  28.  J.  E.  Dwyer,  of  Bexar; 
29.  J.  M.  Pressler,  of  Comanche;  30.  J.  N.  Doyle,  of  Hood; 
31.  H.  P.  Birmingham,  of  Lamar. 

FARMERS'  STATE  ALLIANCE,  1888 

DALLAS,  August  21-25 

President,  Evan  Jones,  of  Erath;  Acting  Secretary,  E.  D. 
MacCready. 

Committee  on  Industrial  Depression:  J.  M.  Perdue,  chair- 
man; T.  M.  Smith,  H.  A.  Tage,  R.  J.  Sledge,  and  J.  M.  Griffin. 

Committee  on  Good  of  the  Order:  C.  W.  Geers,  chairman,  A. 
W.  Gibson,  B.  M.  Clark,  Hasten  Twomey,  and  J.  B.  Thompson. 

JOINT  REPORT1 

We,  your  committee  to  enquire  into  the  cause  of  industrial  depres- 
sion, beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  report,  assuring  you,  however, 
that  the  time  at  the  disposal  of  your  committee  is  entirely  inadequate 
to  make  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  subject.  We  gather  the  more 
prominent  facts  from  authorized  statistics,  with  the  most  rational 
deductions  we  are  able  to  make  therefrom  and  present  them  for 
your  intelligent  consideration: 

It  is  a  fact  which  can  not  and  should  not  be  longer  disguised, 
that  there  is  among  the  laboring  and  producing  people  an  alarming 
destitution  of  the  means  of  maintaining  a  progressive  civilization. 
The  masses  of  the  people,  who  are  engaged  in  productive  industries, 
are  being  driven,  year  by  year,  and  day  by  day,  nearer  a  condition 
of  serfdom  and  tenantry.  Where  is  the  responsibility  for  this  condi- 
tion? Is  it  the  failing  energy  and  enterprise  of  the  people?  Has 
the  increase  of  population  outstripped  the  industry,  intelligence,  and 

These  committees  and  the  Report  are  taken  from  W.  Scott  Morgan's  His- 
tory of  the  Wheel  and  Alliance,  105-10. 


Parties  in  Texas  i>69 

enterprise  of  the  toilers  of  this  Nation,  upon  a  continent  rich  in  all 
the  natural  elements  of  production,  blessed  by  Providence  with  every 
variety  of  climate  and  soil  demanded? 

The  total  meat  product  in  the  United  States  in  1884  was  1,497,356,943 
pounds;  in  1885,  1,577,932,305  pounds;  in  1887,  1,619,126,582  pounds, 
an  average  annual  increase  of  five  and  one-third  per  cent.;  at  this 
ratio  the  meat  product  would  double  itself  in  eighteen  and  three- 
fourths  years.  The  total  production  of  cotton  in  the  Uninted  States 
in  1867  was  2,019,774  bales;  in  1868  it  was  2,593,993  bales;  in  1869 
it  was  2,439,030  bales;  in  1885  it  was  5,669,021  bales;  in  1886  it  was 
6,550,215  bales;  in  1887  it  was  6,513,624  bales,  an  increase  in  production 
of  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  per  cent,  in  twenty  years,  while  th§ 
average  increase  of  population  for  the  same  period  of  time  is  only 
sixty-six  and  two-thirds  per  cent.  We  are  presented  then  with  this 
anomalous  condition.  We  find  the  ratio  of  increase  of  production  to 
the  ratio  of  increase  of  population  two  to  one,  the  ratio  of  transporta- 
tion facilities  is  equal  to  the  ratio  of  production.  We  find  that  the 
people  with  greatly  enlarged  production  and  every  facility  for  trans- 
portation and  communication  are  growing  poorer.  We  conclude,  there- 
fore, that  the  cause  of  depression  and  poverty  among  the  producing 
classes  is  not  a  lack  of  industry  and  attention  to  business;  it  is  not  be- 
cause a  generous  soil  has  refused  to  respond  to  the  efforts  of  the 
agriculturist;  it  is  not  because  the  earth  has  refused  to  yield  up 
her  precious  ores;  it  is  not  because  our  forests  are  exhausted;  it  is 
not  because  fat  kine  are  not  upon  the  thousand  hills;  we  must  look 
elsewhere  for  the  present  depressed  condition  of  the  masses  of  our 
people.  This  great  increase  of  production  results  in  a  corresponding 
increase  of  National  wealth;  but  where  is  the  wealth?  It  is  not  with 
the  producers;  it  must  be  with  some  other  class.  We  again  examine 
the  statistics.  The  total  net  earnings  of  the  National  banks  for  the 
year  1887  was  $64,506,868.66.  The  net  earnings  of  the  National  bank- 
ing associations  of  the  United  States  for  the  past  seventeen  years  is 
$857,639,430.66.  This  is  the  net  profits  of  these  institutions,  during 
a  period  of  seventeen  years,  on  a  circulation  of  notes  that  contain  not 
an  element  of  safety,  nor  a  monetary  function  that  is  not  injected  into 
them  by  the  statutes  of  the  general  government.  During  the  last 
twenty  years  the  people  paid  in  interest  on  the  National  debt  the 
enormous  sum  of  $2,153,691,193.  The  total  amount  of  interest  paid 
by  the  people  in  the  past  twenty  years,  as  interest  on  a  bonded  National 
debt,  and  on  a  National  circulation  based  thereon,  will  in  the  aggregate 
amount  to  over  $3,000,000,000,  or  fifty  dollars  per  capita.  Here  is 
$3,000,000,000  that  have  gone  into  the  coffers  of  a  class  known  as 
bondholders  and  National  bankers. 

The  public  debts  of  the  States  in  1880  amounted  to  $1,056,583,146. 
This  draws  from  the  people  not  less  than  $74,000,000  annually  in 
interest. 


270  Platforms   of  Political 

The  people  paid  to  the  railway  companies  of  the  United  States  in 
1887,  in  gross  earnings,  $822,181,949.  Their  net  earnings  for  the  same 
year  were  $300,602,565. 

At  this  point  we  beg  leave  to  refer  you  to  an  address  to  his  Excel- 
lency, Governor  L.  S.  Ross,  dated  Austin,  Texas,  April  4,  1888,  signed 
by  thirty-two  members  of  the  Texas  Legislature: 

First.  For  six  years  or  more  the  people  of  the  State  have  been 
demanding  legislation  to  restrain  the  railroad  corporations  of  this 
State  from  violating  plain  provisions  of  the  constitution,  and  to 
restrict  the  powers  of  the  same  to  impose  upon  the  products  and 
merchandise  of  the  country  burdensome  and  extortionate  charges  for 
the  transportation  of  the  same. 

Second.  To  every  legislature  for  the  past  six  years  have  the  people 
looked  and  appealed  in  vain  for  relief  from  this  form  of  taxation, 
so  grievous  and  oppressive  in  some  counties  that  the  revenue  collected 
therein  for. the  support  of  State  and  county  governments  sinks  into 
insignificance  compared  with  that  annually  gathered  by  the  railroads 
of  the  State  for  transporting  the  products  of  the 'country  to  market. 

We  submit  that  what  is  true  in  Texas  in  this  regard  is  true  through- 
out the  States  of  the  Union. 

The  net  earnings  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  for  the 
past  twenty  years  aggregate  the  sum  of  $85,840,089.  If  we  add  to 
these  vast  sums  the  interests  and  profits  that  are  paid  to  other  cor- 
porations and  trusts,  together  with  the  vast  amount  of  interest  on 
private  indebtedness,  it  is  easy  to  discover  why  the  condition  of 
labor  is  daily  becoming  more  intolerable.  The  substance  of  the  people 
is  eaten  out  by  usury.  The  public  debt  of  the  United  States  at  the 
close  of  the  war  between  the  States  was  $2,773,236,173.69,  or  fifty 
dollars  per  capita,  principally  in  the  form  of  treasury  notes  circulating 
among  the  people  as  money  and  costing  them  no  interest.  These  served 
a  beneficent  purpose.  They  furnished  an  abundant  circulating  medium. 
The  people  were  individually  out  of  debt.  Productive  labor  and  legiti- 
mate business  enterprises  prospered.  The  people  were  making  and 
gaining  homes,  not  losing  them.  Churches  and  schools  were  well 
sustained. . 

The  government  entered  upon  a  contracting  policy  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  in  order  to  resume  specie  payment.  The  treasury  notes  were 
converted  into  interest  bearing  bonds  and  National  bank  notes,  and 
gradually  substituted  for  them  in  circulation.  This  contracting  policy, 
coupled  with  the  hoarding  policy,  ostensibly  maintained  to  successfully 
maintain  resumption,  has  withdrawn  the  circulation  from  the  people 
and  congested  it  in  the  United  States  treasury  and  money  centers 
of  the  country  until  there  is  no  money  among  the  masses  to  enable 
them  to  effect  exchanges  without  submitting  to  the  tolls  and  exactions 
of  the  organized  money  trusts  in  this  country.  The  people  have  been 
forced  to  the  expedient  of  doing  business  on  chattel  mortgages  or  bills 


Parties  in  Tesu*  271 

of  sale  to  the  sweat  and  blood  of  labor  instead  of  legal  tender  cur- 
rency. The  above  facts  unmistakably  point  out  the  causes  of  industrial 
depression.  We,  therefore,  recommend  the  following  legislative  reme- 
dies: 

1.  That  the  National  banking  system  shall  be  abolished. 

2.  That  the  money  of  the  country  shall  consist  of  coin  and  United 
States    treasury    notes,    all    a   full    legal    tender   for   all    debts,    public 
and  private,  and  in  sufficient  volume  to  do  the  business  of  the  country 
in  cash. 

3.  That  there  shall  be  unlimited  coinage  of  silver  as  well  as  gold. 

4.  That  there  shall  be  constitutional  amendments  submitted  to  the 
States  prohibiting  forever  hereafter  the  issuing  of  interest-bearing  bonds, 
or  the  chartering  of  banks  with  the  power  to  issue  notes  that  shall  cir- 
culate as  money,  and  requiring  that  the  President  and  Vice-President 
of  the  United  States  and  postmasters  be  elected  by  popular  vote. 

5.  That  the  interstate   commerce  act  be  so  amended   as   to   secure 
to   the    whole   people    the    benefits   of    railway   transportation    at    just 
rates,   and  rigidly  enforced  by  a   railroad   commission. 

6.  The  passage  of   a  law   prohibiting  the   formation  of   trusts  and 
combinations  by  speculators  to  secure  control  of  the  necessaries  of  life 
for   the  purpose  of  forcing  up  prices   on  consumers,    imposing   heavy 
penalties. 

7.  The  passage  of  a  law  prohibiting  alien  ownership  of  land  in  the 
United  States. 

8.  That    corporations    holding    grants    of    public    lands    from    State 
or  National  government  be  required   to  alienate  to  bona  fide  settlers 
in  small  bodies,  not  exceeding  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  to  each 
purchaser,    all    lands   within,  a   period   of  twelve    years   from    date   of 
grant,  or  forfeit  of  title. 

We   demand   of   our  State   government  the   following  legislative   re- 
forms: 

1.  That  all  questions  involving  the  outlay  of  public  money  for  any 
purpose  beyond   the  current   expenses  of  the   county,   or  bonding  the 
county  for  any  purpose  whatever,  a  vote  of  the  qualified  voters  shall 
be  had,    and    commissioners'    courts    shall    act    in    accordance    with   a 
majority  vote. 

2.  That   unimproved    lands    be   assessed   for   taxation   at   the   same 
value   per  acre   as   improved   lands   of   same   quality  and  locality,   or 
market  price,  and  that  the  land  commissioner  rigidly  enforce  the  law 
requiring  actual  settlement  of  the  lands  sold  by  the  State. 

3.  That  the  homestead  law  be  not  tampered  with. 

4.  That  the   State  establish  maximum   freight  and   passenger  rates 
on    railroads,    chartered    by  the   State,    upon   a    basis    that  will  allow 
no   more  than   a   reasonable   income  on  the   money  actually   invested 
in  the  road  and  to  defray  the  cost  of  repairs  and  operating  the  roads. 


272  Platforms   of  Political 

i 
REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1888 

FORT  WORTH,  September  20 

Only  about  half  of  the  Committee  of  Thirty-Three,  created 
by  the  Fort  Worth  convention  in  April,  assembled  at  Austin 
on  the  day  appointed.  Those  in  attendance  disagreed  upon  the 
subject  of  placing  a  State  ticket  in  the  field.  It  was  agreed 
that  a  State  convention  should  be  called  to  deal  with  this  subject. 
Chairman  DeGress  issued  a  call  on  August  29th. 

Officers:  Chairman,  John  T.  Brady,  of  Harris.  Secretary, 
J.  E.  Wiley,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional  district,  Rich- 
ard Allen,  2.  W.  H.  Stewart,  3.  F.  I.  Eichardson,  4.  J.  T).  English, 
5.  J.  M.  Thomas,  of  Collin,  6.  Eugene  Marshall,  chairman,  7.  N. 
W.  Cuney,  8.  J.  N.  Brown,  9.  J.  W.  McDonald,  10.  W.  H.  Ellis, 
11.  W.  L.  Aldwell. 

REPORT1 

We,  your  Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions,  beg  leave  to 
report  as  follows: 

[1]  We  cordially  ratify  the  nomination  of  the  eminent  statesman 
and  tried  soldier,  Benjamin  Harrison,  for  President,  and  that  able 
financier  and  philanthropic  citizen,  Levi  P.  Morton,  for  Vice-President, 
and  do  hereby  pledge  them  our  hearty  support. 

[2]  We  hereby  declare  that  we  are  in  thorough  accord  with  the 
platform  promulgated  by  the  late  National  'convention  at  Chicago, 
and  with  the  principles  of  the  National  Republican  party  as  enun- 
ciated, explained,  and  interpreted  in  the  recent  letter  of  Benjamin 
Harrison,  accepting  the  nomination  of  the  Republican  party  for  Presi- 
dent. 

[3]  We  demand  such  National  legislation  as  will  give  adequate 
protection  to  wool,  hides,  and  all  Texas  products  and  industries. 

[4]  As  citizens  of  this  great  State,  the  material  welfare  of  which 
is  to  us  paramount  to  every  partisan  consideration,  we  deplore  the 
existence  of  the  outrages  which  have  been  recently  committed  in  Fort 
Bend  and  Washington  counties. 

T5]  We  believe  that  the  growth,  development  and  prosperity  of 
this  great  State  should  not  be  retarded  nor  imperilled  by  the  lawless 

xThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News. 


Parties  in  Texas  273 

I 

acts  of  certain  parties  in  these  counties.  We  denounce  these  outrages 
and  demand  that  their  perpetrators  be  punished  according  to  the  law 
of  the  land  without  regard  to  party  affiliation. 

[6]  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Republicans  of  Texas  have  already 
placed  a  full  electoral  ticket  in  the  field,  and  the  further  fact  that 
there  is  no  reasonable  probability  of  electing  a  State  Republican  ticket, 
we  hereby  express  our  conviction  that  it  would  be  unwise  and  in- 
expedient under  these  circumstances  for  the  Republicans  of  Texas 
to  place  in  the  field  any  candidate  or  candidates  for  State  offices. 

Report  was  adopted  by  256  ayes  to  130  noes. 

EIGHT-HOUR  CONVENTION,   1889 
DALLAS,  July  3-5 

"At  a  meeting  recently  held  in  Dallas,  composed  of  duly 
accredited  delegates  from  the  various  trades  unions  and  local 
assemblies  of  the  Knights  of  Labor,  the  following  call  was  unan- 
imously adopted,  and  provisions  made  to  forward  a  copy  of  the 
same  to  each  of  the  several  subordinate  labor  organizations  in 
the  State. 

WHEREAS,  the  necessity  for  unity  of  action  among  wage  workers 
has  been  fully  demonstrated  and  we  believe  such  unity  of  action 
can  be  best  accomplished  by  an  organization  composed  of  dele- 
gates chosen  by  the  various  trade  and  labor  organizations  of  the 
State;  therefore, 

Resolved,  that  we,  the  representatives  of  the  various  trade 
and  labor  organizations  of  Dallas  do  hereby  call  a  State  conven- 
tion of  all  labor  organizations  and  trade  unions  of  Texas  to  con- 
vene at  Dallas,  July  3,  1889,  for  the  purpose  of  perfecting  a 
State  organization,  to  further  the  eight-hour  movement,  and  to  do 
whatever  else  the  convention  may,  in  its  wisdom,  deem  to  be 
for  the  best  interest  of  the  wage  workers  of  Texas.  .  .  . 
James  Boggs,  Sec'y- 

Thirty-four  cities  were  represented  on  the  first  day  of  the 
convention.  Thirteen  organizations  were  represented,  including 
the  Farmers'  Alliance.  The  Texas  Federation  of  Labor  was 
organized,  and  the  platform  below  adopted. 

Officers:  Chairman,  W.  E.  Farmer,  of  Mineola;  Secretary, 
James  Boggs,  of  Dallas. 

18—328 


274  Platforms  of  Political 

Committee  on  Platform:  J.  T.  W.  Loe,  of  Dallas;  S.  T. 
Worley,  of  Gainesville;  C.  A.  Hall,  of  Fort  Worth;  Daniel 
Miller ,, of  Dallas;  Melvin  Wade,  of  Dallas;  D.  Tinkham,  of  Long- 
view;  W.  R.  Edwards,  of  Mt.  Pleasant;  J.  B.  Marshall,  of  Cope- 
ville ;  J.  A.  Allen,  of  Mineola ;  J.  A.  Russey,  of  Dallas. 

PLATFORM1 

WHEREAS,  thousands  of  men  and  women  are  idle,  cut  off  from  natural 
opportunities  by  unjust  systems;  and 

WHEREAS,  a  shortening  of  the  hours  of  labor  would  give  more  em- 
ployment, increase  consumption  and  production,  and  hence  increase  the 
demand  for  raw  materials,  stimulate  investment,  decrease  crime,  in- 
crease intelligence,  excite  patriotism,  and  generally  improve  the  con- 
dition of  the  wage  working  millions  of  the  United  States  in  common 
with  all  other  occupations;  and 

WHEREAS,  by  the  decrease  of  tramps,  paupers,  and  idleness  the  cost 
of  government  is  lessened;  and 

WHEREAS,  monopoly  is  contrary  to  the  spirit  and  genius  of  this 
government  and  is  the  exterminator  of  individuality;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  land  is  the  basis  of  all  monopoly,  the  land  being  the 
chief  and  most  essential  of  all  natural  opportunities;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  National  banking  system  of  our  country  operates  as  a 
monopoly  of  our  monetary  system,  being  in  the  interest  of  a  few— 
the  creatures  of  class  laws;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  railways  as  operated,  by  their  discriminations  between 
persons  and  firms  of  the  same  place,  and  between  places  and  localities, 
is  not  alone  unjust,  but  a  species  of  favoritism  unwarranted  by  equity; 
and 

WHEREAS,  the  steady  tendency  toward  the  centralization  of  all  lines 
under  a  common  management  tends  in  the  end  to  commercial  despotism, 
resulting  in  the  practical  paralyzation  of  the  agricultural  and  stock 
interests,  and  precluding  the  success  of  all  manufacturing  enterprises 
except  in  localities  favored  by  said  railway  companies;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  telegraph  and  telephone  systems  are  equally  so  burden- 
some under  the  present  management,  the  Western  Union  Telegraph 
Company  declaring  a  dividend  of  four  million  dollars  per  annum  as 
profits  between  thirteen  stockholders;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  average  earnings  of  the  wage  workers  in  this  govern- 
ment is  one  dollar  and  forty  cents  per  day,  while  the  average  profit 
to  the  employer  is  three  dollars  and  eighty  cents  per  day.  And  while 
there  are  many  things  too  numerous  to  recount  here,  the  results  of 
class  laws,  and  hence  of  improper  systems;  therefore,  be  it 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News. 


Parties  in  Texas  275 

Resolved  [1]  That  we  favor  eight  hours  as  a  working  day  and  de- 
mand the  passage  of  a  law  so  declaring  and  pledge  ourselves  to  do 
all  in  our  power  to  establish  and  perpetuate  the  system  from  and  after 
May  1,  1890. 

[2]  That  we  favor  a  single  tax,  or  a  tax  upon  land  values,  and  the 
repeal  of  all  other  taxes  whatsoever,  because  all  other  taxation  is  a 
fine  placed  upon  intelligence,  energy,  and  labor. 

[3]  That  we  favor  the  repeal  of  the  National  bank  law  and  all 
other  class  laws,  so  that  all  Issues  of  money  be  by  the  government 
only,  and  by  law  declared  to  be  of  equal  value  and  a  full  legal  tender. 

[4]  That  the  only  equitable  solution  of  the  transportation  question 
is  in  the  government  ownership  of  the  railways,  telegraphs,  and  tele- 
phones. 

[5]  That  we  favor  the  abolition  of  the  United  States  Senate  and 
all  State  senates,  because  of  the  corruption  practiced;  the  abolition  of 
the  grand  jury  system,  because  it  is  used  by  designing  men  to  crush, 
ostracise,  and  persecute  in  some  instances  those  who  oppose  existing 
systems,  and  the  supremacy  of  either  the  Democratic  or  Republican 
factions.  And  to  the  end  that  our  votes  may  be  counted  when  cast, 
and  all  corruption  and  the  damnable  boodle  system  be  obliterated, 
we  favor  the  Australian  system  of  holding  elections;  the  election  of 
all  officers  by  direct  vote  of  the  people. 

[6]     We  favor  a  law  that  will  secure  a  lien  on  the  products  of  labor. 

Additional  Resolution 

[7]  That  this  State  Federation  of  Labor  recommends  that  public 
meetings  be  held  and  a  general  observance  of  Labor  Day  be  had  in 
all  places  possible,  and  the  principles  enunciated  in  the  platform 
adopted  to-day  be  discussed  on  said  occasion. 

Executive  Committee:  W.  P.  Jones,  of  Houston;  L.  L 
Rhodes,  of  Emory;  C.  W.  Geers,  of  Denton;  C.  A.  Teagle,  of 
Waco ;  Melvin  "Wade,  of  Dallas. 

STATE  FREIGHT  RATE  CONVENTION,  1889 

DALLAS,  July  8  and  9 

The  convention  was  well  attended  by  manufacturers,  jobbers, 
members  of  the  legislature,  and  some  railroad  officials. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  J.  B.  Simpson,  of  Dallas; 
permanent,  T.  J.  Brown,  of  Sherman.  Secretary,  Howard  W. 
Peak,  of  Fort  Worth. 


276  Platforms  of  Political 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  district,  S.  D 
O'Brien,  2.  blank,  3.  W.  M.  Mathews,  4.  George  T.  Todd,  5. 
blank,  6.  J.  M.  Perdue,  7.  J.  G.  Kearby,  8.  R.  T.  Flewellyn,  9. 
to  11.  blank,  12.  W.  H.  Derrick,  13.  Thos.  I.  Edwards,  14.  blank, 
15.  J.  M.  Smith,  16.  J.  B.  Simpson,  17.  A.  C.  Ousley,  18.  T.  J. 
Brown,  19.  J.  A.  Kemp,  20.  G.  M.  Sutherland,  21.  A.  J.  Brown, 
22.  blank,  23.  George  W.  Ryler,  24.  John  Orr,  25.  to  28.  blank, 
29.  J.  T.  Crawford,  30.  J.  Jenkins,  31.  W.  T.  Gass. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Your  Committee  on  Resolutions  beg  leave  to  report  that  they  have 
carefully  considered  all  resolutions  submitted  to  them,  and  from  them 
all  they  have  selected  and  prepared  the  following  resolutions  which  they 
here  present  and  ask  their  adoption  by  the  convention: 

WHEREAS,  a  great  burden  now  rests  in  the  excessive  and  enormous 
charges  demanded  by  the  combination  of  railroads  now  operating  in 
this  State,  and 

WHEREAS,  numerous  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  representatives 
of  the  industrial  interests  of  the  State  of  Texas  to  obtain  relief  from 
the  unjust  and  exorbitant  tolls  exacted  from  our  people,  and  that  to 
the  present  moment  these  efforts  have  been  entirely  futile,  and 

WHEREAS,  enormous  quantities  of  grain  are  now  wasting  in  the 
granaries  of  the  farmers  of  Texas  for  want  of  transportation  at  living 
rates,  and  our  merchants  are  struggling  under  burdensome  loads  that 
will  drive  them  into  inevitable  bankruptcy  unless  relief  be  had,  and 
that  the  'cotton  of  the  State  grown  by  the  farmers  is  paying,  and  has 
for  years  paid  an  enormous  and  unjust  rate  of  toll  to  corporations  domi- 
nating the  public  highways  of  the  State,  and 

WHEREAS,  Texas  possesses  in  her  borders  the  finest  forests  of  uncut 
long  leaf  pine,  white  oak,  ash,  hickory,  and  walnut  to  be  found  within 
the  limits  of  the  Union,  and  that  no  State  possesses  superior  advantages 
for  the  manufacture  of  agricultural  implements,  flat  and  box  cars, 
furniture,  and  all  woodenware  products  over  those  possessed  by  this 
State,  but  that  these  advantages  are  denied  to  us  by  reason  of  the 
paralyzing  and  excessive  freight  rates  charged  by  the  powerful  com- 
bination controlling  the  traffic  of  the  State;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  demand  for  lumber  in  the  cities  of  the  State  is  un- 
paralleled in  the  history  of  the  country,  and  the  agricultural  sections 
are  compelled  to  use  great  quantities  of  lumber  requisite  for  the  im- 
provement of  farms  and  ranches,  and  the  discriminating  railway  tariffs 
on  lumber  operate  with  peculiar  hardship  upon  our  people;  and 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  Convention  were  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News. 


Parties  in  Texas  277 

WHEREAS,  Texas  possesses  the  finest  and  most  extensive  bodios  of 
superior  iron  ores  known  to  exist  within  the  limits  of  the  Republic;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  demand  for  iron  production  in  Texas  cannot  well  be 
reckoned  in  figures,  so  great  is  that  demand,  but  that  by  reason  of 
unjust  discrimination  and  excessive  tolls  the  development  of  the  iron 
industry  of  the  State  is  forbidden  to  its  people  and  to  outside  capi- 
talists, and  the  State's  vast  wealth  in  her  iron  ore  still  sleeps  un- 
disturbed in  the  bowels  of  the  earth;  and 

WHEREAS,  by  reason  of  what  we  believe  to  be  excessive  and  burden- 
some rate  tolls  charged  by  the  transportation  companies  of  the  State, 
a  sum  over  and  above  the  legitimate  roadway  tolls  is  exacted  from  the 
people  of  this  State  greatly  in  excess  of  all  the  taxation  paid  by  the 
people  of  Texas  to  support  its  asylums,  its  charitable  institutions,  its 
great  system  of  common  schools,  its  interest  on  its  public  debts,  and, 
indeed,  the  entire  expenses  of  the  legislative,  judicial,  and  executive 
departments  of  the  State  and  very  much  higher  than  the  rates  charged 
in  the  States  similarly  situated;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  a  permanent  committee  of  thirty-one  composed  of 
one  member  from  each  senatorial  district  be  constituted  by  this  Con- 
vention, whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  confer  with  and  if  possible  obtain 
from  the  railway  and  express  traffic  managers  of  Texas  a  satisfactory 
reduction  of  our  freight  rates  and  express  charges. 

2.  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  committee  to  request  a  con- 
ference  to   be    held    on    or   before   August   15,   1889,   with  the   traffic 
managers  of  Texas,  and  to  endeavor  to  induce  them  by  every  honorable 
means  to  grant  the  people  of  Texas  just  and  reasonable  freight  rates. 

3.  That  each  member  of  said  committee  shall  be  constituted  chair- 
man of  his   particular   senatorial   district,  and   that   in  the  event  no 
compromise  or  adjustment  of  rates  can  be  made  with  railway  mana- 
gers, then,  that  conventions  be  called  in  each  county  in  said  senatorial 
district  and  resolutions  be  submitted  urgently  petitioning  the  governor 
of  Texas  to  convene  in  extra  session  the  twenty-first  legislature  to  the 
end  that  remedial  legislation  be  at  once  enacted,  and  that  said  com- 
mittee of  thirty-one,  as  representatives  and  duly  accredited  agents  of 
this  convention,  apply  to  the  governor  for  an  extra  session  to  be  so 
holden,  and  that  the  district  chairman  appoint  a  proper  party  in  each 
county  within  his  district  to  so  call  said  convention. 

4.  That  this  Convention,  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  Texas,  de- 
mand of   the  railroads   of  this  State  and  of  those   controlling  them 
that  they  reduce  the  freight  tariffs  on  local  business  and  so  adjust 
the  same  as  to  make  them  just  and  equitable,  and  that  equal  and  fair 
rates  be  given  to  all  localities  and  persons  in  this  State  without  rebates 
or  discriminations,  so   that  every  citizen  may  enjoy  his  legal  rights 
in   these   public   agencies   for   the   transaction  of  the   public  carrying 
business  of  the  country,  whereby  our  people  will  be  enabled  to  reap 
the  benefits  of  home  markets  for  home  productions. 


278  Platforms  of  Political 

Your  committee  further  recommend  the  adoption  of  the  following 
resolutions: 

Resolved,  [5]  That  the  people  of  Texas  are  earnestly  recommended 
to  vote  for  the  amendment  to  the  State  constitution  submitted  by  the 
twenty-first  legislature  to  be  voted  upon  at  the  next  general  election 
which  removes  all  constitutional  doubt  as  to  the  creation  of  a  railroad 
commission  and  expressly  confers  upon  the  legislature  the  power  to 
delegate  the  fixing  of  reasonable  traffic  rates  on  railroads  to  an  intel- 
ligent agency  or  commission. 

[6]  That  the  opening  of  one  or  more  deep  water  ports  upon  the 
Texas  coast  will  contribute  largely  to  the  reduction  of  railway  freights 
in  Texas,  and  that  this  Convention  urgently  requests  the  CongresSi 
of  the  United  States  to  make  sufficient  appropriations  to  open  such 
ports. 

[7]  That  this  Convention  pledges  its  moral  support  to  members 
of  the  legislature  who  endeavor  to  pass  proper  laws  for  the  regulation 
of  railway  companies  and  to  the  officers  of  the  law  who  enforce  the  same. 

MINORITY  REPORTS 

I 

On  behalf  of  the  minority  of  the  committee  on  resolutions,  I  beg 
leave  to  offer  the  following: 

WHEREAS,  there  is  widespread  dissatisfaction  and  demoralization  in 
productive  and  business  interests  throughout  the  State  arising  from 
unreasonable  and  burdensome  freight  rates  exacted  by  the  railway 
companies  operating  in  this  State,  and 

WHEREAS,  the  power  is  vested  in  the  people  by  the  constitution  of 
this  State  to  regulate  and  control  the  railways  in  the  interest  of  the 
public,  through  their  legislative  bodies,  and 

WHEREAS,  no  other  power  is  given  the  people  as  sovereigns  to  enforce 
a  schedule  of  freight  tariffs  that  will  be  reasonable  and  just  to  both 
railway  companies  and  the  people;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  ask  Governor  Ross  to  convene  the  legislature  in 
extra  session  and  that  we  demand  of  that  body  immediate  legislation 
that  shall  be  corrective  and  effective  in  restraining  the  railway  and 
transportation  companies  of  this  State  in  their  unreasonable  and 
unwarrantabl-e  exactions  of  the  people. 

That,  the  people  of  the  State  be  called  upon  by  this  Convention 
to  hold  county  mass  meetings  and  pass  resolutions  expressing  their 
sense  upon  this  momentous  question  and  forward  them  to  Governor 
Ross,  and  also  to  both  bodies  of  the  State  legislature. 

J.  M.  PERDUE, 

S.    D.   O'BRIEN, 

W.  M.  MATTHEWS, 
THOMAS  I.  EDWARDS. 


Parties  in  Texa*  2V  9 

II 

The  undersigned  beg  leave  to  amend  the  majority  report  by  striking 
out  all  that  part  which  relates  to  calling  a  special  session  of  the  twenty- 
first  legislature,  for  the  following  reasons: 

We  are  opposed  to  such  call  and  to  losing"  time  and  spending  the 
great  amount  of  money  that  will  be  necessary  to  pay  expenses  of  an 
extra  session,  unless  there  is  some  probability  that  it  will  result  in 
the  passage  of  the  desired  legislation.  We  do  not  believe  that  it  will 
do  this,  as  not  one  of  the  senators  who  opposed  railroad  legislation 
is  here  in  atendance  on  this  Convention,  showing  that  they  have  under- 
gone no  change  in  their  views  on  this  subject,  and  without  such 
change  no  good  can  be  accomplished. 

We  further  believe  that  the  same  senators  who  opposed  railroad  legis- 
lation on  the  ground  that  it  would  be  unconstitutional  can  not  con- 
sistently and  conscientiously  say  now  that  it  is  constitutional,  es- 
pecially when  they  are  backed  up  by  ex-Governor  Roberts  and  other 
eminent  jurists,  and  that  they  will  vote  now  as  they  voted  then. 

We  believe  further  that  the  railroads  will  accede  to  the  demand 
of  this  Convention  and  reduce  rates,  but  in  order  to  defeat  the  pro- 
posed amendment  to  the  constitution  and  that  after  such  defeat  they 
will  again  raise  their  rates  and  meet  proposed  legislation  with  the 
declaration  that  the  people  have  spoken  at  the  polls  and  said  they 
wished  and  needed  no  railroad  legislation. 

We  believe  whether  the  roads  refuse  to  reduce  rates  or  not  the  Con- 
vention and  the  people  shpuld  use  their  best  efforts  to  secure  the  adop- 
tion of  the  amendment  so  as  to  take  away  the  last  excuse  for  opposing 
legislation. 

We,  therefore,  recommend  that  the  amendment  be  adopted. 

J.  W.  PIXLEY. 

It  was  explained  that  no  member  of  the  committee  had  any  objection 
to  the  three  last  resolutions  in  the  majority  report. 
The  minority  reports  were  tabled. 

Committee  of  Thirty-One:  1st  and  2nd  Senatorial  districts 
blank ;  3.  J.  M.  Galloway,  of  Marshall,  4.  A.  H.  Schluter,  of  Jeffer- 
son ;  5.  A.  D.  Martin,  of  Pittsburg;  6.  R.  B.  Kuteman,  of  Mineola; 
7.  J.  G.  Kearby,  of  Wills  Point;  9.  to  11.  blank;  12.  Frank  Robi- 
son,  of  Brenham;  13.  J.  M.  Rennick,  of  Leginxton;  14.  blank: 
15.  T.  M.  Smith,  of  Blooming  Grove ;  17.  T.  S.  Letson,  of  Far- 
mersville;  18.  J.  W.  Bailey,  of  Gainesville;  19.  W.  R,  Lamb,  of 
Bowie;  20.  G.  W.  Sutherland,  of  Tarrant;  21.  M.  M.  Crane,  of 
Cleburne ;  22.  blank ;  23.  R.  Y.  King,  of  Belton ;  24,  John  Robin- 


280  Platforms  of  Political 

son,  of  Austin;  25.  to  29.  blank;  30.  J.  M.  Frazier,  of  Morgan; 
31.  A.  G.  Hubbard,  of  Paris. 

STATE  ROAD   CONVENTION,   1890 

DALLAS,  April  8 

On  February  18,  1890,  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Dallas  issued  a 
call  to  the  county  judges  and  county  commissioners  to  meet  in 
that  city  in  a  State  convention  for  the  purpose  of  considering 
a  better  system  of  county  roads. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  E.  G.  Bower,  of  Dallas; 
permanent,  W.  N.  Bush,  of  Collin.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  J.  D 
Bass,  of  Camp ;  permanent,  Wm.  A.  Bramlette,  of  Fannin. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  T.  J.  Brown,  of  Grayson;  I.  N. 
Roach,  of  Parker;  E.  S.  Chambers,  of  Red  River;  W.  H.  Bullock, 
of  Wise;  G.  P.  Hodges,  of  Bell;  L.  B.  Haynie,  of  Navarro;  J.  C. 
Henderson,  of  Cass;  John  O'Neil,  of  Calhoun;  G.  R.  Dunn,  of 
Robertson;  J.  T.  Johnston,  of  Ellis;  A.  J.  Nance,  of  Denton; 
Lafayette  Kirk,  of  Washington ;  S.  S.  Lyday,  of  Fannin ;  L.  C. 
Alexander,  of  McLennan;  W.  A.  Smith,  of  Williamson;  J.  S. 
Spinks,  of  Van  Zandt;  J.  G.  Abney,  of  Hill;  R.  B.  Levy,  of 
Gregg;  Wm.  A.  Proctor,  of  Runnels;  H.  A.  Porter,  of  Taylor; 
D.  M.  Edwards,  of  Palo  Pinto ;  M.  G.  York,  of  Lee;  A.  R,  Hart- 
man,  of  Rockwall;  W.  E.  Hughes,  of  Dallas;  Judge  Abernathy, 
of  Collin;  A.  B.  Flint,  of  Marion;  W.  B.  Maddox,  of  Tarrant; 
A.  R.  Barry,  of  Bosque ;  J.  L.  Dupree,  of  Victoria ;  T.  U.  Tay- 
lor, of  Travis;  E.  W.  Wegner,  of  Galveston;  C.  S.  Hardy,  of 
Limestone;  B.  F.  Watson,  of  Montague;  Judge  Scott,  of  Falls; 
T.  C.  Glass,  of  Kaufman;  B.  B.  Biard,  of  Smith;  E.  J.  Moch, 
of  Hunt ;  J.  M.  Corbin,  of  Hopkins. 

REPORT1 

We,  a  majority  of  your  Committee  on  Resolutions,  beg  leave  to  report 
the  following: 

Resolved,  That  this  Convention  recommend  to  the  people  of  Texas 
that  they  adopt  the  amendment  to  section  9  of  article  8  of  the  present 
constitution  of  Texas,  submitted  by  the  twenty-first  legislature,  as  being 
the  best  solution  of  the  public  road  question. 

^Dallas  Morning  News. 


Parties  in  Texas  281 

FARMERS'  CONVENTION,  1890 
DALLAS,  April  12 

The  call  by  the  Board  of  Trade  for  a  convention  of  the  county 
judges  and  county  commissioners  influenced  the  Dallas  County 
Alliance  also  to  call  a  convention  for  the  purpose  of  considering 
the  dirt  road  problem,  the  pending  constitutional  amendment 
concerning  a  railroad  commission,  and  matters  of  a  political  but 
nonpartisan  nature.  It  was  feared  that  the  judges  and  com- 
missioners might  adopt  resolutions  in  favor  of  legislation  distaste- 
ful to  the  farmers.  About  twenty-five  counties  were  represented. 

Officers:  Chairman,  E.  A.  Daniels,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
James  E.  Baird,  of  Lamar. 

Committee  on  Address:  William  H.  Harris,  of  Dallas;  G.  W. 
White,  of  Limestone;  W.  A.  Shaw,  of  Dallas;  M.  L.  Cowen,  of 
Collin ;  T.  H.  Henderson,  of  Lamar. 

ADDRESS1 

This  meeting,  representing  the  farmers,  wageworkers,  and  other  con- 
servative classes,  submit  for  the  thoughtful  consideration  of  the  people 
of  Texas  the  following  facts,  together  with  some  recommendations  and 
demands  which  we  think  now  an  opportune  time  to  make,  inasmuch 
as  we  are  upon  the  threshhold  of  a  political  campaign  of  more  vital 
import  to  the  classes  named  than  any  through  which  the  State  ha«J 
previously  passed.  It  is,  indeed,  not  extravagent  to  assert  that  this 
campaign  is  to  be  a  decisive  struggle  between  the  people  and  their 
merciless  oppressors,  as  represented  by  trusts,  syndicates,  monopolies, 
railroad  lobbyists,  subsidized  workers,  and  subsidized  newspapers. 

Every  honest  citizen — whether  farmer,  lawyer,  doctor,  wageworker, 
merchant,  or  of  whatever  class — should,  therefore,  put  himself  in  a 
position  of  self-defense  against  our  common  foe. 

Every  honest  citizen  should  labor,  not  only  to  post  himself  upon 
the  issues  of  the  day,  but  to  direct  the  minds  of  others  into  channels 
of  investigation  and  education,  leading  to  well  grounded  convictions 
and  conclusions  upon  which  to  base  intelligent  and  conscientious  en- 
deavors, for  the  people  are,  of  all  times,  now  most  willing  to  open 
the  fountains  of  their  own  thoughts  and  investigations  to  admit  the 
pure  lights  of  facts,  reason,  and  right.  The  necessity  for  this  is 

1Dallas  Morning  News. 


282  Platforms  of  Political 

doubly  emphasized  at  this  time,  because  the  darkest  and  deepest  schemes 
by  shrewdest  and  most  unscrupulous  schemers  are  being  laid  to  entrap 
the  votes  of  farmers,  wageworkers,  and  other  burdened  classes,  and  all 
in  the  name  of  liberty,  under  cover  of  whose  mantle  so  many  great 
crimes  have  been  perpetrated. 

Capital,  drawn  from  its  legitimate  channels  and  massed  in  monopo- 
lies, syndicates,  and  trusts,  and  then  aided  by  the  ablest  legal,  business*, 
and  newspaper  talent,  which,  shame  to  say,  prostitutes  itself  to  bribery, 
is  laying  plans  not  only  to  perpetuate  the  unequal  and  unjust  burdens 
oppressing  the  people,  but  to  graft  yet  other  and  greater  evils  upon 
them;  all  in  the  name  of  liberty! 

To  do  this  it  will  be  attempted  to  place  pliant  tools  in  our  State 
offices,  State  departments,  and  legislature,  many  of  whom  are  the 
vilest  of  God's  creatures — men  with  vigorous  and  learned  minds,  which 
they  use  in  the  service  of  bribe-givers.  To  this  end  they  will  use 
every  fraud,  deception  and  falsehood  which  cunning  can  invent  or  cor- 
ruption suggest;  and  all  in  the  name  of  liberty! 

Our  political  history  will  prove  that  there  have  been  few  political 
conventions  in  Texas,  and  few,  if  any,  legislative  sessions,  in  which 
the  power  of  monopoly  has  not  been  of  sufficient  force  to  either  direct 
or  obstruct  its  proceedings.  In  this  monopoly  has  had  the  help  of  the 
leading  daily  papers,  with  a  few  honorable  exceptions,  those  being 
paid,  directly  or  indirectly,  for  their  unpatriotic  and  corrupt  work. 
And  all  in  the  name  of  liberty! 

The  forces  named  create  a  power  within  the  bars  of  nominating 
conventions  which  it  will  require  the  combined  wisdom,  patriotism, 
and  nerve  of  our  great  and  grand  Texas  people  to  overthrow,  for 
the  efforts  of  these  selfish  and  merciless  powers  have  in  the  past  been 
puerile  compared  to  the  Herculean  work  they  will  put  forth  during 
this  campaign.  And  all  in  the  name  of  liberty! 

Then,  shall  any  honest,  patriotic  citizen,  or  any  honest,  patriotic 
newspaper,  hesitate  to  help  lay  bare  the  rottenness  and  corruption 
of  every  plot  and  plotter,  every  man  and  measure,  every  plan  and  paper, 
by  which  monopoly  and  its  bribed  allies  will  attempt  to  influence  thfc 
people?  Should  not  each  strive  to  spread  light,  arguments,  and  facts, 
uninfluenced  by  bribe-givers;  and  thus  aid  in  counteracting  the  dark- 
ness, sophistries,  and  falsehoods  on  the  part  of  bribe-payers  and  bribe- 
takers? 

Recognizing  the  force  of  these  facts,  and,  by  sequence,  the  further 
fact  that  the  greatest  evils  affecting  the  farmer,  the  wageworker,  and 
other  burdened  classes,  are  political  evils,  we  make  the  following 
recommendations  and  demands: 

We  recommend  that  the  people  of  Texas  vote  for  the  constitutional 
amendment  conferring  power  upon  the  legislature  to  create  a  railroad 
commission,  to  the  end  that  local  rates  may  be  so  regulated  and  con- 


Parties  in  Texas  283 

trolled  as  to  protect  and  foster  the  agricultural  and  manufacturing 
interests  of  the  State. 

It  is  false  to  charge  that  farmers  and  other  burthened  classes  are 
inimical  to  railways.  On  the  contrary,  we  recognize  their  great  value 
and  utility.  But  if  permitted  to  exercise  their  monopolistic  powers 
without  check,  they  control  the  prices  of  both  our  products  and  our 
lands.  Therefore,  they  should  be  restricted  and  limited  in  the  exercise 
of  their  powers  by  such  legislation  as  will  secure  justice  to  the  citizens 
without  injustice  to  the  railroads.  We  think  this  can  best  be  accom- 
plished through  a  commission. 

We  make  no  recommendation  as  to  the  amendment  to  the  consti- 
tution permitting  counties  to  levy  an  additional  tax  of  fifteen  cents 
on  the  one  hundred  dollars  for  road  purposes,  except  to  caution  voters 
to  investigate  thoroughly,  and  form  well  matured  conclusions,  before 
voting  for  or  against  said  amendment.  We  recommend  that  this  meet- 
ing extend  to  the  late  Road  convention  of  county  judges,  etc.,  in 
Dallas,  its  most  hearty  congratulations,  in  that  it  did  not  indorse 
any  bond  scheme  or  take  any  action  calculated  to  create  political  strife, 
and  thus  divert  attention  from  the  railroad  commission  issue;  and  we 
further  recommend  to  county  judges,  commissioners,  and  all  concerned 
to  accept  this  action  as  conclusive  until  after  next  general  election. 

We  demand  of  political  conventions  a  condemnation  of  all  further 
county  bond  schemes  of  whatever  character. 

We  demand  of  political  conventions  an  indorsement  of  a  railroad 
commission,  as  outlined  in  the  foregoing  recommendations. 

Inasmuch  as  the  State  undertakes  the  education  of  its  children,  it 
is  its  duty  to  say  what  the  children  shall  be  taught,  and,  therefore, 
we  demand  a  uniform  system  of  textbooks  in  our  public  schools,  and 
a  method  of  their  publication  to  insure  books  at  the  least  cost  to 
patrons. 

We  demand  that  the  system  of  hiring  out  convicts  be  abolished  at 
the  earliest  practicable  time  and  that  they  be  used  only  on  public  work, 
and  to  this  end  would  recommend  a  law  under  which  each  county 
may  work  short  time  convicts  on  the  public  roads. 

We  are  opposed  to  paternalism;  in  favor  of  the  maximum  of  per- 
sonal liberty  consonant  with  good  and  substantial  government;  and 
unequivocally  condemn  class  legislation,  for  experience  teaches  that  its 
ultimate  effects  are  discouraging  to  the  producers,  whose  wants  are 
simplest,  and  who  constitute  the  most  defenseless  class  of  our  population. 

In  conclusion,  we  appeal  to  every  farmer,  every  wageworker,  and 
every  other  honest  citizen  not  only  to  know  what  he  wants,  but  to 
adopt  the  best  methods  of  securing  it  by  being  present  at  every  primary 
and  convention  of  his  party. 


284  Platforms  of  Political 

Upon  National  issues  we  offer  the  following: 

WHEREAS,  agriculture  is  the  basis  of  prosperity,  and  the  true  measure 
of  success  in  all  our  industrial  pursuits;  and, 

WHEREAS,  all  laws,  practices,  and  customs  which  hinder  or  obstruct 
agricultural  success,  or  in  any  wise  discourage  agriculture,  are  a  public 
injury,  and  an  obstruction  to  public  prosperity  and  universal  happi- 
ness; and, 

WHEREAS,  through  class  legislation  many  laws  have  been  enacted, 
and  many  customs  established  which  oppress  and  burden  those  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits;  therefore, 

Resolved,  1.  That,  as  the  price  of  the  products  of  our  farms  is  fixed 
by  the  price  of  the  surplus  we  sell  in  foreign  markets,  we  believe 
any  unjust  tariff  restrictions  to  be  unwise. 

2.  That  for  government  to  take  from  one  industry  to  support  an- 
other is  inconsistent  with  the  true  aims  and  purposes  of  its  creation, 
and  as  tariffs  on   imports  which  are   established   for   protective   pur- 
poses do  this,  we  demand  that  the  tariff  laws  be  revised  so  as  only 
to  raise  a  revenue  for  economical  government,  and  that  duties  should 
be  laid  heaviest  on  luxuries. 

3.  That  we  demand  a  financial  system  in  the  United  States  which 
will  admit  of  an  expansion  to  suit  the  growth  in  wealth  and  population 
of  the  country. 

4.  We   demand  the  abolition  of  the  National  banking  system,  as 
opposed  to  principles  of  republican  government. 

5.  That  pooling  and  dealing  in  futures  be  made  a  felony,  punishable 
by   imprisonment. 

6.  That  United  States  senators  should  be  elected  by  a  popular  vote. 

7.  That  we   favor  the  free  coinage  of  silver  and  that  it  be  made 
a  legal  tender. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1890 

FORT  WORTH,  May  13 

Officers:  Chairman,  H.  G.  Damon,  of  Navarro;  Secretary, 
J.  G.  Allison,  of  Dallas. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rock- 
wall;  Lieutenant- Governor,  J.  M.  Thomason,  of  Carson;  Attor- 
ney-General, J.  B.  Goff,  of  Travis;  Comptroller,  S.  G.  Tomlin- 
son,  of  Hopkins:  Treasurer,  "W.  D.  Jackson,  of  McLennan; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  S.  G.  Mullins,  of  Na- 
varro ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  A.  Clark,  of  Hood. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:     D.  M.  Prendergast, 


Parties  in  Texas  285 

of  Limestone;  Dr.  F.  M.  Law,  of  Brazos;  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; E.  L.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar;  Mrs.  M.  M.  Clardy,  of 
Bexar;  W.  D.  Knowles,  of  Dallas;  S.  M.  Templeton,  of  Rock- 
wall. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We    favor    the    suppression    of    the   liquor   traffic   by   legislation, 
State    and   National,    and    regard  'the    Prohibition    party,    State    and 
National,   as  absolutely  necessary  for  that  purpose. 

2.  That  any  form  of  license,  taxation,  or  regulation  of  the  liquor 
traffic  is  contrary  to  good  government,  that  any  party  which  supports 
regulation,  license,  or  taxation  enters  into  an  alliance  with  such  traffic 
and  becomes  the  active  foe  of  the  State's  welfare,  and  that  we  arraign 
the  Republican  and   Democratic   parties   for   their  persistent   attitude 
in  favor  of  the  license  iniquity  whereby  they  oppose  the  demand  of  the 
people  for  prohibition,  and  through  open  complicity  with  the  liquor 
crime  defeat  the  enforcement  of  law. 

3.  That  our  immigration  laws  should  be  so  enforced  as  to  prevent 
the   introduction   into  our   country   of  all   convicts,  inmates   of  other 
dependent   institutions,   and  others   physically   incapacitated   for   self- 
support. 

4.  That  no  person  should  be  allowed  to  vote  who  has  not  been  a  resi- 
dent of  the  United  States  for  ten  years,  or  who  is  unable  to  read  and 
write  the  English  language. 

5.  We  arraign   the  liquor  traffic   as  a  menace  to  civil  liberty,   in 
that  it  is  the  vehicle  by  which  the  Democratic  and  Republican  partiefc' 
shamelessly  corrupt  the  ballot  box,  and  we  further  favor  such  changes 
in    the    election    laws   as    shall    render   bribe-giving   and    bribe-taking 
impossible. 

6.  Recognizing  that  the  liquor  traffic,  in  itself  a  soulless  monopoly, 
is  the  greatest  foe  to  the  laboring  classes  as  an  ever  present  menace 
to  their  homes,  we  earnestly  and  cordially  invite  all  laboring  men  to 
join  us  in  the  attempt  to  throttle  their  most  malignant  enemy. 

7.  We  recognize    in    the  Woman's   Christian    Temperance   Union   a 
powerful  ally  in  the  battle  for  temperance  and  prohibition.    We  bid 
them  godspeed  in  their  noble  and  self-sacrificing  labors. 

8.  That  all  charges  for  service  by  railroad  corporations  and  of  other 
common  carriers  be  regulated  by  law  for  the  protection  of  the  people, 
and  that  an  efficient  system  of  arbitration  be  enacted  for  the  settle- 
ment of  all  differences  between  corporations  and  employes. 

9.  That  all  State  convicts  should  be  confined  in  the  walls  of  the 
penitentiary  and  the  lease  system  be  abolished. 


proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Fort  Worth  Daily 
Gazette. 


286  Platforms  of  Political 

10.  That  all  monopolies  and  trusts  are  destructive  of  free  institution 
and  should  be  abolished. 

11.  Recognizing  and  declaring  that  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic 
has  become  the  dominant  issue  in  National  politics,  we  invite  to  full 
party  fellowship  all  those  who  <jn  this,  our  dominant  issue,  are  with  us 
agreed. 

12.  Effective  systems  of  public  free  schools  by  the  States,  in  which 
the  nature  and  effect  of  alcoholic  liquors  upon  the  human  system  should 
be  taught. 

13.  The  latest  United  States  supreme  court  decision  on  the  liquor 
question,  to  wit:   the  "original  package"  case  from  Iowa,  clearly  de- 
velops  the    necessity    for    Federal    law   to    protect   the   States    in   the 
necessary  power  to  preserve  their  citizens  from  the  ravages  of  rum, 
and  necessitates  that  the  Prohibition  party  devote  especial  attention  to 
the  election  of  members  of  the  United  States  Congress  and  senate. 

MINOBITY  REPORT 

The  undersigned  members  of  your  Committee  on  Platform  agree 
to  the  majority  report  and  move  to  add  to  the  platform  the  following 
amendment: 

That  the  right  of  suffrage  rests  on  no  mere  circumstance  of  race, 
color,  sex,  or  nationality,  and  that  where,  from  any  cause,  it  has  been 
withheld  from  any  citizens  who  are  of  mature  age  and  mentally  qualified 
for  the  exercise  of  an  intelligent  ballot,  it  should  be  restored  by  the 
people  through  the  legislatures  of  the  several  States  on  such  educational 
basis  as  they  may  deem  wise. 

The  amendment  was  tabled  by  a  vote  of  29  ayes  to  24  noes. 

State  Executive  Committee:  1st  Congressional  district, 
Charles  Calmore,  of  Harris;  2.  W.  H.  Hamman,  of  Cherokee; 
3.  blank;  4.  E.  L.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar;  5.  A.  M.  Ragland,  of 
Denton;  6.  J.  Gr.  Allison,  W.  M.  Lomas,  and  W.  D.  Knowles, 
of  Dallas;  7.  and  8.  blank;  9.  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  McLennan;  10. 
J.  B.  Link,  of  Travis;  11.  B.  W.  Williams,  of  Parker. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE   CONVENTION,  1890 

SAN  ANTONIO,  August  12-14 

The  railroad  commission  amendment  and  the  nomination  of 
its  stanch  supporter,  James  S.  Hogg,  were  the  centers  of  in- 
terest in  this  convention.  "The  absence  of  those  distinguished 


Parties  in  Texas  287 

and  patriotic  leaders  whose  counsels  had  so  often  prevailed  with 
the  Democracy ' '  was  commented  upon.  '  *  New  men  were  there  ; 
new  plans  were  proposed." 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  B.  D.  Tarleton,  of  Hill; 
permanent,  J.  C.  Hutcheson,  of  Harris.  Secretary,  Sam  H. 
Dixon,  of  Dallas. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  James  S.  Hogg,  of 
Smith;  Lieutenant-Governor,  George  C.  Pendleton,  of  Bell;  At- 
torney-General, Charles  A.  Culberson,  of  Dallas;  Comptroller, 
John  D.  McCall,  of  Travis;  Treasurer,  W.  B.  Wortham,  of  Hop- 
kins; Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  L.  Mc- 
Gaughey,  of  Hood;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  H. 
Carr  Pritchett,  of  Walker. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, S.  B.  Cooper,  of  Tyler;  2.  R.  T.  Milner,  of  Rusk;  3.  M.  R. 
Greer,  of  Harrison ;  4.  L.  A.  Whatley,  of  Cass ;  5.  John  L.  Shep- 
pard,  of  Camp;  6.  Horace  Chilton,  of  Smith;  7.  A.  B.  Watkins, 
of  Henderson ;  8.  Earl  Adams,  of  Houston ;  9.  H.  F.  Ring,  of 
Harris;  10.  John  H.  Bolton,  of  Galveston;  11.  W.  S.  Fly,  of 
Gonzales;  12.  A.  A.  Chesley,  of  Austin;  13.  E.  R.  Sinks,  of  Lee; 
14.  Scott  Field,  of  Robertson;  15.  J.  W.  Blake,  of  Limestone; 
16.  Sawnie  Robertson,  of  Dallas;  17.  F.  E.  Piner,  of  Denton; 
18.  T.  J.  Brown,  of  Grayson,  chairman;  19.  A.  H.  Carrigan,  of 
Wilbarger;  20.  B.  W.  Camp,  of  Tarrant;  21.  W.  F.  Ramsay, 
of  Johnson;  22.  Richard  H.  Harrison,  of 'McLennan;  23.  H.  P. 
Robertson,  of  Bell;  24.  T.  B.  Cochran,  of  Williamson;  25.  Wil- 
liam Clements,  of  Comal;  26.  Jonathan  Payne,  of  Goliad;  27. 
D.  P.  Marr,  of  Frio;  28.  William  Yandell,  of  El  Paso;  29.  George 
W.  Smith,  of  Mitchell ;  30.  James  M.  Robertson,  of  Bosque,  sec- 
retary; 31.  James  Clark,  of  Red  River. 

PLATFORM1 

We,   the   Committee   on  Platform  and  Resolutions,  have   to   report: 

1.     That    we,    the    Democracy   of    Texas,    in   convention   assembled, 

pledge  anew  our  devotion  to  the  time-honored  principles  of  Democracy, 

and  reaffirm  the  principles  announced  in  the  last  National  and  State 

platforms. 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Sort  Antonio 
Express. 


288  Platforms  of  Political 

2.  That  the  government  of  the  United  States  has  only  the  powers 
expressly  given  it  in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
amendments  thereto,  and  we  believe  that  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union, 
created   by    said    Constitution   and    amendments,    constitutionally    and 
consistently  with  popular  liberty  and  the  blessings  of  local  self-gov- 
ernment, can  be  secured  only  by  the  jealous  confinement  of  the  Federal 
government,   in   all    its   departments,   to  the   legitimate   and   economic 
exercise  of  the  powers  so  expressly  conferred  upon  it. 

3.  That  on  this  principle  we  oppose  any  tariff  or  duty  for  other 
purpose  than  revenue  only.     We  oppose  the  collection  and  distribution, 
by  the  Federal  government,  of  any  money  in  aid  of  the  educational 
system  of  the  several  States,  or  any  of  them;   or  in  any  way  of  ad- 
vancement, or  loan  to  any  citizens  or  class,  upon  any  sort  of  security, 
whether    government   or   commercial    bonds,   farm   or   other   products. 
We  oppose  the  election  law  recently  passed  by  the  Republican  house 
of  representatives,  and  condemn  all  the  recent  encroachments  by  the 
Federal  judiciary  upon  the  power  of  the  States. 

4.  That  in  a  free  representative  government  there  is  no  room  for 
any  life   tenure   of  any  office,   and   of  such  tenure   is  born   arbitrary 
and   irresponsible  power.     Therefore,  we  favor  an  amendment  to  the 
Federal   Constitution  limiting  the  tenure  of  Federal  offices   to  a  rea- 
sonable term  of  years. 

5.  That  we  are  opposed  to  the  continuance  of  the  National  banking 
system,  and  demand  the  abolishment  thereof  as  soon  as  by  law  the 
same   can   be    done.     We    demand   the  passage  of   all  necessary   laws 
preventing  the   creation   of  trusts,  and  providing  for  the   dissolution 
of  those  now  in  existence.     That  we  are  in  favor  of  the  free  and  un-. 
limited  coinage  of  silver  and  indorse  the  action  of  our  senators  and 
representatives  therefor.     We  oppose  paternalism  in  all  its  forms,  and 
acting  upon  this  principle  we  oppose  the  ownership  by  the  government 
of  the  railways  and  telegraph  lines  of  the  State,  as  destructive  to  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  the   people  and  tending  to  the  establishment 
of  a  despotic  government. 

6.  We  believe  that  it  is  the  right  and  duty  of  the  State  to  regu- 
late and  control   the  public  highways  within   its  limits,  and  that  ef- 
fective regulation   is    impracticable   without   the   agency  of   a   railway 
commission.     Therefore,  we  favor  the  amendment  to  article  10,  section 
2,  of  the  present  constitution  relating  to  railroads,  submitted  to  a  vote 
of  the  people  by  the  last  legislature,  and  we  demand  and  pledge  the 
enactment   of  a  law   creating  a  commission  clothed  with  any  power 
necessary  to  prevent  abuses  and  discriminations,  and  make,  establish, 
and  maintain  reasonable  rates  of  railway  charges  for  the  transportation 
of   passengers  and   freight   having   origin  and   destination   within  the 
limits  of  this  State. 

7.  We   demand   that   the   constitutional  provision,  that  perpetuities 
and  monopolies  are  contrary  to  the  genius  of  a  free  government,  be 


Parties  in  Texas  289 

respected  and  obeyed  in  all  particulars,  and  especially  by  the  enact- 
ment of  a  law  that  will  prohibit  the  further  operations  of  land  cor- 
porations, and  requiring  those  now  holding  the  possession  of  titles  of 
lands  to  dispose  of  the  same  within  such  reasonable  time  as  will  not 
impair  vested  rights,  and  that  the  policy  of  selling  public  lands  to  actual 
settlers  only  be  strictly  enforced. 

8.  We  demand  that,  as  a  general  diffusion  of  knowledge  is  essential 
to  the  promotion  of  the  liberties  and  rights  of  the  people,  the  consti- 
tutional  provision  requiring  the  public  free  schools  to  be  maintained 
and   supported  for   a  period   of  not   less  than   six  months  each   year 
shall    be    freely    and    faithfully   carried    out,    and    the    University,    its 
branches,   and    the    other    public    educational    institutions   be   properly 
endowed  and  maintained. 

9.  We  demand  that  suitable  provision  be  made  by  the  State  for  a 
home    for    the    disabled    Confederate    soldiers    where   their    reasonable 
wants  may  be  supplied  and  their  miseries  alleviated  without  humilia- 
tion to  them  as  objects  of  charity. 

10.  We    favor    separate    coaches    for    white    and    black    passengers 
on   the  railways  of  this   State,  and  demand  that  our  legislature  pass 
a  law  which  shall  compel  railways  to  furnish  the  same. 

MINORITY  EEPORT 

I  concur  in  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions, 
except  in  the  following  particulars: 

I  offer  for  section  six  of  the  Committee's  Report,  the  following: 
6.  We  believe  that  it  is  the  right  and  duty  of  the  State  to  regulate 
and  control  the  public  highways  within  her  limits,  but  the  proposed 
amendment  to  section  2,  article  10,  of  the  constitution  is  in  no  sense 
a  party  question  and  that  a  vote  for  or  against  said  amendment  is 
not  a  test  of  party  fealty. 

11.  To  the   end  that  we   may  have  an  honest  ballot,   uncontrolled 
by  bribery,  we  favor  the  Australian  system  of  voting,  confined  in  its 
operations,    at   present,    in  Texas   to   cities   of   10,000   inhabitants   anfl 
upwards. 

YANDELL,  of  El  Paso. 

The   minority  report  was  tabled  by   701  ayes  to  159   noes. 

State  Executive  Committee:  1st  Senatorial  district,  George 
W.  O'Brien,  of  Jefferson;  2.  H.  M.  Knight,  of  Panola;  3.  Emery 
R.  Starr,  of  Harrison ;  4.  R.  L.  Henry,  of  Bowie ;  5.  Hiram  Glass, 
of  Franklin;  6.  T.  N.  Jones,  of  Smith;  7.  John  Y.  Gooch,  of 
Anderson;  8.  M.  Y.  Randolph,  of  Madison;  9.  F.  A.  McCall,  of 
Montgomery ;  10.  James  McDonald,  of  Galvestoii ;  11.  J.  C. 

19—328 


290  Platforms  of  Political 

Kindred,  of  Colorado;  12.  Beauregard  Bryan,  of  Washington; 
13.  E.  R.  Sinks,  of  Lee;  14.  A.  C.  Brietz,  of  Brazos;  15.  W.  M. 
White,  of  Freestone;  16.  C.  E.  Gilbert,  of  Dallas;  17.  W.  N. 
Bush,  of  Collin;  18.  Don  A.  Bliss,  of  Grayson;  19.  W.  J.  Swain, 
of  Clay;  20.  B.  P.  Ayers,  of  Tarrant;  21.  W.  F.  Ramsay,  of 
Johnson;  22.  W.  C.  0 'Bryan,  of  McLennan;  23.  Frank  Andrews, 
of  Bell;  24.  Joseph  W.  Robertson,  of  Williamson;  25.  L.  H. 
Browne,  of  Hays;  26.  G.  W.  L.  Fly,  of  Victoria;  27.  R.  W. 
Hudson,  of  Frio;  28.  Edward  Dwyer,  of  Bexar;  29.  J.  M.  Press- 
ler,  of  Comanche;  30.  J.  N.  Doyle,  of  Hood;  31.  A.  J.  Clendennin, 
of  Fannin;  N.  W.  Finley,  of  Smith,  chairman. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1890 

SAN  ANTONIO,   September   3-5 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  R.  B.  Hawley,  of  Galveston; 
permanent,  Sam  J.  Wright,  of  Lamar.  Secretary,  D.  C.  Kolp, 
of  Wichita. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Webster  Flanagan, 
of  Rusk;  Lieutenant-Governor,  William  K.  Makemson,  of  Wil- 
liamson; Attorney-General,  J.  P.  Hague,  of  El  Paso;  Comp- 
troller, William  Westhoff,  of  De  Witt;  Treasurer,  John  B. 
Schmitz  of  Denton;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office, 
James  K.  McDowell,  of  Childress;  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction,  M.  Lindner,  of  Bexar. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  R.  B.  Renfro, 
chairman;  A.  J.  Evans,  Marion  Mullen,  R.  E.  Conine,  N.  Buch- 
anan, A.  J.  Rosenthal,  F.  P.  Clark,  W.  H.  McCasner,  W.  C. 
Singleton,  Jr.,  H.  A.  David,  L.  B.  Fish,  R.  H.  Earnest,  G.  L. 
Sebrecht,  B.  Sinclair,  J.  S.  Jenkins^  R.  M.  Grubbs,  J.  W.  Cook, 
J.  L.  McCall,  John  T.  Haines,  F.  W.  Miner,  L.  W.  Madarasz, 
R.  B.  Hawley,  John  M.  McDonald,  A.  J.  Houston,  E.  Emanuel, 

A.  L.  Menard,  J.  L.  Woodward,  A.  W.  Calhoun,  G.  F.  Wattson, 

B.  F.  Hickey,  Frank  Graham,  A.  Richards. 


Parties  in  Texas  Ii91 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  We,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  reaffirm 
our  adherence  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  as  expressed 
through  its  platforms,  as  adopted  in  National  conventions,  and  through 
its  policy  in  the  administration  of  our  government. 

[2]  We  indorse  and  renew  our  assurances  of  entire  confidence  in 
the  administration  of  President  Harrison. 

[3]  We  commend  the  Republican  party  for  its  adherence  to  the 
policy  of  protection  and  heartily  favor  in  that  connection  the  extension 
of  the  foreign  commerce  of  our  country  by  reciprocity  treaties  with 
American  states.  To  this  end  we  also  favor  the  encouragement  by 
subsidy  or  otherwise  of  lines  of  ocean  transportation  with  said  Ameri- 
can states. 

[4]  We  indorse  the  financial  policy  of  the  government  as  admin- 
istered by  the  Republican  party  in  its  maintenance  of  National  banks, 
in  its  management  of  currency  and  increased  issue  of  silver  money, 
and  express  our  confidence  in  its  meeting  every  exigency  of  public 
requirements  in  maintaining  a  balance  of  currency  that  will  in  every 
way  comply  with  the  wants  of  the  country. 

[5]  That  in  a  government  of  the  people  where  the  rights  of  the 
minority  are  as  sacred  as  the  rights  of  the  majority,  as  Republicans 
we  emphasize  our  approval  of  the  present  relations  of  the  different 
departments  of  the  government  and  adhere  to  the  principles  and  policy 
born  with  the  government  itself,  of  keeping  separate  our  Federal  ju- 
diciary as  far  from  the  immediate  influence  of  elective  methods  as 
practicable,  and  maintaining  the  constitutional  provisions  of  making 
the  terms  of  office  for  life,  and  the  recent  assault  made  by  the  Demo- 
cratic party  on  this  chief  bulwark  and  surety  of  justice  to  the  whole 
people  endangers  our  liberties  and  the  entire  theory  of  our  government. 

[6J  The  maintenance  of  free  institutions  depends  upon  free  and  fair 
elections  and  honest  returns  thereof.  No  lover  of  liberty  should  op- 
pose the  enactment  of  any  law  tending  to  protect  the  sanctity  of  the 
ballot  box.  We,  therefore,  unhesitatingly  favor  the  Australian  ballot 
system  and  all  other  proper  means  that  will  render  our  elections  a 
free  and  honest  expression  of  the  will  of  the  people  of  our  entire 
country. 

[7]  The  Republican  party  is  unalterably  opposed  to  every  species 
of  class  legislation.  It  knows  no  class.  It  believes  in  manhood  suf- 
frage, and  the  enjoyment  of  the  people  of  every  right  guaranteed 
by  our  National  and  State  constitution. 

[8]  We  recognize  the  right  of  the  State  to  control  corporations 
and  regulate  transportation  companies  within  this  State,  and  we  favor 

lrrhe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are.  taken  from  the  San  Antonio 
Express. 


292  Platforms  of  Political 

the  enactment  of  such  laws  by  the  legislature,  and  their  enforcement 
through  the  courts  as  will  prevent  unjust  discrimination  or  extortion 
on  the  part  of  the  public  carriers  as  against  the  interest  of  the  people 
of  Texas.  We  are  opposed,  as  being  contrary  to  the  theory  and  genius 
of  our  government,  to  clothe  with  legislative  and  judicial  powers  a 
railway  commission,  and  oppose  an  amendment  to  article  10,  section 
2,  of  the  constitution. 

[9]  We  favor  the  reservation  of  the  public  domain  for  actual  set- 
tlers only  and  a  broad,  comprehensive  legislative  policy  that  will  in- 
vite immigration  to  the  State  under  assurance  of  absolute  peace  and 
security. 

[10]  That  we  demand  the  maintenance  of  free  public  schools  for 
the  full  limited  time  guaranteed  by  the  State  constitution,  and  we 
denounce  as  palpable  hypocrisy  the  promises  of  the  Democratic  party 
in  regard  to  free  schools.  We  demand,  therefore,  an  adequate  appro- 
priation by  the  legislature  to  carry  into  effect  the  constitutional  guar- 
antee for  a  free  school  term  of  six  months  or  more  annually.  We 
further  demand  a  uniform  system  of  textbooks  to  be  printed  under 
the  direction  of  the  State  printing  board,  and  furnished  at  cost. 

[11]  We  commend  to  the  people  of  Texas  the  establishing  of  a  home 
for  the  disabled  and  invalid  Texas  soldiers  of  the  late  war,  with  those 
enlisted  by  the  Republic,  and  their  maintenance  at  the  expense  of  the 
State. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Lock  McDaniel,  of  Grimes,  chair- 
man; 1st  Senatorial  district,  William  Smith,  of  Jefferson;  2. 
Webster  Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  3.  H.  H.  Jones,  of  Harrison;  4. 
J.  A.  Fore,  of  Camp;  5.  J.  M.  Norton,  of  Marion;  6.  blank; 
7.  J.  G.  Stewart,  of  Henderson;  8.  Alex  White,  of  Anderson; 
9.  A.  Richards,  of  Houston;  10.  J.  H.  Washington,  of  Colorado; 
11.  A.  J.  Johnson,  of  Colorado;  12.  blank;  13.  J.  G.  Shermack, 
of  Fayette ;  14.  L.  S.  Miller,  of  Robertson ;  15.  blank ;  16.  J.  C. 
Bigger,  of  Dallas ;  17.  Tom  Anderson,  of  Collin ;  18.  blank ;  19. 
G.  W.  Gillespie,  of  Tarrant;  20.  and  21.  blank;  22.  Nathan  Pat- 
ten, of  McLennan;  23.  J.  P.  Osterhout,  of  Bell;  24.  blank;  25. 
Herman  Seele,  of  Comal ;  26.  L.  S.  Hollowell,  of  Goliad ;  27.  R. 
B.  Renf ro,  of  Cameron ;  28.  W.  S.  Messmer,  of  Bexar ;  29.  W.  M. 
McManus,  of  Callahan;  30.  J.  F.  Parker,  of  Bosque;  31.  A.  W. 
Calhoun,  of  Bowie. 


Parties  in  Texas  293 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1891 

DALLAS,  August  17  and  18 

The  first  State  convention  of  the  People's  party  of  Texas  met 
at  Dallas  August  17,  1891,  during  the  annual  session  of  the 
Farmers'  Alliance.  The  number  of  delegates  present  did  not 
exceed  fifty. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  W.  R.  Lamb,  of  Montague; 
permanent,  H.  S.  P.  Ashby,  of  Tarrant.  Secretary,  Thomas 
Gaines,  of  Comanche. 

Committee  on  Platform:  Thomas  Gaines,  of  Comanche,  chair- 
man; W.  0.  Milliken,  of  Tarrant;  P.  H.  Golden,  of  Dallas;  John 
0 'Byrne,  of  Upshur;  II.  L.  Hester,  of  Montague;  J.  L.  Bradley, 
of  Jack;  T.  J.  McMinn,  of  Bexar;  J.  J.  Mills,  of  Hopkins;  J. 
H.  Veach,  of  Johnson;  E.  L.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar. 

PIATFORM1 

We,  the  undersigned,  your  committee  on  platform,  respectfully  sub- 
mit to  the  Convention  the  following  report,  to  wit: 

Profoundly  impressed  that  we,  the  People's  party  of  Texas,  should 
declare  to  the  world  our  position  on  vital  issues  and  pledge  ourselves 
to  enact  radical  reforms  of  the  abuses  and  usurpations  of  power  by 
those  who  have  been  elevated  to  positions  by  the  Democratic  and  Re- 
publican parties  in  the  National  and  State  governments,  and  trusting 
in  the  guidance  of  divine  Providence,  we  do  hereby  charge  that  these 
parties  have  fastened  a  system  of  finance  on  the  Nation  which  is 
sapping  the  vitals  of  our  institutions  and  enslaving  our  people.  That 
they  have  extended  every  aid  and  fostering  care  to  corporate  enter- 
prise, organized  to  oppress  and  enslave  the  people,  and  subvert  the 
principles  of  Jefferson,  Jackson,  and  Lincoln,  and  at  the  same  time 
have,  and  do  now,  refuse  to  aid  or  assist  the  laborers,  producers,  and 
business  men,  by  just  and  wholesome  laws,  to  maintain  their  rights 
and  interests  and  reap  the  full  rewards  of  their  own  efforts,  but  do  still 
assist  the  banks  and  sharks  of  Wall  Street  and  Lombard  Street  in  con- 
trolling the  volume  of  money,  bringing  down  prices,  and  bringing 
panics  in  business  and  stagnation  to  industry  to  fill  their  coffers  by 
using  foreclosure  and  speculation.  They  have  loaned  money  to  banks, 
expositions,  and  railroads  but  refuse  such  relief  to  the  producer.  They 

Wallas   Morning  News,   August   18,    1891, 


294  Platforms  of  Political 

have  built  warehouses  for  the  importer's  merchandise  and  the  whiskey 
man's  spirits,  National  parks  for  the  pleasure  seeking  usurer  and 
speculator,  costly  Federal  buildings  to  enhance  real  estate  values  in 
many  cities,  but  refuse  to  accommodate  the  producer  with  a  warehouse, 
by  which  he  can  paralyze  the  damning  influences  of  speculators  and 
shylocks.  They  have  loaned  money  for  various  purposes  and  now  find 
it  wrong  to  assist  the  debt,  mortgage,  and  usury  ridden  people  of  this 
country,  who,  under  the  guise  of  free  men,  are  shivering  in  the  wintry 
blasts  of  poverty  and  fast  approaching  the  crisis  which  all  free  nations 
before  us  have  come  to — national  decay  and  loss  of  national  manhood. 
They  have  denied  us  the  free  coinage  of  silver  for  eighteen  years, 
although  the  millions  of  servile  voters  of  both  parties  have  demanded 
it  earnestly.  They  have  fastened  unequal  burdens  on  men,  "grievous 
to  be  borne,  but  have  not  touched  them  with  the  tips  of  their  fingers." 
They  have  snatched  our  government  from  the  hands  of  economy  and 
now  a  billion  dollars  is  spent  by  a  single  Congress,  both  parties  vicing 
with  each  other  in  making  big  appropriations  for  rivers,  harbors,  public 
buildings,  extravagances  of  officials,  congressmen,  the  pensioning  of 
rich  widows,  burying  dead  congressmen,  etc.  They  have  denied  the 
country  an  income  tax  law,  while  the  taxes  of  the  country  should  be 
collected  from  each  man  in  proportion  to  his  ability  to  support  the 
government.  They  have  suffered  abuses  in  railway  transportation  and 
telegraph  corporations  to  continue  and  to  grow  more  aggravated  and 
intense  until  these  corporations  are  wielding  dreaded  influences  in 
National  and  State  politics  and  have  become  the  able  allies  of  produce 
speculators  in  controlling  prices  and  enslaving  the  people.  They  have 
refused  to  amend  our  organic  law  so  as  to  make  United  States  senators 
and  the  President  elective  by  direct  vote  of  the  people.  While  fraud 
and  misrepresentation  has  run  rampant  in  the  selection  of  our  chief 
executives,  the  United  States  senate  has  become  a  den  of  millionaires, 
who  are  infinitely  a  more  terrible  menace  to  free  government  than  the 
dreaded  House  of  Lords,  of  Great  Britain.  Stealing  the  guise  of  heaven 
in  which  to  serve  the  purposes  of  hades,  they  have,  in  the  name  of 
Democracy,  here  in  Texas,  squandered  almost  all  the  available  public 
domain,  the  heritage  of  the  people  of  this  and  future  generations — an 
act  which  the  much  despised  E.  J.  Davis  administration  would  not 
dare  to  do.  They  have,  at  various  times,  at  the  different  sittings  of 
the  legislature,  passed  laws  granting  an  extension  of  the  time  in  which 
railroads  and  other  corporations  could  comply  with  the  terms  of  their 
oft  violated  charters,  which  were  first  acquired  unjustly,  and  many  of 
which  have  long  since  been  rendered  null  and  void  save  for  the  acts 
above  referred  to.  They  have  placed  unequal  burdens  of  taxation  on 
the  people,  taxing  the  improved  land  of  the  farmer  usually  at  from 
double  to  quadruple  the  price  of  the  adjoining  unimproved  land  of  the 
speculator.  They  have  failed  to  provide  for  the  term  of  free  schools 
as  contemplated  by  our  laws.  They  have  failed  to  provide  a  uniform 


Parties  in  Texas  29i3 

system  of  textbooks  at  the  State's  expense.  They  have  hoarded  the 
school  fund  in  the  State  treasury  while  Texas  home  owners  were 
sending  out  $5,000,000  per  annum  on  $50,000,000  of  foreign  mortgages, 
when  this  money  could  have  been  loaned  to  our  citizen  landowners  at 
a  low  rate  of  interest,  which  would  have  solved  the  school  fund  surplus 
question,  lowered  interest,  and  have  stopped  some  of  this  big  foreign 
drain  on  our  finances.  They  have  granted  an  eight  hour  law  for  the 
benefit  of  school-teachers,  road  workers,  and  all  clerks  and  State  offi- 
cials, but  refused  it  to  the  public  employes  who  do  hard  labor  for  the 
State  and  municipal  governments.  They  have  failed  to  give  the  State 
an  effective  and  just  lien  law  to  protect  the  mechanic,  laborer,  and 
material  man.  They  have  given  the  State  a  faulty,  vicious,  and  cor- 
rupt convict  system,  which  is  a  reproach  to  humanity  and  intelligence. 
They  have  refused  a  fair  election  law,  similar  to  the  Australian  system, 
although  the  people  have  long  felt  the  corrupting  influence  of  the  ward 
politician,  bummer,  and  striker,  as  well  as  the  more  baleful  effects  of 
bribery  and  intimidation.  Without  recounting  more  of  the  evils  of  our 
body  politic,  we  appeal  to  the  people  of  Texas  to  forsake  the  ties  which 
have  so  long  deceivingly  held  them  to  this  unreciprocated  allegiance 
and  come  out  in  favor  of  a  party  pledged  to  the  following  principles, 
which  are  the  platform  of  the  People's  party  of  Texas: 

Resolved,  That  we  reaffirm  the  principles  enunciated  in  the  National 
platform  adopted  at  Cincinnati,  May  20,  1891,  as  follows,  to  wit: 

1.  In  view  of  the  great  social,  industrial,  and  economic  revolution 
now  dawning  upon  the  civilized  world,  and  the  new  and  living  issues 
confronting  the  American  people,  we  believe  that  the  time  has  now 
arrived   for  the   crystallization   of  the   political   reform  forces  of  our 
country  and  the  formation  of  what  should  be  known  as  the  People's 
party  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

2.  That  we  most  heartily  indorse  the  demands  of  the  platforms  as 
adopted  at  St.  Louis,  in  1889,  Ocala,  in  1890,  and  Omaha,  in  1891,  and 
industrial  organizations  there  represented,  summarized  as  follows: 

(1)  The  right  to  make  and  issue  money  is  a  sovereign  power  to  be 
maintained  by  the  people  for  the  common  benefit,  hence  we  demand  the 
abolition  of  National  banks  as  banks  of  issue,  and,  as  a  substitute  for 
National  bank  notes,  we  demand  that  legal  tender  treasury  notes  be 
issued  in  sufficient  volume  to  transact  the  business  of  the  country  on 
a  cash  basis,  without  damage  or  especial  advantage  to  any  class  or 
calling,  such  notes  to  be  legal  tender  in  payment  of  all  debts,  public 
and  private,  and  such  notes  when  demanded  by  the  people  shall  be 
loaned  to  them  at  not  more  than  two  per  cent  per  annum  upon  non- 
perishable  products  as  indicated  in  the  subtreasury  plan,  and  also  upon 
real  estate,  with  proper  limitation  upon  the  quantity  of  land  and  amount 
of  money. 

(2)  We  demand  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver. 

(3)  We  demand  the  passage  of  laws  prohibiting  alien  ownership 


296  Platforms  of  Political 

of  land,  and  that  Congress  take  prompt  action  to  devise  some  plan  to 
obtain  all  lands  now  owned  by  alien  and  foreign  syndicates,  and  that  all 
land  held  by  railroads  and  other  corporations  in  excess  of  such  as  is 
actually  used  and  needed  by  them  be  reclaimed  by  the  government  and 
held  for  actual  settlers  only. 

(4)  Believing    the    doctrine    of    equal    rights    to    all    and    special 
privileges  to  none,  we  demand  that  taxation — National,  State,  or  munici- 
pal— shall  not  be  used  to  build  up  one  interest  or  class  at  the  expense 
of  another. 

(5)  We    demand    that   all   revenues — National,    State,    or    county — 
shall    be    limited    to    the    necessary    expenses    of    the    government, 
economically  and  honestly  administered. 

(6)  We  demand  a  just  and  equitable  system  of  graduated  tax  on 
income. 

(7)  We  demand  the  most  rigid,  honest,  and  just  National  control 
and  supervision  of  the  means  of  public  communication  and  transporta- 
tion, and,  if  this  control' and  supervision  does  not  remove  the  abuses 
now  existing,  we  demand  the  government  ownership  of  such  means  of 
communication  and  transportation. 

(8)  We  demand  the  election  of  President,  Vice-President  and  United 
States  senators  by  a  direct  vote  of  the  people. 

We  also  recommend  the  following  platform: 

1.  All  the  public  lands  of  Texas  remaining,  and  all  that  can  be  re- 
covered,   should   be   reserved   as   homesteads    for   actual    settlers.     All 
lands  heretofore  granted  to  individuals  or  corporations,  in  which  the 
grantees  have  not  complied  with  the  conditions  of  the  grant,  should 
be  forfeited  to  the  State  for  homestead  purposes;  that  no  alien  owner- 
ship of  lands  should  be  allowed  in  Texas;   that  the  present  alien  land 
law  should  not  be  repealed;    that  domestic  corporations  shall  not  be 
allowed  to  own  more  land  than  they  actually  use  in  the  prosecution 
of  their  business. 

2.  We  demand  and  pledge  ourselves  to  support  a  law  requiring  that 
wild   or  uncultivated  lands,   belonging  to   private   individuals  or  cor- 
porations, in  large  or  small  bodies,  be  rendered  for  taxation  at  the 
same  valuation  per  acre  as  improved  lands  of  the  same  quality  in  the 
same  county  or  district. 

3.  We  favor  an  effective  system  of  public  free  schools  for  six  months 
in  each  year,  in  which  the  nature  and  effects  of  alcohol  on  the  human 
system  shall  be  taught. 

4.  We  demand  the  adoption  of  a  uniform  series  of  textbooks  for 
the  public  schools  of  this   State,  and  that  they  be  published  at  the 
•expense  of  the  State,  the  use  of  which  shall  be  furnished  to  the  chil- 
dren in  the  schools  free. 

5.     We  favor  an  amendment  to  our  State  Constitution  authorizing 
the  loaning  of  our  permanent  school  fund  not  otherwise  invested  upon 


Parties  in  Texas  297 

lands  of  the  people  of  this  State  at  a  low  rate  of  interest,  with  proper 
limitations  upon  the  quantity  of  land  and  the  amount  of  money. 

6.  We  favor  eight  hours  as  a  working  day  upon  State  and  municipal 
work,  and  demand  of  the  legislative  power  of  this  State  the  passage 
of  a  law  so  declaring;   we  pledge  ourselves  to  do  all  in  our  power  to 
establish  and  perpetuate  the  eight-hour  system. 

7.  We  are  in  favor  of  a  more  equitable  and  just  lien  law  to  protect 
laborers,  mechanics,  and  material  men. 

8.  We  demand  a  reformation  in  the  punishment  of  convicts,  that 
convict  labor  be   taken    out   of  competition   with   citizen   labor;    that 
convicts   be   given   intellectual   and  moral   instructions,   and   that  the 
earnings  of  the  convict,  above  the  expense  of  his  keeping,  shall  go  to 
his  family. 

9.  Believing  in  the  rule  of  the  majority,  we  are  in  favor  of  a  strict 
enforcement  of  the  local  option  law  in  all  counties  where  the  same  is 
or  may  be  legally  adopted. 

10.  We  demand  that  railroads  be  compelled  to  pay  their  employes 
monthly  in  the  lawful  money  of  the  country,  and  in  case  of  discharge 
that   they    be    paid   at    the    nearest   station    immediately   upon    their 
discharge. 

i    11.     We  demand  fair  elections  and  an  honest  count  of  the  votes, 
under  either  the  Australian  or  some  similar  system  of  voting. 

State  Executive  Committee:  H.  S.  P.  Ashby,  of  Tarrant, 
chairman;  1st  Congressional  district,  E.  M.  Turn-bull,  of  Whar- 
ton;  2.  D.  W.  Durham,  of  Cherokee;  3.  J.  M.  Perdue,  of  Upshur; 
4.  blank;  5.  J.  S.  Hewitt,  of  Kockwall;  6.  W.  0.  Milliken,  of 
Tarrant;  7.  blank;  8.  W.  K.  Walter,  of  Gonzales;  9.  E.  Tom 
Cox,  of  McLennan;  10.  S.  E.  Johnson,  -of  Gillespie;  11.  Dr.  Joe 
Barnett,  of  Howard;  12.  and  13.  blank;  State  at  large,  J. 
0  'Byrne,  of  Upshur,  W.  R.  Lamb,  of  Montague,  H.  J.  Jennings 
(c),  of  Collin,  and  R.  H.  Hayes  (c),  of  Tarrant. 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1892 
FORT  WORTH,  February  2 

About  one  hundred  and  fifty  delegates  from  north  and  north- 
west Texas  gathered  at  this  convention.  They  were  mostly 
farmers. 

Officers:  Chairman,  H.  S.  P.  Ashby;  Secretary,  Thomas 
Gaines. 


298  Platforms  of  Political 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  E.  L.  Dohoney, 
Sam  Evans,  C.  J.  Wilson,  C.  E.  Birthright,  Dr.  J.  D.  Rankin, 
Henry  Jennings,  J.  M.  Perdue. 

Delegates  to  the  St  Louis  Convention:  H.  S.  P.  .Ashby,  of 
Tarrant;  W.  H.  Prichard,  of  Lee;  J.  M.  Perdue,  of  Upshur; 
E.  L.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar;  Sam  Evans,  of  Tarrant;  James  Hickey 
of  Wise;  H.  Newman,  of  Montague;  Dr.  J.  F.  Elliott,  of  Mon- 
tague; W.  L.  Robinson,  of  Tarrant;  C.  J.  Wilson,  or  Callahan; 
Henry  Jennings,  of  Collin;  R.  H.  Hayes,  of  Tarrant;  J.  S. 
Brounson,  of  Tarrant;  W.  R.  Lamb,  of  Montague;  Dr.  J.  D. 
Rankin,  of  Limestone ;  Bettie  Gay,  of  Colorado ;  C.  A.  McMeans, 
of  Denton;  Helen  L.  Dabbs,  of  Tarrant;  P.  N.  Golden,  of  Dallas; 
W.  E.  Farmer,  of  Hopkins;  C.  H.  Fulcher,  of  Cass;  C.  E.  Birth- 
right,  of  Hopkins ;  Dr.  Pat  B.  Clark,  of  Howard. 

REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  ON  PLATFORM1 

We,  your  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions  of  the  People's 
party,  in  Fort  Worth  assembled,  hereby  respectfully  make  the  follow- 
ing report: 

1.  On  motion,  the  National  platform  of  the  People's  party,  adopted 
at  Cincinnati,  May  20,  1891,  is  hereby  indorsed  with  the  following 
amendments: 

(1)  Amend  subsection  (1),  in  Section  2,  by  striking  out  in  line  13 
the  word  "loaned"  and  insert  in  lieu  the  word  "issued,"  and  in  line  14 
strike  out  figure  2  and  insert  a  tax  of  1. 

(2)  Amend  subsection  (8),  of  Section  2,  by  adding  the  words  "the 
President  and  Vice-President  be  ineligible  for  a  second  term". 

(3)  Amend  subsection  (7),  of  Section  2,  by  inserting  in  the  sixth 
line  before  the  word  "ownership"  the  words  "construction  and  opera- 
tion." 

[2]  Amend  the  National  platform  by  adding  a  section  as  follows: 
.Section  7.  We  favor  the  repeal  of  the  internal  revenue  laws  on  in- 
toxicating liquors  and  tobacco  and  that  the  importation  of  foreign 
liquors  be  prohibited,  and  that  the  deficit  in  the  revenue  by  the  repeal 
of  the  internal  revenue  laws  be  supplied  by  an  annual  issue  of  $125,- 
000,000  of  legal  tender  treasury  notes  until  the  money  circulation 
reaches  $50  per  capita. 

Section  8.  We  favor  a  reduction  of  50  per  cent  in  salaries  in  all 
National  and  State  offices  and  abolishing  the  fe-e  system. 

^Dallas    Morning   News,    February    3,    1892. 


Parties  in  Texas  29U 

State  Platform 

[3]  We,  your  committee,  further  recommend  the  indorsement  of 
the  State  platform  of  the  People's  party  as  adopted  at  Dallas,  on  August 
17,  1891,  with  the  following  amendments,  to  wit: 

Amend  Section  1,  in  lines  9  and  10,  by  striking  out  the  words  "not  be 
repealed,"  and  inserting  the  words  "re-enacted  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  the  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Texas." 

Amend  Section  2  by  striking  out  the  entire  section  and  inserting  the 
followings  words: 

Section  2.  We  believe  that  land  ought  to  be  classed  and  the  rate  of 
taxation  fixed  by  the  law  of  the  State  by  the  acre,  so  that  taxation  may 
rest  on  the  actual  value  of  the  land  without  any  reference  to  the  im- 
provements added  by  labor. 

Amend  Section  8  by  adding  the  words  "That  all  convict  labor  shall 
be  employed  by  the  State  in  constructing  double  track  railroads  to  be 
owned  and  operated  by  the  State,  from  the  deepest  water  on  the  Gulf 
to  the  most  eligible  point  on  Red  River  and  other  similar  roads. 

Amend  Section  9  by  striking  out  this  section  and  inserting  the 
following  words: 

Section  9.  We  favor  the  repeal  of  the  present  liquor  license  law  of 
the  State  and  favor  a  law  by  which  each  county,  justice  precinct,  town, 
or  city  may  determine,  by  a  vote  of  its  qualified  electors,  whether  in- 
toxicating liquors  shall  be  manufactured  or  sold  within  its  respective 
limits. 

Amend  Section  10  by  adding  the  words  "And  that  in  case  of  a  strike 
by  the  employes  of  a  railroad,  the  railroad  company  be  required  by 
law  to  continue  the  operation  of  its  road,  regardless  of  the  cost  of 
labor,  until  the  strike  ends,  or  forfeit  its  charter." 

Amend  Section  11  by  striking  out,  in  second  line,  the  word  "either," 
and  in  the  third  line  the  words  "or  some  other."  This  demands  the 
Australian  system. 

Additional  Resolution 

Resolved,  That  we  favor  the  referendum  by  which  statutes  shall  'be 
submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  to  be  ratified  or  rejected,  as  is  now 
the  case  with  amendments  to  the  constitution. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Thomas  Gaines,  chairman;  (to 
fill  vacancies)  5.  Rev.  James  Hickey,  6.  W.  0.  Robinson,  10.  Z. 
S.  Lee. 


300  Platforms  of  Political 


STATE     CONFERENCE     OF     "JEFFERSONIAN'      DEMO- 
CRATS, 1892 

DALLAS,  February  10 

A  conference  of  independent  or  Jeffersonian  Democrats  was 
held  at  Dallas,  February  10,  1892.  The  ruling  of  the  chairman 
of  the  State  Democratic  executive  committee,  denying  to  sub- 
treasury  men  the  right  to  participate  in  the  deliberations  of 
the  Democratic  party,  was  the  ostensible  occasion  of  the  confer- 
ence. About  two  hundred  delegates  attended ;  they  were  mostly 
Farmers'  Alliance  men. 

Officers:  Chairman,  J.  T.  Crawford,  of  Eastland.  Secretary 
pro  tempore,  T.  R.  Watkins,  of  Navarro;  permanent,  E.  S. 
Peters,  of  Robertson. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  State  at  large,  N.  H.  Tracy,  chair- 
man, and  T.  McRae;  2.  Congressional  district,  E.  S.  Peters, 
3.  C.  H.  Peters,  4.  J.  H.  Dollard,  5.  J.  H.  Hewitt,  6.  W.  R. 
Cole,  8.  J.  B.  Cone,  9.  T.  Bennett,  10.  J.  Jackson. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  your  committee  on  permanent  organization  and  resolutions,  re- 
spectfully submit  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  for  your 
consideration: 

WHEREAS,  the  ruling  of  the  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of 
the  Democratic  party  of  Texas  excludes  from  participation  in  the  de- 
liberation and  proceedings  of  the  party  those  holding  to  and  advocating 
the  principles  of  the  proposed  subtreasury  plan,  and, 

WHEREAS,  the  said  ruling  meets  with  the  approval  of  all  the  other 
members  of  the  State  executive  committee,  as  evidenced  by  their  long 
and,  to  us,  painful  silence;  therefore, 

We,  your  committee  on  resolutions  and  permanent  organization,  sub- 
mit the  following  as  a  short  and  full  embodiment  of  our  principles: 

1.  We  advocate  the   principles   enunciated  in  the   Ocala   demands, 
more  especially  the  subtreasury  plans. 

2.  We  advocate  the  election  of  all  officers  by  a  direct  vote  of  the 
people. 

3.  We  advocate  the  unlimited  coinage  of  gold  and  silver. 

*D alias   Morning   News,   February   11,    1892. 


Parties  in  Texas  301 

4.  We  advocate  a  reduction  of  the  tariff. 

5.  We  oppose  the  present  National  banking  system. 

6.  We  favor  reform  in   all   departments   in  our  State   government 
and  demand  that  expenses  be  reduced  to  the  lowest  point  compatible 
with  efficient  administration. 

7.  We  favor  a  railway  commission  that  will  insure  equal  and  exact 
justice  to  the  people  and  to  the  railways.     The  commissioners  to  be 
composed  of  three  qualified  citizens  of  the  State,  elected  by  the  peoplf 
in  the  same  manner  as  other  officers. 

8.  We  favor  an  alien  land  law  that  will  protect  the  citizens  of  our 
State  against  the  encroachments  of  foreign  land  syndicates,  and  alien 
ownership  of  lands  within  the  limits  of  the  State. 

We  recommend  that  the  people  continue  the  organization  of  Demo- 
cratic clubs  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  these  demands. 

Executive  Committee:  State  at  large,  H.  E.  McCulloch  and 
Harry  Tracy,  1st  Congressional  district,  William  Lee,  2.  E.  S. 
Peters,  3.  John  G.  Xix,  4.  Harrison  McChristian,  5.  R.  V.  Bell, 
6.  E.  O.  Meitzen,  7.  and  8.  blank,  9.  N.  H.  Tracy,  chairman, 
10.  Taylor  McRae,  11.  C.  J.  Monroe. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1892 

AUSTIN,  March  8-10 

The  convention  was  a  contest  between  the  "black  and  tan" 
and  the  "lily-white"  factions;  the  former  were  in  large  ma- 
jority. A  number  of  the  latter  held  a  caucus  in  which  plans 
were  discussed  for  independent  action,  but  final  decision  was 
postponed  until  the  meeting  of  the  white  Republican  clubs  at 
Dallas  in  April. 

Officers:  Chairman,  J.  B.  Rector,  of  Travis;  Secretary,  D.  C. 
Kolp,  of  Wichita. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large:  Lock 
McDaniel,  J.  B.  Rector,  A.  J.  Rosenthal,  Wilbur  E.  Crawford, 
A.  Asbury,  Fred  Chase,  N.  W.  Cuney,  C.  M.  Ferguson ;  1st  and 
2nd  Congressional  districts,  blank;  3.  Webster  Flanagan  and 
J.  W.  Butler;  4.  J.  J.  Dickinson  and  J.  J.  Powell;  5.  W.  H. 
Love  and  J.  W.  Hearne;  6.  J.  M.  McCormick  and  Dr.  W.  E. 
Davis;  7.  and  8.  blank;  9.  Dr.  J.  W.  Pope  and  L.  L.  Tarver; 


302  Platforms  of  Political 

10.  J.  C.  DeGress  and  W.  H.  Terrell;  11.  A.  G.  Malloy  and 
C.  W.  Johnson. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  George  Jackson,  Robt. 
B.  Renfro,  D.  C.  Kolp  and  L.  L.  Campbell. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  R.  Burnett,  chair- 
man; Lock  McDaniel,  T.  B.  Burbage,  J.  P.  Osterhout,  W.  K. 
Makemson,  R.  B.  Renfro,  Webster  Flanagan,  A.  Asbury,  Walter 
Burton,  Melvin  Wade,  Dr.  Arch  Cochran,  J.  D.  Wilson,  J.  W. 
Burke,  Henry  Terrell,  J.  S.  Tibbitt,  H.  B.  Hancock,  Sam  Wright, 
R.  F.  Campbell,  Warren  Rud,  A.  Richard. 

PLATFORM1 

Resolved,  That  we  reaffirm  our  devotion  to  the  principles  of  the 
National  Republican  party  as  enunciated  by  its  National  convention. 

Resolved,  That  we  heartily  indorse  the  administration  of  President 
Harrison  as  honest,  able,  statesmanlike,  and  patriotic,  and  that  as 
Texans  we  gratefully  remember  his  recommendation  and  support  of 
a  deep  water  harbor  on  our  Gulf  coast,  and  of  reciprocal  trade  rela- 
tions with  the  States  of  Central  and  South  America. 

Resolved,  That  the  delegates  elected  by  this  convention  are  hereby 
instructed  to  cast  the  vote  of  Texas  for  Benjamin  Harrison  for  Presi- 
dent. 

"REFORM"  REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1892 
DALLAS,  April  12  and  13 

The  Republican  leagues  of  Texas  met  in  annual  session  on 
April  12,  1892,  at  Dallas.  Those  white  Republicans  who  were 
disatisfied  with  the  conduct  of  the  party's  affairs  alsc*  met  at 
Dallas.  Their  meeting  resolved  itself  into  a  State  convention. 
It  was  the  first  Republican  State  convention  in  this  State  with- 
out a  colored  delegate. 

Officers:  Chairman,  Sam  J.  Wright,  of  Lamar;  Secretary, 
0.  W.  Bradley,  of  Tarrant. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  A.  B. 
Norton,  Henry  Kline,  Sam  J.  Wright,  and  G.  W.  McCormick. 

1(The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Statesman 
and  San  Antonio  Express. 


Parties  in  Texas  303 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  John  A.  Xeviiis,  of 
Grayson,  and  Dr.  Max  Urwitz,  of  De  Witt;  1st  Congressional- 
district,1  David  Perkins  of  Harris ;  2.  D.  H.  Fleming,  of  Tyler ; 
3.  W.  T.  Roach,  of  Hunt;  4.  Bernard  McCann,  of  Lamar;  5. 
H.  M.  Spalding,  of  Grayson;  6.  J.  B.  Gibson,  of  Dallas;  7. 
George  A.  O'Brien,  of  McLennan;  8.  Arthur  Springer;  9.  T. 
H.  Helm,  of  Travis;  10.  George  W.  Hain,  of  Fort  Bend;  11. 
William  Westhoff,  of  De  Witt;  12.  L.  C.  Grothaus,  of  Bexar; 
13.  J.  W.  Carhart, 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  A.  J.  Houston,  of 
Dallas ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  James  P.  Newcomb,  of  Bexar ; 
Attorney-General,  Waters  S.  Davis,  of  El  Paso ;  Comptroller,  J. 
B.  Schmitz,  of  Denton ;  Treasurer,  E.  B.  Baer,  of  Harris; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Richard  W.  Thomp- 
son, of  Harrison;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  D.  C. 
Kolp,  of  Wichita. 

Committee  on  Resolutions  and  Address:  Henry  Kline,  of 
Harris,  chairman;  James  P.  Newcomb,  of  Bexar;  A.  B.  Norton, 
of  Dallas;  G.  W.  Gillespie,  of  Tarrant;  A.  Metzler,  of  Dallas; 
A.  J.  Houston,  of  Dallas;  A.  L.  Darnell,  of  Grayson;  C.  G. 
White,  of  Smith;  H.  P.  Shields,  of  Tarrant;  E.  M.  Martin,  of 
— ;  John  A.  Harris,  of  Harris;  John  B.  Schmitz,  of 
Denton;  Thomas  Breeii,  of  Hood;  H.  F.  MacGregor,  of  Hous- 
ton; John  Smith,  of  Denton;  E.  W.  Norton,  of  Parker. 

ADDRESS   AND   PLATFORM2 

To   the   Republicans  of  the  State   of  Texas: 

We  present  to  your  serious  consideration  and  deliberative  judgment 
the  following  statement  in  justification  of  the  course  we  have  marked 
out  and  the  new  departure  we  have  taken  as  a  convention  called  to- 
gether as  a  representative  body  of  the  white  Republicans  of  Texas, 
and  we  appeal  to  you  to  give  to  us  your  aid  in  an  attempt  to  rescue 
the  Republican  party  in  our  State  from  its  present  degraded  and  help- 
less condition. 

Assembled  as  we  are,  free  from  all  hope  of  political  reward,  with 
only  a  patriotic  desire  to  further  the  advancement  of  our  State  and 

xThe  electors  for  the  congressional  districts  were  chosen  at  a  meeting  of 
the  State  Executive  Committee,  held  at  Houston,  August  16,  1892. 

2The   proceedings   of  this   convention   are   taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 

News. 


304  Platforms  of  Political 

the  success  of  Republican  principles,  we  believe  that  in  order  to 
secure  the  blessings  of  free  and  honest  government  the  contention 
of  well  balanced  political  parties  is  necessary,  and  that  this  may  be  at- 
tained in  our  State  by  placing  the  Republican  party  on  an  equal 
footing  with  its  National  opponent,  the  Democratic  party. 

After  years  of  trial  and  defeat,  of  humiliation  and  despair,  in  attempt 
ing  to  keep  the  Republican  party  organized  by  the  methods  left  us 
as  a  legacy  of  reconstruction  times,  we  have  witnessed  the  party  grad- 
ually but  surely  falling  under  the  management  and  control  of  a  few 
men,  whose  only  aspirations  seem  to  be  to  advance  their  own  personal 
ambition  and  gain  in  the  securement  of  Federal  offices  and  the  dis- 
tribution of  Federal  patronage,  until  the  party  conventions  amount 
to  nothing  but  the  assembling  of  Federal  officials  and  their  personal 
followers.  And  after  each  such  convention  the  party  dissolves  into 
an  unorganized  and  unreliable  mass,  having  neither  head  nor  front, 
aim  nor  object  to  justify  its  further  existence,  commanding  neither 
strength  nor  respect. 

In  proof  of  this  statement  we  have  only  to  point  to  the  scenes 
enacted  at  the  late  convention  at  the  city  of  Austin,  where  every 
semblance  of  shame  was  thrown  aside  and  the  boasted  civil  service 
regulations  of  our  government  trampled  under  foot  in  the  unseemly 
scramble  of  Federal  appointees  to  secure  their  own  prominence  as 
representatives  of  the  party  at  the  National  convention. 

We  feel  justified  in  assuming  that  the  Republican  party  of  Texas 
has  no  organization,  such  as  is  recognized  as  requisite  to  constitute 
a  political  party;  that  it  has  degenerated  into  an  unorganized  mob 
whose  biennial  gatherings  have  brought  disgrace  and  despair  to  our 
patriotic  people  who  hold  to  the  tenets  of  the  Republican  party. 
Therefore,  the  necessity  has  arisen  for  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  of  Texas  independent  of  its  past  history  and  upon  the 
further  recognition  of  the  fact  that  only  upon  the  intelligence  and 
manhood  of  the  white  American  citizen  can  any  party  in  this  country 
hope  for  growth  and  success. 

We  call  upon  the  white  Republicans  of  the  State  and  those  in 
sympathy  with  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican  party  to 
come  to  our  aid  and  give  us  their  assistance  in  building  up  Repub- 
licanism in  Texas. 

Year  after  year  for  the  past  twenty  years  we  have  witnessed  the 
Republican  party  standing  still  or  gradually  falling  off  in  strength, 
and  this  in  the  face  of  the  fact  of  the  great  growth  of  our  State 
in  population  from  Republican  States,  and  notwithstanding  the  further 
fact  that  the  material  and  business  interests  of  our  great  State  demand 
the  aid  of  the  Republican  party  in  their  development.  This  condition 
of  things  can  only  be  attributed  to  one  cause:  the  Republican  party 
has  fallen  below  par  as  a  political  organization  in  Texas,  commanding 
neither  the  respect  nor  the  confidence  of  the  intelligent  masses  of  the 


Parties  in   Texas  305 

people.  It  is  to  rescue  our  party  from  this  condition  and  to  build 
it  up  upon  a  basis  of  intelligence  and  respectability  that  this  new 
departure  is  taken. 

We  call  upon  the  white  Republicans  of  the  State  to  organize  and 
come  to  the  support  of  our  standard  bearers  in  the  coming  State 
election. 

Resolved,  [1]  that  we  declare  our  adherence  to  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party  and  commend  the  National  administration  in  car- 
rying out  with  success  that  great  American  principle  of  protection  of 
American  labor  and  American  products;  the  fostering  of  home  in- 
dustries and  the  provision  by  fair  international  reciprocity  of  a  market 
for  farm  products,  we  believe  to  be  true  American  doctrine. 

[2]  That  we  condemn  the  Federal  election  bill  as  an  unnecessary 
and  impolitic  measure,  and  express  the  hope  that  the  National  Repub- 
lican party  will  make  no  further  insistance  upon  its  adoption. 

[3]  That  in  the  future  organization  of  the  Republican  party  of 
Texas  and  till  another  State  convention  is  held  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee shall  have  charge  of  all  matters  touching  representation  in  con- 
ventions. 

State  Executive  Committee:  G.  WT.  Gillespie,  chairman;  T. 
W.  Gaines,  of  Red  River;  R.  S.  Legate,  of  Grayson ;  S.  J.  Wright, 
of  Lamar ;  B.  D.  Atwell,  of  Dallas ;  Alex  Burge,  of  Van  Zandt ; 
G.  M.  Hickey,  of  Rusk:  H.  T.  Perry,  of  Kaufman;  G.  W. 
Cotter,  of  Johnson;  A.  M.  Armstrong,  of  McLennan;  S.  M. 
Jones,  of  Limestone ;  G.  W.  Burkett,  of  Anderson ;  P.  Larldn,  of 
Tyler;  C.  H.  Welch,  of  Williamson;  W.  T.  Hutchison,  of  Hays; 
W.  Haefling,  Sr.,  of  Bexar;  E.  A.  Bronson,  of  El  Paso;  A.  M. 
Womack,  of  Bosque ;  W.  McManus,  of  Callahan ;  H.  H.  McCon- 
nell,  of  Jack;  J.  C.  Martin,  of  Tarrant;  W.  B.  Blaine,  of  Den- 
ton;  Seth  B.  Strong,  of  Harris. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1892 

WACO,  April  26 

The  attendance  at  this  convention  was  reported  to  number 
eighty-two  delegates,  representing  twenty-six  counties. 

Officers:  Chairman,  D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Limestone;  Secre- 
tary, B.  P.  Bailey,  of  Harris. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  W.  T.  Clayton,  H.  A. 
Bourland,  Ed.  Rogers,  Mrs.  S.  A.  Rogers,  J.  E.  Boynton,  E.  C. 

20 — 328 


306  Platforms  of  Political 

Heath,  J.  B.  Cranfill,  T.  F.  Temple,  W.  D.  Jackson,  B.  W. 
Owens,  B.  P.  Bailey,  C.  W.  Williams,  J.  B.  Tucker,  A.  M.  Rag- 
land,  R.  Shorts,  A.  R.  England,  J.  R.  Bourland,  W.  J.  Barrett, 
W.  D.  Knowles,  J.  G.  Murdock. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Dr.  R.  C.  Burleson  and 
E.  C.  Heath,  1st  Congressional  district,  R.  F.  George,  2.  G.  W. 
Carroll,  3.  A.  R.  England,  4.  J.  T.  White,  5.  Dr.  A.  M.  Rag- 
land,  6.  J.  D.  Carter,  7.  J.  E.  Boynton,  8.  R.  G.  West,  9.  S.  E. 
Whipkey,  10.  L.  C.  Cunningham,  11.  W.  W.  Sloan,  12.  A.  D. 
Adams,  13.  J.  H.  M.  Wilson. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  D.  M.  Prendergast,  of 
Limestone;  Lieutenant-Govern  or,  B.  W.  Williams,  of  Parker; 
Attorney-General,  J.  B.  Goff,  of  Travis;  Comptroller,  W.  T. 
Clayton  of  — —  — ;  Treasurer,  H.  G.  Damon  of  Navarro; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  S.  G.  Tomlinson,  of 
Hopkins;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  R.  Clark,  of 
Hood. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of 
McLennan;  J.  B.  Link,  of  Travis;  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rockwall; 
N.  G.  Darrow,  of  Navarro;  B.  W.  Williams,  of  Parker. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  grate- 
fully acknowledging  Almighty  God  as  the  ruler  of  all  nations,  humbly 
invoking  his  blessings  upon  our  efforts  for  the  public  good,  and  reaffirm- 
ing our  allegiance  to  the  National  Prohibition  party,  do  present  the 
following  declaration  of  principles: 

1.  The  liquor  traffic  is  the  chief  source  of  crime,  poverty,  degrada- 
tion, and  political  corruption,  and  should  not  be  legalized  under  anx 
form  of  license,   but  should  be  absolutely  prohibited  by  law;    and  as 
laws  are  made  only  through  the  political  party  controlling  the  govern- 
ment, therefore,  legal  prohibition  can  be  secured  only  through  political 
party  action,  and  we  pledge  ourselves  to  such  action. 

2.  Since  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties  both  favor  license 
and  oppose  prohibition  it  follows  that  the  only  hope  of  destroying  the 
liquor  traffic  lies  in  the  Prohibition  party. 

3.  The  responsibility  of  the  continuance  of  the  liquor  traffic  rests 
with  those  who  remain  in  the  old  parties  and  by  their  votes  and  in- 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News  and  Waco  Evening  News. 


Parties  in  Texas  307 

fluence  sustain  that  evil.  All  parties  which  license  the  drink  evil, 
or  legislators  who  enact  license  laws,  and  all  citizens  who  vote  for 
parties  that  favor  license  thereby  become  partakers  in  the  crime  of 
drunkard-making  and  share  the  guilt  of  the  man  who  sells  the  liquor. 

4.  We  are  opposed  to  tariff  either  for  revenue  or  protection  and 
favor  absolute   free  trade,  believing  the  revenue  needed  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  government  should  be  raised  by  means  of  a  graduated  in- 
come tax. 

5.  Money  should  be  of  gold,  silver,  and  paper,  all  full  legal  tender, 
adequate  in  volume  to  meet  the  demands  of  business,  issued  directly 
to   the  people   by  the  government,   without  the   intervention  of  indi- 
viduals or  private  corporations. 

6.  The    railroads,   telegraph    lines,    and  all   other   means   of   trans- 
portation and  communication  which  owe  their  existence  to  grants  of 
power  from  the  State  should  be  controlled  by  the  State,  and  no  higher 
charges  allowed  than  may  be  necessary  to  afford  a  reasonable  profit 
on  capital  actually  invested. 

7.  The  privilege  of  suffrage  should  be  determined  by  standards  of 
character   and    intelligence    and    no   foreigner    should    be    allowed   to 
vote  who  has  not  resided  in  the  United  States  over  ten  years.     The 
increase  of  poverty,  the  centralization  of  wealth,  the  oppression  of  trie 
poor,   the  reduction  of  wages,  the  depression  of  our  agriculture  and 
other   industries,  and  the   prevalence   of  "hard   times"   result  mainly 
from  the  liquor  traffic,  class  legislation,  unjust  tax,  despotic  combina- 
tions, dishonest  speculations,  a  false  system  of  financiering,  and  unre- 
stricted immigration,  and  the  Prohibition  party  pledges  itself  to  remedy 
all  these  evils  by  suitable  legislation  if  elected  to  power. 

8.  Immigration  laws  prohibiting  the  introduction  into  this  country 
of  paupers  and  criminals  should  be  rigidly  enforced. 

9.  Speculation  in  margins,  the  "cornering"  of  money,  grain,  and 
other  products  and  the  formation  of  trusts  and  combinations  for  the 
arbitrary  advancement  of  prices  should  be  prohibited. 

10.  The  President,  Vice-President  and  senators  of  the  United  States 
should  be  elected  by  direct  vote  of  the  people. 

11.  All  official  fees  should  be  paid  into  the  public  treasuries,  and  all 
officials,  State,  county,  and  municipal,  paid  reasonable  salaries. 

12.  Nonresident,  alien,  and  foreign  corporations  should  not  be  al- 
lowed to  acquire  land  in  the  State  except  by  foreclosure  of  mortgages 
or  other  liens,  and  in  such  case  they  shall  be  allowed  ten  years  in 
which  to  dispose  of  the  same,  and  we  favor  the  limitation  of  corporate 
ownership  of  land,  all  unearned  grants  of  land  to  railroad  companies 
and  other  corporations  should  be  reclaimed  and  no  further  portion  of 
the  public   domain   should  be  thus  granted. 

13.  We  oppose   the   system  of  leasing  State   convicts  and  demand 
that  the  State  hold  for  the  family  of  the  convict  or  for  himself  on  his 
release  the  proceeds  of  his  labor  over  the  cost  of  his  maintenance. 


308  Platforms  of  Political 

State  Executive  Committee:  1st  Congressional  district,  B.  P. 
Bailey,  2.  G.  W.  Carroll,  3.  E.  C.  Heath,  4.  J.  T.  White,  5.  F.  L. 
DuPont,  6.  J.  D.  Carter,  7.  J.  T.  Jordan,  8.  B.  W.  Williams, 
9.  S.  E.  Whipkey,  10.  W.  T.  Clayton,  11.  R.  Shorts,  12.  A.  D. 
Adams,  13.  G.  H.  M.  Wilson. 

GERMAN-AMERICAN  ASSOCIATION  CONVENTION,  1892 

HOUSTON,  May  30 

The  German-Americans  organized  a  liberal  association  to  op- 
pose further  encroachments  upon  the  rights  and  liberties  claimed 
under  the  constitution.  About  seventy-five  delegates  from 
southern  and  western  Texas  met  in  convention  at  Houston  on 
May  30,  1892. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Dr.  E.  F.  Schmidt,  of  Har- 
ris ;  permanent,  A.  Wyschetzki,  of  Travis ;»  Vice-Presidents,  H. 
Knittel,  of  Washington;  E.  F.  Schmidt,  of  Harris;  A.  Giesecke, 
of  Comal;  Chas.  Miebach,  of  Hays;  H.  Behrens,  of  Williamson j 
Secretary,  A.  C.  Goeth,  of  Bexar. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  J.  Schutze,  of  Travis,  chairman; 
Henry  Mueller,  of  Washington ;  Paul  Wipprecht,  of  Guadalupe ; 
F.  Lueders,  of  McLennan;  Phil  Neumann,  of  Harris;  A.  Bart- 
tlingck,  of  Harris;  Jacob  Bickler,  of  Galveston;  William  Eule, 
of  Hays;  Dr.  J.  Meyenberg,  of  Fayette;  F.  Coreth,  of  Comal; 
H.  Knittel,  of  Washington;  William  Hoefling,  of  Bexar. 

DECLARATION   OF   PRINCIPLES1 

We,  the  German-speaking  American  citizens  of  Texas,  declaring  our 
faithful  loyalty  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  of  the 
State  of  Texas,  asserting  our  rights  as  citizens  of  this  country  to 
assemble  in  convention  for  the  purpose  of  considering  in  our  mother 
tongue  the  sacred  duties  to  this,  our  adopted  and  lasting  home,  as 
well  as  the  rights  and  privileges  of  American  citizenship  under  the 
Constitution  of  this  country,  do  hereby  resolve: 

1.  That  within  the  last  decade  the  personal  and  individual  rights 
and  liberties  of  the  citizen  in  this  State  have  ruthlessly  been  violated 

^Dallas   Morning  News,  June   1,    1892. 


Parties  in  Texas  309 

by  unwise,  illiberal,  and  undemocratic  legislation,  thereby  depriving 
the  American  citizenship  of  sacred  privileges  granted  by  the  Constitu- 
tion as  inalienable  rights  to  every  citizen  of  this  country. 

2.  That  the  so-called  Sunday  laws,  at  present  appearing  upon  our 
statute  books,  are  an  infringement  upon  the  most  sacred  rights  and 
privileges  of  American  citizenship. 

3.  That  the  spirit  of  our  Constitution  endeavors  to  protect  the  weak 
against  the  strong  and  powerful,  the  poor  against  the  encroachments 
of  capital  and  wealth,  and  proves  that  the  American  citizen  is  not  to 
be   despotically   ruled   in   his   customs,   habits,   religious,   or   political 
creed  by  legislators  or  officers  who  are  merely  the  servants  of  a  sov- 
ereign people. 

4.  That  the  law,  after  stringently  protecting  each  and  every  relig- 
ious worship  against  any  and  all  disturbances,  after  protecting  every 
person  against  compulsory  labor  on  one  day  out  of  every  seven,  has 
fulfilled  its  civil  mission,  and  grossly  exceeds  the  authority  vested  in 
our  Constitution  when  it  undertakes  to  dictate  to  an  American  citizen 
what  he  shall  do  or  not  do  on  a  certain  day,  provided  he  does  not 
thereby  injure  or  disturb  his  fellow  men. 

5.  The  present  Sunday  law,  prohibiting  even  the  saie  of  bread,  of  a 
cooling  drink  of  mineral  water,  or  other  necessaries  of  life  on  a  Sun- 
day, but  especially  exempting  ice  cream,  is  an  outrage  upon  the  Ameri- 
can people,  an  example  of  stupid,   despotic,  arrogant,   fanatical,  and 
un-American  legislation,  worthy  of  the  dark,  mediaeval  ages,  at  which 
every  free  American  at  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century  has  ample 
cause  to  blush. 

6.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  future  welfare  of  this  country  de- 
pends chiefly  upon  a  rational  system  of  public  schools,  we  are  of  the 
opinion  that  our  present  system  of  public  schools  stands  in  need  of 
very  important  reforms. 

7.  That  we,  as  American  citizens,  have,  therefore,  united  and  formed 
associations  in  every  part  of  this,  our  beloved  State  of  Texas,  to  cause 
all  such  legislation,   encroaching  upon  the  personal,   individual,   and 
inalienable  rights  of  a  citizen,  to  be  expunged  from  our  statute  books, 
and  will  withhold  our  support  from  any  candidate  for  the  legislative 
branch  of  our  government  who  does  not  pledge  himself  to  have  all 
objectionable  laws  infringing  upon  the  personal  liberties  of  the  citizen 
promptly  repealed. 

8.  That  we  call  upon  all  free,  native  and  naturalized  citizens  of 
this  country  to  come  to  our  aid  and  assist  us  in  this  our  endeavor  to 
regain  and  uphold  the  golden  freedom  granted  to  us  by  the  Constitu- 
tion of  our  country. 

In  view  that  none  of  the  existing  political  parties  has  ever  expressed 
itself  upon  these,  our  principles  of  personal  freedom,  we  have  united 
as  citizens,  without  any  intention,  however,  to  form  a  separate  party 
based  on  these  issues,  but  merely  to  submit  to  the  existing  parties  our 


310  Platforms  of  Political 

demands  and  insist  upon  the  incorporation  of  the  same  in  theii  re- 
spective platforms. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1892 

LAMPASAS,  June  7  and  8 

The  convention  afforded  a  preliminary  test  of  the  strength 
of  the  Hogg  and  Clark  forces. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  F.  Charles  Hume,  of  Gal- 
veston;  permanent,  J.  W.  Throckmorton,  of  Collin.  Secretary, 
J.  E.  Kauffman,  of  Travis. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  Dudley 
G.  Wooten,  of  Dallas,  and  Jake  Hodges,  of  Lamar ;  1st  Congres- 
sional district,  0.  T.  Holt,  of  Harris,  and  T.  H.  Ball,  of  Walker; 

2.  E.  S.  Hicks,  of  -  — ,  and  J.  C.  Wooters,  of  Houston; 

3.  R.  N.  Stafford,  of  Wood,  and  J.  F.  Mitchell,  of  Hunt;  4. 
R.  D.  Harrell,  of  Bowie,  and  Howard  Templeton,  of  Hopkins; 
5.  Yancy  Lewis,  of  Cooke,  and  C.  F.  Greenway,  of  Farinin;  6. 
Byron  Drew,  of  Kaufman,  and  R.  E.  Prince,  of  Navarro;  7. 
Scott  Fields,  of  Robertson,  and  W.  T.  Hefley,  of  Milani;  8.  T. 
T.  D.  Andrews,  of  Tarrant,  and  L.  L.  Shields,  of  Comanche; 
9.  D.  C.  Giddings,  of  Washington,  and  John  Barker,  of  William- 
son;  10.  C.   C.   Sweeney,  of  Galveston,  and  W.  B.  Sayers,   of 
Lavaca;  11.  J.  0.  Jones,  and  J.  C.  Nicholson;  12.  J.  H.  McLeary, 
of  Bexar,   and  Fred  Opp,  of  Llano ;   13.  J.  J.   Taylor,  of  El 
Paso,  and  W.  P.  Sebastian,  of  Stephens. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  W.  Throckmorton, 
John  Ireland,  Seth  Shepard,  and  H.  D.  McDonald;  1st  Congres- 
sional district,  H.  H.  Boone,  of  Grimes;  2.  J.  I.  Perkins,  of 
Rusk;  3.  J.  S.  Spinks,  of  Van  Zandt;  4.  R.  R.  Lockett,  of  Cass; 
5.  Alvin  C.  Owsley,  of  Denton;  6.  H.  P.  Brown,  of  Johnson; 
7.  Waller  S.  Baker,  of  McLennan;  8.  Lee  Riddle,  of  Hood; 
9.  R,  H.  Ward,  of  Travis;  10.  G.  F.  Burgess,  of  Lavaca;  11.  R. 
W.  Stayton,  of  Nueces;  12.  E.  R,  Lane,  of  Bexar;  13.  Alden  Bell, 
of  Callahan. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, J.  B.  King,  2.  G.  W.  Lanham,  3.  T.  D.  McGee,  4.  I.  M. 
Standifer,  5.  0.  Davis,  6.  Seth  Shepard,  7.  B.  B.  Beard,  8.  L. 


Parties  in  Texas  3*11 

J.  Womack,  9.  J.  M.  Blanding,  10.  W.  T.  Dickson,  11.  T.  S. 
Henderson,  12.  John  E.  Crawford,  13.  J.  C.  Wootan,  14.  John 
Lynch,  15.  Norman  G.  Kittrell,  16.  A.  Chesley,  17.  Frank  M. 
Spencer,  18.  J.  W.  Middlebrook,  19.  D.  C.  Giddings,  chairman, 
20.  T.  B.  Cochran,  21.  J.  W.  Barnes,  22.  E.  L.  Dunlap,  23.  T. 
W.  Dodd,  24.  blank,  25.  A.  J.  Baker,  26.  J.  L.  Lewis,  27.  George 
H.  Perry,  28.  C.  R.  Breedlove,  29.  S.  P.  Huff,  30.  G.  H.  Meade, 
31.  R.  D.  Hugely. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  We,  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  do 
hereby  declare  our  devotion  and  pledge  anew  our  fidelity  to  the  great 
principles  of  the  party  founded  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  which  so  long  as 
they  prevailed  in  the  government  of  the  United  States  maintained  the 
purity  of  the  administration  of  public  affairs,  commanded  the  respect 
of  foreign  nations,  respected  the  rights  of  the  States,  and  secured  peace 
and  prosperity  to  the  people  of  all  the  States  of  the  Union. 

[2]  We  declare  our  continued  adherence  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
autonomy  of  the  States  and  their  unsurrendered  sovereignty,  and  to 
the  fundamental  principle  that  every  power  not  specially  delegated  to 
the  Federal  government  is  reserved  to  the  States,  and  that  every  en- 
croachment upon  either  the  legislative,  executive,  or  judicial  powers 
of  the  State,  either  by  the  extension  of  the  powers  and  jurisdiction  of 
the  Federal  courts  or  by  National  legislation  looking  to  interference 
with  the  exercise  of  the  elective  franchise,  is  unwarranted  by  the  Con- 
stitution and  subversive  of  the  principles  on  which  this  government  is 
founded;  that  to  the  States  should  be  left  th-e  regulation  of  the 
exercise  of  the  privilege  of  suffrage  and  that  to  the  citizens  of  the 
several  States  should  be  entrusted  the  enactment  of  all  legislation 
relating  thereto,  except  such  as  may  be  justly  and  constitutionally 
enacted  by  the  National  Congress;  that  we  denounce  what  is  commonly 
known  as  the  Force  Bill  as  a  measure  most  iniquitous,  unnecessary, 
unjust,  and  oppressive  to  the  people  of  the  several  States  and  especially 
to  those  of  the  South,  and  a  measure  of  rank  partisanship  inspired 
by  a  reckless  disregard  of  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  the  Southern 
States,  and  by  an  unholy  purpose  to  perpetuate  by  unjust  legislation 
the  power  of  the  Republican  party  and  its  control  of  the  government. 

[3]  Resolved,  that  no  government  has  the  right  to  impose  taxes, 
direct  or  indirect  in  their  nature,  for  any  other  than  strictly  public 

^Dallas  Morning  News,  June  8,  1892.  What  is  here  presented  as  the 
platform  is  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Platform  before  its  adoption 
by  the  Convention ;  the  platform  as  adopted  by  the  Convention  has  not 
been  found. 


312  Platforms  of  Political 

purposes.  No  government  has  the  right  to  foster  monopolies  or  to 
encourage  any  industry  at  the  expense  of  others. 

[4]  That  it  is  the  duty  of  every  branch  of  the  government  to  en- 
force and  practice  the  most  rigid  economy  in  the  conduct  of  our 
public  affairs,  and  no  more  revenue  ought  to  be  realized  than  is  re- 
quired to  defray  the  necessary  expenses  of  the  government  and  for  the 
payment  of  the  public  debt. 

[5]  That  no  duty  should  be  imposed  upon  imports  except  to  raise 
revenue  necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  economical  and  efficient 
government  and  the  payment  of  the  public  debt,  and  no  discrimination 
should  be  made  in  the  imposition  of  duties  for  the  purpose  of  protect- 
ing any  industry.  A  tariff  for  protection  is  unconstitutional,  unjust, 
and  in  conflict  with  the  genius  and  spirit  of  free  government. 

[6]  We  denounce  the  present  tariff  as  a  scheme  for  the  protection 
of  monopolies  and  a  masterpiece  of  injustice  and  false  pretense.  It 
has  destroyed  American  commerc-e  and  has  diminished  the  profits  and 
returns  of  American  agriculture.  It  has  oppressed  American  labor 
under  the  false  pretense  of  its  protection  and  has  enriched  the  few  at 
the  expense  of  the  mass  of  the  people,  under  the  false  pretense  of  the 
development  of  the  country  and  the  promotion  of  the  public  good. 

[7]  That  we  believe  what  is  known  as  the  subtreasury  plan  and 
other  schemes  to  increase  the  circulation  of  money  without  a  sound 
and  reasonable  basis  are  undemocratic,  unsound  in  principle,  unwise, 
and  impracticable;  that  we  believe  that  the  true  remedy  for  the  evils 
sought  to  be  remedied  by  such  schemes  is  to  remove  the  present  sysfSin 
of  Federal  taxation  and  supply  it  by  one  whose  sole  object  is  to  collect 
only  such  revenue  as  is  sufficient  to  support  an  economical  administra- 
tion of  government  and  to  so  adjust  the  tariff  and  enact  such  other 
laws  for  the  raising  of  public  revenues  that  each  person  and  corpora- 
tion shall  contribute  to  the  support  of  the  government  according  to  his 
or  its  ability  and  the  interests  he  or  it  has  to  be  protected  by  the 
government. 

[8]  We  demand  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  both  gold  and 
silver  on  a  parity  with  each  other,  to  the  end  that  the  money  of  the 
people  shall  be  such  in  quantity  and  quality  as  was  originally  con- 
templated by  the  Constitution.  We  believe  that  all  money  should  be 
issued  directly  by  the  government,  and  we  are  opposed  to  the  present 
system  of  National  banks  in  so  far  as  it  permits  the  issue  of  notes  of 
National  banks  to  circulate  as  money. 

[9]  We  demand  retrenchment  and  reform  in  the  expenditure  of 
the  National  revenue. 

[10]  We  favor  the  enactment  by  Congress,  so  far  as  may  be  within 
its  constitutional  power,  of  such  legislation  as  may  prevent  the  gamb- 
ling in  futures  of  all  agricultural  and  mechanical  products. 

[11]     That  we  express  our  sense  of  gratitude  to  those  members  of 


Parties  in  Texas  313 

Congress  who  opposed  and  voted  against  the  Force  Bill  attempted  to 
be  passed  by  the  last  Congress.2 

Additional  Resolution 

The  following  resolution  was  adopted  in  committee  by  a  vote  of  15 
to  13;  it  was  submitted  separately  from  the  foregoing  platform: 

[12]  We  earnestly  and  cordially  indorse  the  wise,  able,  and  patriotic 
administration  of  Grover  Cleveland,  and  rejoice  in  the  knowledge  that 
the  same  was  free  from  scandal  and  corruption,  and  that  the  high 
trust  to  him  committed  was  administered  with  sublime  courage,  un- 
sullied integrity,  and  lofty  patriotism,  and  the  delegates  from  this  con- 
vention to  the  National  convention  are  instructed  to  support  his  nomi- 
nation for  President. 

MINORITY    REPORT    ON    12TH    PLANK 

1.  We  recognize  in  Grover  Cleveland  an  honest  and  patriotic  Demo- 
crat, whose  recent  administration  was  characterized  by  unquestioned 
courage,  integrity,  and  wisdom. 

2.  That  our  delegates  to  the  Chicago  convention  are  instructed  to 
support  a  man  for  the  nomination  as  President  who  is  in  tho-ough 
accord  and  touch  with   Democracy  on  all  vital,  living  issues  of  the 
hour  and  who,  in  their  best  judgment,  possesses  the  quality  of  avail- 
ability and  will  carry  the  Democratic  banner  through  to  victory. 

SUBSTITUT  FOR  BOTH  MAJORITY  AND   MINORITY  REPORTS  ON  12TH  PLANK 

Resolved,  that  we  recognize  in  Grover  Cleveland  a  model  of  American 
manhood,  patriotism,  and  statesmanship,  and  we  declare  him  to  be 
the  choice  of  the  Democracy  of  Texas  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  Recognizing,  however,  some  questions  of  availability,  we  en- 
trust the  matter  in  the  hands  of  our  delegation  unfettered  by  positive 
instructions. 

The  substitute  was  adopted  by  vote  of  515^  to  206^. 

!The  free  silver  plank  was  greeted  with  cheers,  as  was  also  the  section 
calling  for  the  election  of  a  President,  Vice-President  and  United  States 
senators  by  direct  vote  of  the  people.  As  Mr.  Giddings  [chairman  of  the 
platform  committee]  ceased  [reading]  he  moved  the  previous  question 
upon  the  adoption  of  the  platform,  and  it  was  railroaded  through  with  but 
one  dissenting  voice. 

The  daily  papers  [containing  the  platform  committee's  report."!  had  not 
arrived,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  not  more  than  one-half  of  the  delegates 
knew  what  it  was.  (Houston  Daily  Post,  June  9,  1892.) 


314  Platforms  of  Political 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1892 

DALLAS,  June  23  and  24 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  Peoples'  party  in  Texas  was  shown 
by  the  large  attendance,  over  one  thousand  delegates,  at  this 
convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  H.  S.  P.  Ashby,  Secretary,  Thomas 
Gaines. 

Delegates  to  the  Omaha  Convention:  II.  S.  P.  Ashby,  of  Tar- 
rant;  Harry  Tracy,  of  Dallas;  W.  L.  Hays  (c),  of  Tarrant; 
E.  S.  Peters,  of  Robertson;  J.  C.  Rhodes,  of  Hopkins;  Jasper 
Crenshaw  (c),  of  Collin;  C.  H.  Jenkins,  of  Brown;  J.  C.  Mooney, 
of  Limestone. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  H.  S.  P.  Ashby  and 
Harry  Tracy;  1st  Congressional  district,  B.  H.  Green,  of  Gregg; 
2.  W.  B.  Metcalf,  of  Shelby;  3.  W.  B.  Martin,  of  Gregg;  4.  J. 
C.  Rhodes  of  Hopkins;  5.  S.  J.  Hampton,  of  Fannin;  6.  T.  B. 
Roberts,  of  Navarro;  7.  J.  K.  P.  Hanna,  of  Robertson;  8.  J.  E. 
Martin,  of  Tarrant;  9.  S.  W.  Floyd,  of  Bastrop;  10.  J.  K.  Allen, 
of  Fayette;  11.  John  M.  King,  of  De  Witt;  12.  Julian  Staffer, 
of  Bexar;  13.  E.  B.  Gilden,  of  Jack. 

Nominees  for  State  Officers:  Governor,  T.  L.  Nugent,  of 
Tarrant;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Marion  Martin,  of  Navarro ;  At- 
torney-General, James  II.  Davis,  of  Hopkins;  Comptroller,  C. 
C.  Drake,  of  Tarrant;  Treasurer,  W.  W.  Durham,  of  Cherokee; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office.  S.  D.  A.  Duncan,  of 
Brazos;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  W.  E.  Clemmeiis, 
of  Goliad. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  C.  A.  Leverton,  2.  D.  T.  Thornton,  3.  J.  M.  Perdue, 
4.  E.  L.  Dohoney,  5.  W.  R.  Lamb,  chairman,  6.  Harry  Tracy, 
7.  W.  F.  Doughty,  8.  C.  H.  Jenkins,  secretary,  9.  C.  J.  Jackson, 
10.  J.  B.  Gay,  11.  W.  E.  Clemmens,  12.  F.  B.  S.  Clark,  13. 
J.  S.  Bradley. 


Parties  in  Texas  ill 5 

PLATFORM1 

[The  committee  on  platform  reported  the  St.  Louis  platform,  which 
is  almost  identical  with  the  Omaha  platform  of  July  4,  1892,  and  the 
following  State  platform:] 

1.  All  the  public  lands  of  Texas  remaining  and  that  can  be  recovered 
should  be  reserved  as  homesteads  for  actual  settlers.     All  lands  here- 
tofore granted  to   individuals   or  corporations  in  which  the   grantees 
have  not  complied  with  the  conditions  of  the  grant  should  be  forfeited 
to   the   State   for  homestead   purposes:    no   alien   ownership  of  lands 
should  be  allowed  in  Texas;  corporations  shall  not  be  allowed  to  own 
more  land  than  they  actually  use  in  the  prosecution  of  their  business. 

2.  We  favor  an  effective  system  of  public  schools  for  six  months 
in  the  year  for  all  children  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty.    We 
demand  the  adoption  of  a  uniform  series  of  textbooks  for  the  public 
schools  of  this  State  and  that  they  be  published  at  the  expense  of  the 
State,  which  shall  be  furnished  to  the  children  in  the  schools  at  cost. 

3.  [Same  as  plank  5  of  the  platform  of  1891,  except  that  the  word 
"favor"  is  replaced  by  "demand."] 

4.  [Same  as  plank  8  of  the  platform  of  1891.] 

5.  [Same  as  plank  5  of  the  platform  of  1891.] 

6.  [Same  of  plank  11  of  the  platform  of  1891.] 

7.  We  favor  a  railway  commission  with  power  to  fix  and  maintain 
rates  that  will  insure  equal  and  exact  justice  to  the  people  and  the 
railways.     The  commission  to  be  composed  of  three  qualified  citizens  of 
the  State  to  be  elected  by  a  direct  vote  of  the  people.     But  we  regard 
government  ownership  as  the  ultimate  solution  of  the  railroad  problem 
in  the  limits  of  the  State. 

8.  We  demand  an  efficient  lien  law,  that  will  protect  the  artisan, 
mechanic,  laborer,  and  material  men. 

9.  We  demand  that  a  law  be  passed  declaring  eight  hours  to  be 
a  legal  day's  work,  where  it  is  not  otherwise  provided  by  contract. 

10.  We  demand  that  the  maximum  salaries  of  county  officers  shall 
not  exceed  $2000  per  annum,  after  all  expenses  of  any  such  office  have 
been  paid,  and  that  surplus  in  excess  of  such  salary  and  expenses  shall 
be  paid  into  and  become  a  part  of  the  available  public  school  fund  of 
such  county  and  that  said  excess  be  prorated  in  such  counties. 

11.  (1)   We  demand  the  establishment  of  a  State  bureau  of  labor 
(2)  We  favor  the  creation  of  a  State  board  of  arbitration  to  adjust  all 
differences  between   corporations   and  employes. 

12.  We  demand  that  commissioners'  courts  be  not  allowed  to  con- 
tract a  debt  against  a  county  for  more  than  $5000,  unless  the  same  be 
ordered  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  county. 

13.  We  favor  such  a  change  in  the  constitution  as  shall  prohibit 

lrThis    platform    is    printed    in    the   Dallas    Morning   Neios,   June    26,    1892. 


316  Platforms  of  Political 

National  bankers  and  members  of  railway,  telegraph,  and  telephone 
companies  and  their  attorneys,  or  who  shall  have  held  such  positions 
within  two  years  prior  to  an  election,  from  holding  any  legislative  or 
judicial  office  within  this  State. 

MINOBITY   BEPOBT 

E.  L.  Dohoney  offered  the  following  additional  plank  as  a  minority 
report: 

We  denounce  the  liquor  traffic  as  a  most  corrupting  monopoly  and  we 
demand  a  dissolution  of  the  partnership  between  the  United  States  and 
said  traffic  by  the  repeal  of  the  internal  revenue  laws  on  intoxicating 
liquors,  leaving  the  question  of  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  liquors  to 
the  States,  where  it  belongs,  and  that  the  deficit  occasioned  by  the 
repeal  of  the  law  be  supplied  by  an  annual  issue  of  legal  tender 
treasury  notes. 

We  demand  the  repeal  of  the  State  liquor  license  law  and  that  the 
question  of  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquor  be  settled 
by  a  vote  of  the  people  in  towns  and  counties  under  the  proper  local 
option  laws. 

The  minority  report  was  tabled. 

State  Executive  Committee:  H.  S.  P.  Ashby,  of  Tarrant, 
chairman;  State  at  large,  J.  T.  Crawford,  of  Eastland,  and  C. 
H.  Jenkins  of  Brown;  1st  Congressional  district,  Theo.  Hillen- 
dahl,  of  Harris;  2.  W.  W.  Durham,  of  Cherokee;  3.  John 
0 'Byrne,  of  Gregg;  4.  W.  E.  Moore,  of  Lamar;  5.  S.  J.  Hamp- 
ton of  Fannin;  6.  J.  T.  W.  Loe,  of  Dallas;  7.  W.  F.  Douthit, 
of  Bell;  8.  Thomas  Gaines,  of  Comanche;  9.  B.  Oatman,  of 
Travis;  10.  J.  B.  Gay,  of  Colorado;  11.  C.  A.  Cone,  of  Wilson; 
12.  Charles  Mierow,  of  Bexar;  13.  J.  S.  Bradley,  of  Taylor. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE   CONVENTION,  1892 

HOUSTON,  August  16-18 

The  campaign  between  Governor  Hogg  and  George  Clark 
grew  more  and  more  heated  as  the  time  for  the  convention  ap- 
proached. "Hogg  and  the  Commission,"  and  "Turn  Texas 
loose"  were  the  war  cries  of  the  factions.  Long  before  the  con- 
vention assembled,  predictions  of  division  were  freely  made. 
The  convention  met  in  the  Car  Stable  at  Houston,  August  16; 


Parties  in  Texas  317 

the  chairman  of  the  State  executive  committee  presided.  The 
Hogg  delegates  nominated  for  temporary  chairman  John  L. 
Shepherd ;  the  Clark  men  nominated  Jonathan  Lane.  The  former 
moved  that  the  roll  of  the  counties  be  called;  the  latter  that  the 
vote  be  viva  voce.  Failing  to  agree  on  the  manner  of  voting 
for  the  temporary  chairman,  each  faction  proceeded  to  elect  its 
nominee  in  its  own  way.  Both  sides  completed  temporary  or- 
ganization while  occupying  the  Car  Stable,  but  on  the  following 
day  and  thereafter  the  Clark  men  were  denied  the  use  of  this 
hall  and  held  their  session  in  Turner  Hall. 

CAR  STABLE  CONVENTION 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  John  L.  Shepherd,  of 
Camp;  permanent,  W.  S.  Fly,  of  Victoria.  Vice-Chairman : 
State  at  large,  Guy  M.  Bryan,  of  Brazoria;  0.  T.  Holt,  of  Har- 
ris; J.  J.  Moody,  of  Limestone;  John  E.  Crawford,  of  Robert- 
son; Seth  Shepard,  of  Dallas;  B.  J.  Kendrick  of  McLennan; 
1st  Congressional  district,  M.  Y.  Randolph,  of  Madison;  2.  B. 
S.  Westermark,  of  Nacogdoches;  3.  Rich  Levy,  of  Gregg;  4. 
Jake  Hodges,  of  Lamar;  5.  E.  L.  Agnew,  of  Fannin;  6.  0.  L. 
Lubbock,  of  Bosque :  7.  N.  H.  Tracy,  of  Milam ;  8.  N.  0.  Ham- 
ilton, of  Comanche;  9.  Ed.  R.  Sinks,  of  Lee;  10.  T.  J.  Hamilton, 
of  Matagorda;  11.  D.  P.  Marr,  of  Frio;  12.  Will  Caldwell,  of 
Kerr;  13.  B.  R.  Webb,  of  Callahan.  Secretary  pro  tempore, 
Will  Sargent,  of  Colorado;  permanent,  W.  L.  Murray,  of  Na- 
varro. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  James  S.  Hogg,  of 
Smith ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  M.  M.  Crane,  of  Johnson ;  Attorney- 
General,  Charles  A.  Culberson,  of  Dallas;  Comptroller,  John 
D.  McCall,  of  Travis ;  Treasurer,  William  B.  Wortham,  of  Hop- 
kins; Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  L.  Mc- 
Gaughey,  of  Hood;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  J. 
M.  Carlisle,  of  Tarrant;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  W.  L. 
Davidson,  of  Williamson,  and  E.  J.  Simkins,  of  Navarro. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, George  T.  Todd,  2.  W.  A.  Shaw,  3.  E.  L.  Agnew,  4.  Don 
A.  Bliss,  5.  R,  W.  Carpenter,  6.  Dudley  Wooten,  7.  Horace  Chil- 


318  Platforms  of  Political 

ton,  8.  H.  B.  Pitts,  9.  0.  B.  Colquitt,  10.  W.  I.  Hooks.  11.  J.  E. 
Langmoor,  12.  J.  W.  Blake,  secretary,  13.  John  H.  Reagan, 
chairman,  14.  M.  R.  Crow,  15.  A.  T.  McKinney,  16.  E.  P.  Ham- 
blen,  17.  F.  C.  Hume,  18.  Wells  Thompson,  19.  D.  C.  Giddings, 
20.  Norton  Moses,  21.  L.  J.  Storey,  22.  Marshall  Burney,  23. 
John  J.  Dix,  24.  Ed.  Smallwood,  25.  T.  C.  Wynne,  26.  Henry 
Ford,  27.  G.  F.  Perry,  28.  C.  R,  Breedlove,  29.  W.  J.  Swain, 
30.  N.  W.  Dennis,  31.  H.  C.  Ferguson. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We,  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  pledge 
anew  our  devotion  to  the  time-honored  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party  enunciated  in  the  last  State  and  National  Democratic  platforms, 
and  proclaim  the  following  declaration  of  sentiments,  principles,  and 
policies  to  which  we  give  our  united  fealty  and  support. 

2.  The  Federal  government  has  only  the  powers  given  by  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  and  the  amendments  thereto,  and  we 
believe  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union  created  by  said  Constitution  and 
amendments,    constitutionally   and   consistently   with   popular    liberty 
and  the  blessings  of  local  self-government,  can  be  secured  only  by  the 
jealous  confinement  of  the  United  States  government  in  all  its  depart- 
ments within  the  legitimate  and  economic  exercise  of  the  powers  so 
expressly  conferred  upon  it. 

3.  We  oppose  all  taxation  and  tariffs  of  every  kind  for  purposes 
other  than  revenue  consistent  with  the  necessities  of  the  government 
economically  administered. 

4.  We  oppose  the  proposed  collection  and  distribution  by  the  Federal 
government  of  money  in  aid  of  the  educational  systems  of  the  several 
States. 

5.  We   denounce  all   acts  and   efforts  by  the  Federal   government 
whereby  it  in  fact  does  or  proposes  to  advance  or  lend  money  to  any 
citizen,  corporation,  or  class  upon  any  sort  of  security;  and  we  oppose 
governmental  ownership  of  railroad,  telephone,  and  telegraph  lines. 

6.  We  denounce  all  bounties  and  subsidies  given   by  the  Federal 
government  in  aid  of  private  enterprises  as  class  favors,  repugnant  to 
Democratic  principles,  and  unwarranted  by  correct  construction  of  the 
constitutional  powers  of  Congress. 

7.  We  cite  the  so-called  Force  Bill  as  the  supreme  evidence  of  the 
enmity  of  the  Republican  party  to  local  self-government,  and  denounce 
it  as  a  violation  of  the  Constitution,  corrupt  in  conception,  vicious  in 
sentiment,  criminal  in  detail,  the  only  mission  of  which  is  to  foment 

1(The    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the   Houston   Post. 


Parties  in  Texas  3!!  9 

race  prejudice,  to  produce  sectional  strife  and  ill  feeling,  so  fatal  to 
the  tranquility  of  the  people  of  the  several  States. 

8.  In  a  free,  representative  government  there  is  no  room  for  any 
life  tenure  of  any  office,  and  of  such  tenure  is  born  arbitrary  and  irre- 
sponsible power.     Therefore,  we  favor  an  amendment  to  the  Federal 
Constitution  limiting  the  tenure  of  Federal  offices  to  a  reasonable  term 
of  years. 

9.  While   we  yield  to   the  wisdom  of  a   majority   of  the  National 
Democracy  in  making  the  reduction  of  revenue  taxation  to  the  neces- 
sities of  the  government,  economically  administered,  the   paramount 
leading  issue  in  this  campaign,  upon  the  policy  that  it  is  safest  to 
make  the  struggle  to  secure  one  reform  at  a  time,  we  nevertheless  pro- 
claim our  adherence  to  the  principles,  justice,  and  necessity  of  free  and 
unlimited  coinage  of  silver  at  the  ratio  heretofore  provided  by  law, 
and   shall   continue  to   contend   for  it.    We,   therefore,   commend  our 
senators   and   representatives    for   their   bold   and    faithful   efforts   to 
promote  the  success  of  this  measure  and  pledge   that  they  shall   so 
continue. 

10.  We  oppose  the  National  banking  system.    We  demand  the  re- 
peal of  the  Federal  tax  on  State  banks,  and  favor  an  amendment  to 
our   State   constitution   permitting   the   incorporation   of   State   banks 
under  proper  restrictions  and  control  for  the  protection  of  depositors 
and  the  people. 

11.  We  favor  a  graduated  income  tax  for  Federal  purposes. 

12.  We  denounce  all  species  of  class  legislation  as  iniquitous,  un- 
constitutional, and  subversive  of  the  aims  and  ends  of  government. 

13.  We  pledge  fealty  to  and  support  of  the  Texas  railroad  commission 
law  as  it  now  exists,  subject  only  to  such  changes  as  may  become  neces- 
sary to  accomplish  for  it  a  greater  degree  of  perfection.    We  favor  an 
appointive  commission  unless  the  constitution  shall  be  so  changed  as 
to  permit  the  election  of  one  of  the  commissioners  every  two  years  and 
making  their  tenure  of  office  six  years. 

14.  We  demand  a  law  that  will  successfully  prevent  the  issuance 
of  fictitious  and  watered  stocks  and  bonds  by  railway  companies  in  this 
State,  believing  that  these  great  enterprises  should  be  conducted  upon 
commercial  principles  and  not  as  gambling  devices. 

15.  We  demand  the  passage  of  a  law  that  will  prevent  the  useless 
and  extravagant  issuance  of  bonds  by  cities,  towns,  and  counties  in  this 
State,  and  confining  them  within  constitutional  limitations  to  actual 
necessities,  so  as  to  preserve  the  public  faith,  to  insure  a  lower  rate 
of  interest,  and  to  protect  the  present  and  future  generations   from 
unjust   burdens   that   should   never  be   imposed   upon   them   by   such 
methods. 

16.  We  demand  the  enactment  of  a  law  that  will  define  perpetuities 
and  prohibit  the  further  operation  of  land  corporations  in  this  State, 
and   requiring  those  now  holding  title  to  or  possession   of  lands  for 


320  Platforms  of  Political 

agricultural,  horticultural,  grazing,  and  speculative  purposes,  excepting 
overflowed  and  irrigation  lands,  to  dispose  of  the  same  within  sjuch 
reasonable  time  as  may  not  impair  vested  rights. 

17.  We  favor  an  amendment  to  our  State  constitution  that  will  per- 
mit the  legislature  to  provide  for  the  indigent  ex-Confederate  soldiers 
resident  in  our  State  that  were  disabled  in  the  military  service  of  the 
Confederate  States,  in  any  manner  that  may  be  deemed  best. 

18.  A  general  diffusion  of  knowledge  being  essential  to  the  liberties 
and  rights  of  the  people,  we  demand  the  constitutional  provision  requir- 
ing the  public  free  schools  to  be  maintained  and  supported  for  a  period 
of  not  less  than  six  months  each  year  shall  be  fully  and  faithfully 
carried  out,  and  that  the  University,  its  branches,  and  the  other  public 
educational  institutions  be  properly  endowed  and  maintained. 

19.  We  pledge  the  enactment  of  a  law  to  more  justly  and  perfectly 
secure  the  liens  of  material  men,  artisans,  mechanics,  and  laborers. 

20.  The  Democratic  party  is  largely  indebted  to  the  cooperation  of 
the  laboring  people  for  whatever  of  benefits  it  has  conferred  on  the 
country,  and  pledges  itself  to  the  support  of  all  measures  necessary  to 
the  promotion  of  their  welfare. 

21.  We  believe  the  custom  of  hiring  out  or  leasing  penal  convicts  to 
corporations  and  private  persons  to  be  against  public  policy. 

22.  We  commend  the  action  of  the  public  officials  seeking  to  recover 
lands  unlawfully  obtained  by  railroad  companies  from  the  State  for 
sidings  and  switches,  and  pledge  the  people  that  so  long  as  the  Demo- 
cratic party  remains  in  power   this   course   shall  be  continued  until 
every  acre  is  recovered  by  or  restored  to  the  State.     At  the  same  time 
we  pledge  that  all  innocent  purchasers  for  value,  and  actual  settlers 
who  may  have  purchased  any  of  said  lands  from  the  railway  companies 
or  their  assigns  shall  have  their  titles  validated  and  made  good  in  so 
far  as  the  State  may  have  any  claim  thereto. 

23.  We  demand  that  the  legislature  shall  make  suitable  provision 
for   the   location   and   permanent    establishment   of   county   lines   and 
boundaries,  and  also  the  lines  and  boundaries  of  lands  belonging  to 
the  public  school  funds  of  the  State. 

24.  We  are  opposed  to  communism  in  any  and  all  forms  and  pledge 
ourselves  to  the  just  and  equitable  protection  of  the  interests  of  both 
capital  and  labor.     We  deny  that  it  is  the  purpose  or  policy  of  the 
Democratic  party  of  Texas  to  make  unnecessary  war  upon  railroad 
companies  and  incorporated  capital,  or  to  unjustly  or  improperly  invade 
their  rights,  attach  their  property,  or  deprive  them  of  equal  and  exact 
justice  before  the  law.     We  believe  the  railroads  are  entitled  to  just 
compensation  for  all  services  rendered,  and  that  they  should  not  be 
hampered  by  unnecessary  and  vexatious  legislation. 

25.  We  hereby  denounce  the  false  and  slanderous  report  at  home  and 
abroad  to  the  effect  that  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas  and  its  adminis- 
tration are  hostile  to  immigration,  legitimate  corporate  enterprises,  or 
the  investment  of  foreign  capital  in  our  State. 


Parties  in  Texas  3!>1 

MINORITY    REPORT 

We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  committee  on  platform  and 
resolutions,  beg  leave  to  dissent  from  the  report  of  the  majority  of  said 
committee  and  submit  the  following  minority  report: 

The  Democracy  of  the  State  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
makes  the  following  declaration  of  principles  and  policy: 

I.1  Believing  that  all  issues  affecting  Federal  policies  and  in  the 
enunciation  of  the  general  principles  of  government,  the  Democratic 
party  of  the  United  States,  in  convention  assembled,  at  Chicago,  in 
June  last,  has  promulgated  the  authentic  declarations  of  the  party 
upon  all  prominent  questions  and  in  full  accordance  owe  allegiance 
thereto,  we  hereby  indorse  and  adopt  as  a  whole  and  without  qualifica- 
tion the  platform  of  that  convention  and  we  hereby  ratify  the  nomina- 
tions there  made. 

2.  Recognizing  the  bounty  system  as  a  part  of  the  iniquitous  and 
oppressive  protective  tariff  policy  of  the  Republican  party,  we  are  op- 
posed to  the  principles  therein  involved,  and,  whereas  in  the  case  of 
the  sugar  bounty  the  practical  operation  of  that  system  so  far  as  Texas 
is  concerned  is  ameliorative  of  the  burden  of  protection,  we   declare 
that  the  State  should  receive  the  money  due  it  under  the  law  granting 
a  bounty  on  sugar  and  we  favor  the  appropriation  of  this  money  to  the 
support  of  the  Confederate  Home. 

3.  We  indorse  the  railway  commission  as  an  existing  agency  for  the 
State  regulation  of  railroads,  but  demand  that  its  functions  and  powers 
be  clearly  and  definitely  confined  within  constitutiontal  limitations  and 
that  the  railroad  commissioners  be  elected  by  the  direct  vote  of  the 
people. 

4.  We  favor  nine  months'  session  of  our  public  schools  and  the  com- 
plete and  efficient  administration  and  maintenance  of  our  free  school 
system  and  of  the  University  of  Texas  as  a  fitting  and  indispensable 
culmination  thereof, 

5.  We  deplore  and  denounce  the  impression  which  has  been  created 
and  gone  abroad  that  it  is  the  policy  of  the  Democracy  of  Texas  to 
discourage  immigration  and  the  investment  of  outside  capital  in  any 
department  of  enterprise  or  labor.     On  the  contrary,  we  cordially  in- 
vite all   legitimate   accessories   of  population   and  wealth  and  pledge 
them  the  equal  and  just  protection  of  our  laws. 

6.  We  disapprove  of  the  policy  of  disquieting  or  clouding  the  land 
titles  of  citizens  or  corporations  by  vexatious  legislation,  and  demand 
such  legislation  as  will  prevent  the  inauguration  of  such  a  policy  by 
any  officer  or  agent  of  the  State   unless   specially  authorized  by  the 
legislature  itself,  and  we  further  demand  the  passage  of  proper   re- 
pealing or  validating  acts  to  cure  the  titles   of  all  purchasers  from 
railway  companies  in  what  are  known  as  the  ''sidings  and  switches" 
lands. 

21—328 


322  Platforms  of  Political 

The  foregoing  is  offered  by  the  minority  of  your  committee  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  the  entire  platform  and  resolution  reported  by  the  majority. 

DUDLEY  WOOTEN, 
E.  P.  HAMBLEX, 
D.  C.  GIDDIXGS. 

The  majority  report  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  693  to  168.  This  action 
resulted  in  a  number  of  vigorous  protests,  and  the  defection  of  a  few 
delegates. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Waller  S.  Baker,  of  McLennan, 
chairman;  1st  congressional  district,  J.  J.  Ball,  of  Cass;  2.  J. 
D.  McLean,  of  Titus ;  3.  William  Hodges,  of  Lamar;  4.  E.  P. 
Hill,  of  Cooke;  5.  John  T.  Craddock,  of  Hunt;  6.  J.  M.  Strong, 
of  Dallas ;  7.  A.  G.  Mcllwaine,  of  Smith ;  8.  M.  J.  Whitfield,  of 
Panola;  9.  0.  B.  Colquitt,  of  Kaufman;  10.  P.  H.  Pardue,  of 
Ellis;  11.  Monta  J.  Moore,  of  Milam;  12.  J.  L.  Goodman,  of  Rob- 
ertson; 13.  James  E.  Downes,  of  Houston;  14.  Rufus  Price,  of 
San  Augustine ;  15.  Sam  R.  Burroughs,  of  Leon ;  16.  R.  M.  John- 
ston, of  Harris;  17.  John  E.  Linn,  of  Wharton;  18.  T.  T.  Mc- 
Common,  of  Fayette;  19.  Ed.  R.  Sinks,  of  Lee;  20.  John  W.  Rob- 
ertson, of  Williamson;  21.  Ed.  R.  Kone,  of  Hays;  22.  F.  R. 
Graves,  of  Karnes;  23.  R,  W.  Stayton,  of  Nueces;  24.  W.  R. 
Camp,  of  Bexar;  25.  R,  Kratz,  of  Kinney;  26.  H.  C.  Randolph, 
of  Coleman;  27.  T.  C.  Taylor,  of  Coryell;  28.  Frank  R.  Bowles, 
of  Palo  Pinto;  29.  R.  W.  Hall,  of  Wilbarger;  30.  T.  0.  Martin, 
of  Hood ;  31.  C.  W.  Martin,  of  Wise. 

TURNER  HALL  CONVENTION 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  temper e  and  permanent,  Jonathan 
Lane,  of  Fayette.  Vice-presidents,  W.  M.  Walton,  of  Travis; 
H.  M.  Garwood,  of  Bastrop;  S.  Stone,  of  Austin;  B.  B.  Paddock, 
of  Tarrant;  Columbus  Upson,  of  Bexar;  and  W.  P.  Ilamblen. 
of  Harris.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  W.  D.  Wood,  of  Hays:  per- 
manent, James  H.  Quarles,  of  McLennan. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  George  Clark,  of  Me- 
Lennan;  Lieutenaiit-Governor,  C.  M.  Rogers,  of  Travis:  Attor- 
ney-General, E.  A.  McDowell,  of  Coryell;  Comptroller,  Charles 
B.  Gillespie,  of  Dallas ;  Treasurer,  Thomas  J.  Goree,  of  Cherokee ; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  C.  Walsh,  of 


Parties  in  Texas  323 

Travis;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Jacob  Bickler,  of 
Galveston;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  W.  D.  Wood,  of  Hays, 
and  E.  H.  Phelps,  of  Fayette. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, J.  H.  Matthews,  4.  Colonel  Crooks,  11.  L.  C.  Alexander, 
12.  F.  E.  Crawford,  14.  B.  F.  Cannon,  16.  J.  A.  Shelburne,  17. 
T.  J.  Duffy,  18.  H.  Teichmueller,  chairman,  19.  D.  C.  Giddings, 
20.  C.  Upson,  21.  F.  Coreth,  22.  T.  J.  McFarland,  23.  J.  E. 
Elgin,  24.  J.  R.  Fleming,  25.  W.  A.  H.  Miller,  26.  John  Ben- 
nington,  27.  J.  C.  Matthews,  28.  Theo.  Mack,  29.  M.  C.  Harris, 
30.  T.  J.  Powell. 


PLATFORM 


[1]  We,  the  Democrats  of  Texas,  in  State  convention  assembled, 
renew  our  devotion  to  the  principles  of  government  as  taught  by  Thomas 
Jefferson,  and  declare  our  belief  that  all  the  evils  of  trusts,  monopolies, 
class  legislation,  and  the  oppression  of  the  masses  are  the  direct  conse- 
quence of  a  departure  from  those  principles. 

[2]  We  believe  that  equality  before  the  law  is  the  foundation  prin- 
ciple of  this  government,  and  that  all  citizens  have  equal  rights  and 
none  are  entitled  to  special  privileges. 

[3]  We  further  believe  that  the  perpetuity  of  our  institutions  de- 
pends upon  the  enjoyment  by  the  citizens  of  the  largest  measure  of 
individual  liberty,  consistent  with  good  order  and  the  public  safety; 
we,  therefore,  oppose  all  sumptuary  laws  which  vex  the  citizen  and 
interfere  with  his  individual  liberty. 

[4]  We  believe  the  world  is  governed  too  much,  and  that  the  least 
government  which  may  suffice  for  the  protection  of  the  citizens  is  the 
best  government.  Government  is  instituted  among  free  men  solely  for 
the  protection  of  life,  liberty,  and  property,  and  whenever  it  attempts 
to  interfere  with  the  business  of  the  country  it  is  guilty  of  usurpation 
and  ought  to  be  rebuked  by  a  free  people.  Such  attempts  have  always 
resulted  in  promoting  certain  classes  at  the  expense  of  all  other  classes, 
and  thereby  fomenting  injustice  and  precipitating  distress  upon  the 
people.  A  wise  and  frugal  government  which  shall  restrain  men  from 
injuring  one  another,  and  which  shall  leave  them  otherwise  free  to  regu- 
late their  own  pursuits  of  industry  and  improvements,  and  shall  not 
take  from  the  mouth  of  labor  bread  it  has  earned,  is  the  sum  of  good 
government. 

[5]  We  are  opposed  to  all  forms  of  "one  man  power"  and  have  an 
abiding  faith  in  the  capacity  of  the  people  for  governing  themselves. 

lrrhe   proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken   from   the    Houston   Post. 


324  Platforms  of  Political 

We  believe  in  the  right  of  local  self-government,  untrammeled  by  dicta- 
tion from  any  central  authority.  We  condemn  all  attempts  to  interfere 
with  this  right,  coming  from  any  source,  and  we  favor  the  election  of 
all  officers  by  the  people  themselves.  Especially  do  me  demand  the 
right  to  elect  our  railroad  commissioners,  in  order  that  such  agency 
shall  cease  to  be  dominated  for  personal  and  political  effect,  and  that 
it  may  impartially  determine  controversies  between  citizens  and  rail- 
roads, in  such  manner  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law. 

[6]  Railroad  corporations  and  all  other  corporations  being  creatures 
of  law  are  subject  to  State  legislation  and  control.  We  favor  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  present  method  of  railway  regulation  by  means  of  a 
commission  clothed  with  such  constitutional  powers  as  may  be  requisite 
for  the  protection  of  the  people  against  injustice  or  extorition,  but  we 
are  opposed  to  the  taking  of  private  property  for  public  use  without 
just  compensation. 

[7]  We  condemn  all  forms  of  communism  and  State  socialism  and 
view  with  alarm  the  existing  war  upon  the  rights  of  property  in  this 
State.  Protection  is  guaranteed  by  the  constitution  to  every  citizen  in 
the  enjoyment  of  his  rights  of  person  and  of  property,  and  it  is  the  duty 
of  the  State  to  extend  this  protection  to  all  forms  of  property,  no 
matter  whether  it  may  consist  of  farms  or  of  railroads.  The  right  to 
own  property  carries  with  it  necessarily  a  right  to  its  use  and  enjoy- 
ment, including  a  reasonable  return  by  way  of  interest  on  its  actual 
value,  and  we  are  opposed  to  all  laws  or  methods  designed  to  deprive 
the  owners  of  any  property  of  this  right. 

[8]  We  condemn  all  secret,  oath-bound  political  organizations  as 
un-American  and  undemocratic,  contrary  to  the  genius  of  our  institu- 
tions, and  destructive  of  the  liberties  of  the  people.  Members  of  such 
organizations  have  no  place  in  a  Democratic  household,  and  we  view 
with  alarm  the  recent  effort  on  the  part  of  the  present  administration 
in  our  State  to  utilize  such  associations  in  an  attempt  to  dominate  the 
will  and  expression  of  the  Democrats  of  Texas. 

[9]  Our  sympathies  are  most  cordially  extended  to  all  laboring 
people  in  their  efforts  to  better  the  condition  of  themselves  and  those 
dependent  on  them,  and  we  will  advocate  and  support  all  laws  calculated 
to  protect  them  in  their  efforts  to  better  their  condition.  We  deprecate 
and  will  oppose  all  resorts  to  violence  or  revolutionary  methods  on  the 
part  of  any  class  of  our  citizenship,  believing  that  an  appeal  to  the 
law  always  furnishes  the  best  protection  to  the  citizen  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  all  rights.  We  especially  condemn  the  use  in  any  emergency 
of  foreign  armed  mercenaries  in  this  State,  and  demand  of  the  legisla- 
ture the  passage  of  a  law  forbidding  such  employment  under  severe 
penalties. 

[10]  The  necessities  of  our  people  and  the  development  of  our  in- 
dustries and  means  of  transportation  demand  that  the  introduction  of 
money  at  a  low  rate  of  interest  in  the  State  should  be  fostered  and 


Parties  in  Texas  325 

encouraged.  We  condemn  all  legislation  calculated  to  drive  capital  or 
immigration  from  us,  and  we  extend  a  hearty  welcome  to  all  honest 
people  who  may  choose  to  come  and  make  their  homes  with  us  or  to 
invest  their  money  here,  and  promise  them  that  their  rights  of  person 
and  property  shall  be  guarded  with  the  same  jealous  care  as  our  own, 
under  the  protection  of  equal  laws,  justly  administered. 

[11]  Our  State  government,  following  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Fed- 
eral government,  is  fast  filling  the  land  with  public  tax  eaters.  We 
demand  the  abolition  of  all  usel-ess  offices  in  the  interest  of  necessary 
retrenchment  and  the  lowest  rate  of  taxation  compatible  with  efficiency 
in  government  and  commensurate  with  the  due  protection  of  life,  lib- 
erty, and  property. 

[12]  As  an  integral  part  of  the  Democracy  of  the  Union,  we  indorse 
the  platform  of  principles  recently  adopted  by  the  National  Demo- 
cratic convention,  at  Chicago,  and  pledge  our  hearty  support  to  the 
nominees  of  said  convention  for  President  and  Vice-President. 

[13]  We  oppose  what  is  commonly  called  the  Jester  amendment  and 
the  law  enacted  thereunder,  because  the  effect  of  the  same  will  be  to 
squander  the  permanent  school  fund. 

[14]  We  favor  protection  against  the  claim  by  the  State  and  valida- 
tion of  land  titles,  where  such  lands  have  been  purchased  in  actual 
good  faith  in  reliance  upon  the  patent  of  the  State,  issued  upon  a  con- 
struction of  the  laws  by  the  executive  department. 

[15]  We  oppose  the  investment  of  the  school  fund  in  railroad  se- 
curities. 

[16]  We  oppose  perpetuities  and  monopolies,  and  we  oppose  the 
acquisition  of  lands  by  corporations,  except  such  as  may  be  necessary 
to  enable  them  to  carry  on  the  business  for  which  they  are  created. 

[17]  We  arraign  the  administration  of  Governor  Hogg,  because  it 
has  driven  and  is  keeping  capital  from  the  State,  because  it  has  un- 
settled land  titles  and  retarded  immigration,  because  his  administra- 
tion  has  been  undemocratic  and  despotic. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[18]  We  demand  that  the  State  shall  collect  from  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment the  bounty  on  the  sugar  produced  on  the  State  convict  farm, 
and  that  such  bounty  be  given  to  the  Confederate  Home  at  Austin;  and 
we  denounce  the  veto  of  Governor  Hogg  of  the  joint  resolution  passed 
by  the  twenty-second  legislature,  by  which  the  State  lost  the  bounty, 
as  a  species  of  cheap  political  demagoguery. 

[19]  Resolved,  that  we  condemn  the  loose  and  unrestricted  manner 
of  voting  in  this  State  and  demand  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  will 
prevent  illegal  voting. 

[20]  That  we  demand  laws  be  passed  to  further  the  building  of 
public  roads  in  this  State,  thereby  affording  facilities  for  the  people  to 
get  their  produce  to  market. 


326  Platforms  of  Political 

[21]  That  we  favor  a  law  which  shall  exempt  from  taxation  all 
school  or  public  lands,  filed  by  actual  settlers,  for  three  years  from  the 
date  of  the  settlement  of  same  or  until  such  time  as  the  owner  shall 
acquire  some  character  of  legal  title  thereto. 

[22]  That  the  action  of  the  Democratic  executive  committee,  in  the 
taking  of  the  temporary  organization  of  the  convention  out  of  the  con* 
trol  of  the  assembled  delegates  and  disfranchising  a  large  number  ol 
counties  represented  on  the  floor,  was  unwarranted,  undemocratic, 
revolutionary,  and  without  precedent,  and  deserves  and  ought  to  re« 
ceive  the  unqualified  and  express  condemnation  of  every  true  lover  of 
liberty,  and  for  the  honor  of  the  Democratic  party  we  so  condemn  it 
and  refer  it  to  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas. 

State  Executive  Committee:  A.  L.  Matlock,  of  Tarrant, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  C.  C.  Burke,  of  Bowie,  2. 
Gus  Shaw,  of  Red  River;  3.  E.  S.  Connor,  of  Lamar;  4.  B.  C. 
Murray,  of  Grayson;  5.  R.  R.  Neyland,  of  Hunt;  6.  Barry  Mil- 
ler, of  Dallas;  7.  J.  Milo  Sharp,  of  Smith;  8.  James  II.  Jones, 
of  Rusk;  9.  T.  H.  Daily,  of  Kaufman;  10.  J.  0.  Files,  of  Hill; 
11.  Bart  Moore,  of  McLennan;  12.  Phil  E.  Peers,  of  Robertson; 
13.  David  A.  Nunn,  of  Houston;  14.  I.  D.  Polk,  of  San  Augus- 
tine; 15.  E.  L.  Parrish,  of  Walker;  16.  J.  F.  Meyer,  of  Harris; 
17.  W.  Fort  Smith,  of  B'razoria;  18.  AVilliam  Donavant,  of 
Colorado;  19.  George  Milton,  of  Bastrop;  20.  William  M.  Wal- 
ton, of  Travis;  21.  J.  D.  Guinn,  of  Comal;  22.  F.  C.  Proctor, 
of  Victoria;  23.  E.  R.  Tarver,  of  Webb;  24.  C.  H.  Neniitz,  Jr., 
of  Gillespie ;  25.  Charles  Davis,  of  El  Paso ;  26.  R.  H.  McKane, 
of  Erath;  27.  C.  P.  White,  of  Coryell;  28.  Dr.  C.  S.  Vance,  of 
Eastland;  29.  W.  D.  Berry,  of  Wilbarger;  30.  B.  B.  Paddock, 
of  Tarrant;  31.  R.  M.  Collins,  of  Denton. 

"REGULAR"   REPUBLICAN   STATE   CONVENTION,   1892 
FORT  WORTH,  September  13  and  14 

The  "Lily- White"  or  "Reform"  Republicans  nominated  a 
State  ticket  at  their  convention  in  April;  the  "Regulars"  faced 
a  difficult  situation.  Should  they  nominate  a  State  ticket  and 
meet  defeat,  or  should  they  make  no  nominations  and  leave  each 
voter  free  to  follow  his  choice,  or  should  their  party  be  com- 
mitted to  some  one  of  the  candidates  in  the  field? 


Parties  in  Texas  327' 

Officers:  Chairman,  R.  B.  Hawley,  of  Galveston.  Secretary, 
H.  M.  Tarver,  of  Washington. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Eesolutions:  Judge  W.  K.  Ma- 
kemson,  chairman,  Lock  McDaniel,  Frank  Cleaves,  T.  A.  Pope, 
R.  Aiken,  A.  J.  Rosenthal,  W.  M.  Banks,  T.  L.  Wren,  W.  S. 
Messmer,  D.  Redfield,  J.  W.  McKinney.  W.  P.  Butler. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Republicans  of  the  State  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
pointing  with  just  pride  to  the  record  of  our  party,  declare  our 
allegiance  to  its  principles,  as  expressed  in  the  National  platform 
adopted  at  Minneapolis.  We  heartily  approve  of  the  action  of  the 
National  convention  in  the  nomination  of  President  Harrison,  whose 
pure,  able,  and  patriotic  administration  of  affairs  has  defied  arraign- 
ment even  at  the  hands  of  the  Democracy,  and  we  pledge  him  and  his 
colleague  on  the  National  ticket,  Whitelaw  Reid,  the  solid  vote  of  the 
party  in  Texas. 

We  arraign  the  present  administration  of  Texas  because: 

1.  It  has  arrayed  labor  against  capital,  to  the  great  injury  of  both, 
and  has  intensified  class  prejudice. 

2.  It  has,  in  effect,  confiscated  property,  and  practically  denied  to 
the  owners  thereof  the  right  to  be  heard  in  the  courts. 

3.  It  has,  by  intolerance,  proscription,  and  interperate  -expression, 
driven  much  capital  out  of  Texas,  and  prevented  the  coming  of  much 
more,  and  thereby  raised  the  rate  of  interest  and  increased  the  burdens 
of  all  except  the  money  lenders. 

4.  It  has  unsettled  land  titles  and  depreciated  taxable  values. 

5.  It  has  robbed  the  laboring  men  of  Texas,  because  by  driving  out 
capital  our  industrial  enterprises  have  been  paralyzed  and  the  value  of 
labor  diminished. 

6.  It  has  attacked  the  decisions  of  courts  and  tried  to  bring  into 
contempt  our  very  citadel  of  liberty,  our  judiciary. 

7.  It  has   discouraged  immigration,   thereby  retarding  agricultural 
development,  thus  robbing  the  farmer  by  decreasing  values,  and  the 
State  by  restraining  production. 

8.  It  has  prevented  the  organization  and  upbuilding  of  new  indus- 
tries that  would  have  employed  large  capital,  given  profitable  employ- 
ment to  many  laborers,  and  increased  the  values  of  farm  products. 

9.  It  has  favored  nepotism  and  prostituted  a  sacred  trust — the  ap- 
pointive power — for  personal  ends. 

10.  It  has  selfishly  and  corruptly  used  the  power  entrusted  to  it  by 
the  people  as  a  means  to  perpetuate  its  existence  in  office. 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Morning 
News,  September  15,  1892. 


328  Platforms  of  Political 

11.  Its  ignorance  of  the  constitution,  as  evidenced  by  the  approval 
and   attempted  enforcement   of  the  alien  land  law,  the  railway  com- 
mission law,  and  other  laws,  has  been  a  just  cause  of  complaint,  and 
imposed  vexatious  burdens  alike  on  the  people  and  the  courts.  , 

12.  It,  for   selfish  purposes,    deprived  the  public   treasury  of  large 
moneys  that  should  have  been  placed  there  to  the  credit  of  the  State 
by  refusing  to  accept  the  bounty  on  sugar  due  Texas  from  the  Federal 
government. 

13.  For  a  selfish,  if  not  corrupt  purpose,  it  has  invaded  and  begun 
to  destroy  the  common  heritage  of  the  children  of  Texas,  the  sacred 
school  fund,  bequeathed  in  trust  to  them  by  their  forefathers. 

14.  By  unwise  legislation,  by  threats  against  capital,  and  reckless 
disregard  of  sacred  rights,  it  has  paralyzed  capital,  prostrated  indus- 
tries, and  depreciated  farm  values,  and,  by  false  promises,  impossible 
of  fulfillment,  has  caused  strife  and  dissatisfaction  among  the  masses. 

15.  Its  future  policy,  as  outlined  in  the  Houston  platform,  gives  no 
promise  or  hope  of  any  relief  from  the  evils  complained  of,  but  rather 
confirms   the  belief  that  they  will  be  increased  and  intensified  if  it 
receives  indorsement  in  November,  and  we,  therefore,  urge  upon  the 
people  of  Texas  the  imperative  necessity  of  placing  the  seal  of  their 
utter  condemnation  upon  the  present  administration. 

The  Republican  party  demands: 

1.  Perfect  equality  before  the  law;  equal  rights  to  all,  and  special 
privileges  to  none. 

2.  We  are  opposed  to  all  sumptuary  laws,  and  believe  in  the  largest 
individual  liberty  consistent  with  good  government. 

3.  We  favor  the  regulation  of  railway  corporations  under  such  re- 
strictions as  will  insure  equal  justice  to  the  railways  as  well  as  the 
people. 

4.  We  condemn  all  forms  of  communism  and  State  socialism,  and 
view  with  alarm  the  existing  war  in  this  State  upon  property. 

5.  Our  sympathies  are  most  cordially  extended  to  all  laboring  people 
in  their  efforts  to  better  the  conditions  of  themselves  and  those  depend- 
ent upon  them. 

6.  We  condemn  all  revolutionary  methods  and  violence  on  the  part 
of  our  citizens,  believing  that  an  appeal  to  the  law  best  protects  every 
citizen  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  rights. 

7.  We  condemn  all  legislation  calculated  to  drive  capital  out  of  the 
State  or  turn  immigration  from  us. 

8.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  such  laws  as  will  secure  to  us  the 
introduction  into  this  State  of  money  at  a  low  rate  of  interest. 

9.  We  demand  that  the  coming  legislature  shall  provide  for   the 
collection  from  the  Federal  government  of  the  bounty  on  sugar  produced 
on  the  State  farms. 

10.  We  demand  that  the  State  legislature  enact  such  laws  as  will 
r~     «;' 


Parties  in  Texas  329 

protect  the  ballot  of  every  citizen  in  accordance  with  the  demands  ex- 
pressed in  the  election  plank  of  the  National  Republican  platform. 

11.  We  demand  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  will  further  the  building 
and  keeping  in  repair  of  a  system  of  intercounty  public  roads,  and  to 
this  end  we  demand  the  employment  of   penitentiary   convicts,   thus 
procuring  for  them  profitable  employment  without  bringing  them  into- 
competition  with  free  labor. 

12.  We  condemn  the  law  which  discriminates  against  colored  teach- 
ers upon  the  county  school  boards  of  examiners  as  class  legislation. 

13.  We  demand  that  the  legislature  comply  with  the  constitutional 
requirement  and    establish   a  branch  of  the   State  university  for  the 
colored  people. 

Judge  Makemson  said  that  the 'committee  on  platform  had  reached  a 
point  where  there  was  some  difference  and  there  was  a  majority  and 
a  minority  resolution.  He  then  read  the  majority  resolution,  adopted 
by  eleven  of  the  thirteen  members,  as  follows: 

[14]  Resolved,  that  the  present  deplorable  condition  of  the  public 
affairs  of  our  State  is  such  that  the  general  welfare  demands  at  our 
hands  as  patriotic  citizens  the  defeat  of  James  S.  Hogg,  and  the  election 
of  some  one  in  his  stead  who  will  give  to  Texas  a  liberal  and  progressive 
administration,  and  to  this  end  we  earnestly  recommend  to  th-e 
Republicans  of  our  State  the  election  of  Hon.  George  Clark. 

MINORITY    REPOBT 

To  the  Republican  convention  of  Texas:  We,  the  undersigned  mem- 
bers of  your  committee  on  resolutions,  beg  to  dissent  from  the  resolu- 
tion reported  by  the  majority  of  this  committee,  indorsing  the  State 
ticket  headed  by  George  Clark  for  governor,  and  submit  the  resolution 
annexed  as  the  sense  of  the  minority  and  ask  that  the  same  be  adopted 
as  the  sense  of  this  convention. 

C.  G.  WHITE, 
S.  H.  BUCHANAN. 

Resolved,  that  we  deem  it  inexpedient  to  put  forth  a  Republican  State 
ticket,  but  we  earnestly  urge  every  voter  to  go  to  the  polls  in  November 
and  cast  his  vote  for  the  National  Republican  ticket,  and  for  such  State 
officers  as  in  his  opinion  will  be  fitted  to  remedy  the  evils  of  which 
we  complain  and  will  best  promote  the  principles  we  advocate. 

The  majority  report  was  adopted  by  a  large  vote. 

State  Executive  Committee:  N.  B.  Moore,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man ;  1st  Congressional  district,  J.  H.  North,  of  Marion ;  2.  S. 
B.  Hungerford,  of  Hopkins;  3.  C.  M.  Ferguson,  of  Lamar;  4. 
J.  A.  Shannon,  of  Grayson;  5.  W.  H.  Love,  of  Collin;  6.  R.  T. 
Glover,  of  Dallas;  7.  J.  W.  Butler,  of  Smith;  8.  J.  M.  Hickey, 


330  Platforms  of  Political 

of  Rusk;  9.  W.  M.  McDonald,  of  Kaufman;  10.  Cyrus  M.  Dun- 
ham, of  Hill ;  11.  Nathan  Patton,  of  McLennan ;  12.  J.  R.  Niece, 
of  Limestone;  13.  H.  D.  Loyd,  of  Cherokee;  14.  P.  Larkin,  of 
Tyler;  15.  L.  E.  Dunn,  of-  -;  16.  H.  C.  Ferguson,  of  Fort 

Bend;  17.  C.  G.  Vogue,  of  Brazoria ;  18.  J.  G.  Shermack,  of 
Fayette;  19.  W.  E.  Dwyer,  of  Washington;  20.  Hugh  B.  Han- 
cock, of  Travis;  21.  A.  L.  Maynard,  of  Aransas;  22.  D.  M.  O'Con- 
nor, of  Victoria;  23.  W.  N.  Linton,  of  Cameron;  24.  W.  S. 
Mesmer,  of  Bexar;  25.  J.  A.  Smith,  of  El  Paso;  26.  G.  N. 
Arnold,  of  Erath ;  27.  C.  S.  Doubleday,  of  Hamilton :  28.  Wil- 
liam McManus,  of  Callahan;  29.  D.  C.  Kolb,  of  Wichita;  30. 
T.  B.  Burbridge,  of  Tarrant ;  31.  W.  W.  Barbour,  of  Wise. 

DEMOCRATIC    HARMONY    MEETING,    1894 

DALLAS,  March  19  and  20 

The  serious  consequences  of  the  split  in  the  Democratic  psrty 
caused  many  to  urge  a  reunion  of  the  factions.  A  conference 
of  the  leaders  of  the  People's  party  at  Waco,  August  18  and  19, 
1893,  impressed  many  Democrats  with  the  necessity  of  harmony 
in  order  to  forestall  defeat  by  this  party.  Governor  Hogg  made 
a  harmony  address  at  Dallas,  January  27,  1894.  Chairman  Mat- 
lock  and  his  committee  formulated  a  plan  for  restoring  harmony 
at  a  meeting  held  in  Dallas,  February  1.  It  was  promptly  taken 
up  by  Chairman  Baker.  He  called  a  meeting  of  his  committee  to 
be  held  at  Dallas,  March  19th,  and  invited  Chairman  Matlock 
and  his  committee  to  be  present.  The  committees  held  separate 
meetings,  but  appointed  following  conference  committees: 

1.  W.   S.  Baker,  R.  W.   Stayton,  E.  M.  Johnston,  John  T. 
Craddock,   A.    G.    Mcllwaine,    0.    B.    Colquitt,    and   Monta   J. 
Moore. 

2.  A.  L.  Matlock,  William  Poindexter,   J.   0.   Files,  B.  B. 
Paddock,  W.  A.  Kincaid,  E.   S.   Connor,  Jonathan  Lane,  and 
Bart  Moore. 

AGREEMENT1 

WHEREAS,  a  serious  division  exists  among  the  Democrats  of  Texas, 
and  it  is  to  the  interest  of  the  party  and  of  good  government  that  such 

lrThe   proceedings  of  this  meeting  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News. 


Parties  in  Texas  331 

division  should  be  adjusted  and  the  party  reunited  upon  the  basis  of 
fraternal  union,  involving  no  sacrifice  of  principle  on  the  part  of  any 
Democrat,  nor  the  imposition  of  any  terms  calculated  to  bring  humilia- 
tion, therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we  most  heartily  favor  a  reunion  of  the  party,  and 
while  this  committee  does  not  assume  to  frame  or  dictate  a  platform, 
yet  for  the  purpose  of  reunion,  we  recommend  and  submit  as  a  basis 
of  adjustment  and  settlement  of  all  differences  honorably: 

1.  We  reiterate  our  indorsement  of  the  National  platform,  adopted 
in  Chicago  in  1892,  as  a  true  expression  of  Democratic  faith  and  stand 
as  a  unit  ready  to  second  the  exertions  of  our  Democratic  President 
and  Congress  in  the  execution  of  the  demands  of  said  platform. 

2.  We  condemn  the  platform  and  principles  of  the  Republicans  and 
Populists  or  People's  party,  as  essentially  inimical  to  democracy  and 
destructive  to  free  government. 

3.  We  propose   that  all   primaries  and   conventions   to   be  held  in 
1894  be  composed  and, constituted  on  the  basis  of  the  vote  for  Demo- 
cratic presidential  electors  in  1892,  and  no  person  who  was  then  of 
age  and  did  not  so  vote,  unless  prevented  by  sickness,  absence  or  other 
good  cause,  and  no  person  who  will  not  pledge  himself  to  abide  by  the 
action  of  the  State  convention  so  assembled,  shall  be  allowed  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  primaries. 

4.  Resolved,  that  in  order  to  unify  the  machinery  of  the  party  in 
the  State,  it  is  agreed  that  in  all  counties  in  which  there  may  exist 
two  Democratic  county  or  precinct  committees  that  committee  which 
was  created  by  the   regular  Democratic  county  convention  shall  con- 
stitute the  only  recognized  county  and  precinct  Democratic  committee, 
and  all  appointments  of  county  chairmen  made  by  either  State  execu- 
tive committee  be  and  the  same  are  hereby  revoked. 

5.  Upon  the  adoption  of  the  basis  of  settlement  agreed  upon  by  both 
Democratic    State   executive   committees,    Chairman    Matlock  and  his 
committee  will  issue  a  public  address  to  the  Democrats  of  Texas  who 
supported  the  Turner  Hall  ticket  advising  them  of  the  settlement  made, 
and  that  in  pursuance  of  said  settlement  no  call  for  a  State  convention 
will  be  issued  by  his  committee  and  that  his  said  committee  is  dis- 
solved;   that   the  call  of  Chairman   Baker  and   his  committee  is  the 
authorized  call  of  the  regular  united  Democracy  of  Texas,  and  it  is 
urged  upon  all  members  of  the  party  to  respond  to  said  call  in  a  spirit 
of  Democratic  brotherhood,  and  to  unite  with  all  good  Democrats  in 
the  primaries  and  conventions  in  cementing  the  party  and  promoting 
its  success  in  perpetuating  the  true  principles  of  Democratic  govern- 
ment. 

The  foregoing  agreement  was  adopted  by  each  committee 
separately,  and  then  they  joined  in  a  political  lovefeast.  On  the 
day  following,  the  Matlock  committee  issued  the  public  address 
as  agreed,  and  dissolved. 


332  Platforms  of  Political 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1894 

WACO,  June  20  and  21 

Perhaps,  twelve  hundred  delegates  attended  this  convention. 
The  proceedings  were  harmonious. 

Officers:  Chairman,  H.  S.  P.  Ashby,  of  Tarrant.  Secretary 
pro  tempore,  C.  H.  Jenkins,  of  Brown;  permanent,  J.  H.  Boyd, 
of  Delta. 

Nominees  for*  State  Offices:  Governor,  Thomas  L.  Nugent, 
of  Tarrant;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Marion  Martin,  of  Navarro; 
Attorney-General,  R.  V.  Bell,  of  Cooke;  Comptroller,  E.  O. 
Meitzen,  of  Lavaca;  Treasurer,  H.  E.  McCulloch,  of  Guadalupe; 
Commissioner  >of  the  General  Land  Office,  Stephen  G.  Granberry, 
of  Travis ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Addison  Clark, 
of  Hood;  Supreme  Court,  Tom  Russell,  of  Jefferson;  Court  of 
Criminal  Appeals,  E.  L.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  R.  J.  Sledge,  of  Waller;  2.  J.  T.  Spillman,  of  Shelby; 
3.  H.  G.  Wood,  of  Hunt;  4.  S.  J.  Wright,  of  Lamar;  5.  R.  V. 
Bell,  of  Cooke;  6.  J.  L.  Harle,  of  Navarro;  7.  D.  B.  Harris,  of 
McLennan;  8.  C.  H.  Jenkins,  of  Brown;  9.  J.  B.  Sutler,  of 
Travis;  10.  C.  K.  Walter,  of  Gonzales;  11.  Ben  F.  Terrell,  of 
Guadalupe;  12.  W.  R.  Robinson,  of  Bexar;  13.  H.  L.  Bentley, 
of  Taylor;  State  at  large,  John  Dyer,  of  Galveston,  and  J.  B. 
Rayner,  of  Robertson. 

PLATFORM1 

We  hereby  indorse  the  principles  enunciated  in  the  People's  party 
platform,  adopted  at  Omaha,  July  4,  1892. 

2.  We  declare  the  People's  party  to  be  an  antimonopoly  party  and 
reiterate  our  opposition   to   the  monopolization  of  natural   resources 
and   public    utilities   by   individuals    or   corporations    for    speculative 
purposes. 

3.  We  declare  the  monopolies  of  land,  money,  and  transportation 
to  be  the  fruitful  sources  of  civil  and  industrial  inequality  and  wrong, 
the  parent  monopilies  from  which  all  lesser  monopolies  spring,  and  to 

1The    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas    News. 


Parties  in  Texas  333 

the  end  that  these  monopolies   and   their  baneful   consequences  may 
be  removed  we  advocate  appropriate  measures  of  relief. 

4.  The  abolition  of  all  private  banks  of  issue  of  every  character, 
whether  State   or  National. 

5.  The  construction,  ownership,  and  operation  of  railroads  by  the 
government  to  the  extent  necessary  to  control  and  regulate  rates. 

6.  The  governmental  ownership  and  operation  of  all  telephone  and 
telegraph  lines. 

7.  The  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  gold  and  silver  upon  the  ratio 
of  16  to  1. 

8.  The  issuance  by  the  government  of  full  legal  tender  paper  money 
upon  some  system  or  plan,  which,  while  securing  all  flexibility,  shall 
so  regulate  the  volume  of  currency  as  to  limit  it  to  the  actual  needs 
of  business. 

9.  We  condemn  emphatically  the  issue  of  gold  bonds  in  times  of 
peace  to  meet  current  expenses  of  the  government. 

10.  We  favor  the  building  of  the   Nicaragua  Canal  under  proper 
treaty,  provided  it  is  built  and  operated  by  our  government  in  proper 
cooperation  with  Nicaragua  and  Costa  Rica. 

11.  We  declare  that  the  doctrine  of  a  tariff  for  revenue  is  wrong  in 
principle,  and  -we  especially  condemn  the  policy  of  free  raw  material 
while  manufactured  goods  are  protected. 

12.  All  lands  heretofore  granted  to  individuals  or  corporations,  in 
which  the  grantees  have  not  complied  with  the  conditions  of  the  grant, 
should  be  forfeited  to  the  State  for  homsetead  purposes. 

13.  No  alien  ownership  of  land  should  be  allowed  in  Texas. 

14.  Corporations  shall  not  be  allowed  to  own  more  land  than  they 
actually  use  in  the  prosecution  of  their  business. 

15.  We  favor  an  effective  system  of  public  schools  for  six  months 
in  the  year  for  all  children  between  the  ages  of  six  and  eighteen  years, 
and  that  each  race  shall  have  its  own  trustees  and  control  its  own 
schools. 

16.  We  demand  the  adoption  of  a  uniform  series  of  textbooks  for 
the  public  schools  to  be  furnished  by  the  State  at  cost. 

17.  [Same  as  plank  3  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

18.  [Same  as  plank  8  of  the  platform  of  1891.] 

19.  We  demand  a  free  vote  and  an  honest  count. 

20.  [Same  as  plank  8  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

21.  We  demand  that  all  county  officers  shall  receive  fixed  salaries 
not  to  exceed  $2,000  per  annum  net,  and  that  all  fees  shall  be  turned 
into  the  general   fund. 

22  and  23.     [Same  as  plank  11  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

24.  [Same  as  plank  12  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

25.  We  demand  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  gold  and  silver  at 
the  ration  of  16  to  1  and  that  they  be  made  legal  tender  for  all  debts. 


W4  Platforms  of  Political 

26.  We  demand  a  sufficiency  of  good  money  to  supply  the  wants  of 
trade  and  believe  that  $50  per  capita  is  required. 

27.  We  favor  such  amendment  of  the  vagrant  laws  as  will  prevent 
the  prosecution  as  criminals  of  industrious  laboring  men  whJle  in  a 
condition  of  enforced  idleness. 

28.  While  believing  government  ownership  offers  the  only  complete 
and   satisfactory    solution    of   the    railroad    question,    we   nevertheless 
favor  the  continuance  of  the  commission,  but  demand  that  the  com- 
missioners shall  be  elected  by  the  people  and  that  the  law  shall  be 
administered  in  the  spirit  of  fairness  to  all  parties. 

29.  We  demand  that  the  State  provide  sufficient  accommodation  for 
all  its  insane  without  discrimination  in  color. 

30.  We  favor  proportional  representation. 

31.  We  declare  the  People's  party  to  be  in  favor  of  local  self-govern- 
ment and  the  enjoyment  by  th£  individual  of  his  natural  rights  to  the 
greatest  extent  compatible  with  good  society. 

32.  We  favor  such  amendment  to  our  constitution  and  tax  laws  as 
will  secure  the  assessment  of  lands  and  improvements  separately. 

33.  We  favor  a  modification  of  the  laws  of  limitation,  as  to  real 
estate,  to  the  end  that  titles  to  lands  may  be  quieted. 

34.  We  demand  the  enactment  of  a  law  declaring  eight  hours  to 
be  a  legal  day's  work,  except  in  domestic  and  agricultural  affairs. 

Additional  Resolution 

By  John  Dwyer  of  Galveston: 

WHEREAS,  the  industrial  classes  of  Texas  have  sought  the  ameliora- 
tion of  their  condition  through  the  medium  of  honest,  wise,  and  con- 
servative legislation  as  contained  in  twenty-two  bills  presented  to  the 
late  twenty-third  legislature,  and 

WHEREAS,  only  two  bills  of  the  twenty- two  became  legislative  enact- 
ments; therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we,  in  convention  assembled,  severely  censure  and 
heartily  condemn  the  Democratic  party  as  being  opposed  to  the  peace, 
progress,  and  prosperity  of  the  State. 

MINORITY    REPORT 

I  do  not  concur  in  the  plank  with  reference  to  local  self-government, 
as  the  said  plank  was  put  in  the  platform  for  the  purpose  of  capturing 
the  German  vote  and  as  I  am  opposed  to  the  purchase  of  votes. 

J.  B.   SUTLER. 

The  minority  report  was  voted  down  by  an  overwhelming  majority. 

State  Executive  Committee:  H.  S.  P.  Ashby,  of  Tarrant, 
chairman;  1st  Congressional  district,  R.  J.  Sledge,  of  Waller; 


Parties  in  Texas  335 

4.  E.  L.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar;  5.  D.  E.  Lyday,  of  Fannin;  6. 
J.  W.  T.  Loe,  of  Dallas;  13.  J.  W.  Baird,  of  Jones. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1894 

WACO,  June  28 

About  fifty  delegates  attended  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman.  H.  G.  Damon,  of  Navarro.  Secretary, 
J.  M.  Dunn,  of  Hopkins. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  J.  M.  Dunn,  of  Hop- 
kins ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  H.  G.  Damon,  pf  Navarro ;  Attorney- 
General,  J.  B.  Goff,  of  Travis;  Comptroller,  E.  A.  Wingo,  of 
Van  Zandt;  Treasurer,  Ed  Rogers,  of  Hill;  Commissioner  of  the 
General  Land  Office,  A.  B.  Dailey,  of  Hays;  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction,  B.  W.  Williams,  -of  Parker. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  B.  Cranfill,  B. 
W.  Williams,  D.  M.  Prendergast,  E.  A.  Wingo,  Wentworth 
Manning,  W.  D.  Knowles,  E.  C.  Heath,  Harry  Boon,  R.  C. 
Burleson. 

PLATFORM1 

[Preamble  is  same  as  that  of  1892.] 

1.  The  liquor  traffic  is  the  chief  source  of  crime,  poverty,  degrada- 
tion, and  political   corruption,  and  should   not  be  legalized  and  pro- 
tected under  any  form  of  license,  but  absolutely  prohibited  by  law. 

2.  [Same  as  plank  4  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

3  and  4.     [Same  as  planks  5  and  6  of  the  platform  of  1892.} 

5.  The  privilege  of  suffrage  should  be  determined  solely  by  standards 
of  character  and  intelligence,  and  no  foreigner  should  be  allowed  to 
vote  who  has  not  become  naturalized  and  resided  in  the  United  States 
over  ten  years. 

6.  Foreign  immigration  has  become  a  burden  upon   industry,  one 
of  the  factors  in  depressing  wages  and  causing  discontent;  therefore, 
we  declare  in  favor  of  immigration  laws  so  framed  as  to  exclude  the 
pauper,  criminal,  insane,  and  anarchist  classes. 

7.  8,  and  9.     [Same  as  planks  9,  10,  and  11  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 
10.     Nonresident  aliens  should  not  be  allowed  to  acquire  land  in  this 

1(The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
June  29,  1894. 


336  Platforms  of  Political 

country,  and  we  favor  the  limitation  of  individual  and  corporate  own- 
ership of  land.  All  unearned  grants  of  lands  to  railroad  companies  or 
other  corporations  should  be  reclaimed. 

11.  We  stand  unequivocally  for  the  American  public  schools  taught 
in   the    English   language,    and   are   opposed   to   any  appropriation    of 
public  money  for  sectarian  schools. 

12.  All  taxable  property  shall  be  listed  for  taxation  at  its  actual 
value,  less  any  bona  fide  indebtedness  of  the  owner  thereof. 

13.  We  are  opposed  to  the  issuance  of  government  bonds  for  any 
purpose  in  times  of  peace,  and  denounce  the  Democratic  and  Republi- 
can parties  for  the  recent  issues  of  such  bonds  under  plea  of  necessity, 
and  declare  that  such  action  is  contrary  to  the  interests  of  the  people. 

14.  We  cordially  invite  the  cooperation  of  all  our  fellow-citizens  to 
the  end  that  these  declarations  may  be  made  triumphant  in  the  State 
and  Nation.    Where  there  are  other  organizations  who  stand  for  any 
or  all  these  principles,  we  shall  regard  with  special  favor  any  efforts 
wisely  directed  toward   securing  such  a  union  of  forces   as  shall  in 
any  way  hasten  the  overthrow  of  saloon  rule,  reinforced  as  it  is  by 
the  monopolists  on  the  one  hand  and  outworn  and  vicious  political 
organizations  on  the  other  hand. 

State  Executive  Committee:  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rockwall,  chair- 
man; 1st  Congressiona  district,  R.  F.  George^  of  Harris;  2. 
G.  W.  Carroll,  of  Jefferson;  3.  J.  W.  Peyton,  of  Rockwall;  4. 
J.  T.  White,  of  Hopkins;  5.  Dr.  D.  H.  Hancock,  of  Collin;  6. 
G.  W.  Owens,  of  Dallas ;  7.  J.  T.  Jordan,  of  Bell ;  8.  B.  W.  "Wil- 
liams, of  Parker;  9.  G.  W.  Logan,  of  Williamson;  10.  W.  T. 
Clayton,  of  Galveston;  11.  Dr.  Henry  Combs,  of  Bastrop;  12. 
B.  P.  Bailey,  .of  Bexar;  13.  A.  Freeman,  of  Wichita;  State  at 
large,  J.  B.  Cranfill,  and  W.  D.  Jackson,  of  McLennan. 

"REFORM"    REPUBLICAN    STATE    CONVENTION,    1894 

DALLAS,  August  6  and  7 

On  the  occasion  of  the  meeting  of  the  League  of  Republican 
Clubs  at  Fort  Worth,  June  12  and  13,  1894,  an  effort  was  made 
by  some  of  the  prominent  men  on  each  side  to  bring  about  har- 
mony between  the  "Regular"  and  "Reform"  factions.  The 
latter  insisted  upon  the  "census  plan  as  a  basis  of  representa- 
tion," so  nothing  was  accomplished.  Both  factions  placed  State 
tickets  in  the  field.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  delegates  at- 
tended this  convention.  One  colored  delegate  was  present. 


Parties  in  Texan  o37 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tent-pore,  Dr.  A.  M.  Cochran,  of  Dal- 
las; permanent,  Charles  B.  Peck,  of  Harris.  Secretary,  Ed  S. 
Heller,  of  Dallas. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  J.  B.  Schmitz,  of 
Denton :  Lieutenant-Governor,  M.  W.  Mann,  of  Dallas ;  Attor- 
ney-General, W.  H.  Atwell,  of  Dallas;  Comptroller,  Tom  P. 
Johnson,  of  Bexar ;  Treasurer,  H.  K.  Davis,  of  Robertson ;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  Thomas  Breen,  of  Wood; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  S.  D.  Swinford,  of  Har- 
ris; Supreme  Court,  Lock  McDaniel,  of  Harris. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  0.  "W.  Morton,  of 
Parker:  Arthur  Springer,  of  Tarrant;  H'enry  Klein,  of  Harris; 
W.  H.  Atwell,  of  Dallas;  -  -  Wynne,  of  Hunt;  - 

Hale,  of  Grayson;  G.  O.  Greiner,  of  Lamar. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  Believing  in  America  for  Americans,  we  affirm  our  allegiance 
to  the  National  Republican  platform  adopted  at  Minneapolis,  in  1892. 
We  demand  a  tariff  for  the  protection  of  all  American  industries,  and 
articles  which  cannot  be  produced  in  the  United  States,  except  luxuries, 
should  be  admitted  free  of  duty,  and  on  all  imports  coming  into  com- 
petition with  American  labor  there  should  be  duties  levied  equal  to 
the  difference  between  wages  at  home  and  abroad.  We  condemn  the 
action  of  our  Texas  congressmen  in  so  voting  on  a  tariff  as  to  blight 
the  lumber,  wool,  and  other  industries  of  our  State. 

[2]  We  condemn  free  trade  with  foreign  nations  in  any  form  un- 
less by  reciprocity  or  treaties  that  will  open  up  the  markets  of  other 
countries  to  American  producers. 

[3]  We  believe  in  the  Republican  doctrine  of  protection  by  the 
general  government  of  the  life,  liberty,  and  property  of  every  Ameri- 
can citizen  at  home  and  abroad. 

[4]  We  sympathize  with  the  laboring  classes  of  our  country  in  all 
lawful  efforts  to  better  their  condition  and  obtain  a  more  equal  distri- 
bution of  the  wealth  produced  by  labor. 

[5]  We  extend  a  willing  hand  to  the  farmers  of  the  United  States 
and  demand  for  them  the  enactment  of  such  laws  as  will  insure  fair 
returns  for  the  products  of  their  toil. 

[6]  We  believe  in  the  coinage  of  both  gold  and  silver  and  the  issu- 
ance of  paper  money  so  adjusted  that  the  purchasing  power  of  every 
government  dollar  shall  be  equal. 

'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  7,  1894. 

22—328 


338  Platforms  of  Political 

[7]  We  condemn  the  leasing  of  convict  labor  of  the  State  outside  of 
the  walls  of  the  penitentiary,  but  favor  the  enactment  of  laws  allowing 
the  county  to  levy  a  tax  of  at  least  twenty-five  cents  on  the  hundred 
dollars  as  a  road  and  bridge  fund,  and  the  repealing  of  the  present  road 
law  which  requires  citizens  to  work  roads. 

[8]  We  are  in  favor  of  a  superintendent  of  roads  and  bridges  in 
each  county. 

[9]  In  conclusion,  we  congratulate  the  Republicans  of  Texas  on  the 
glorious  outlook  for  the  future  of  the  party.  Honest  money,  Ameri- 
canism, and  protection,  the  immortal  trio,  we  commend  to  you  first, 
last,  and  all  the  time. 

State  Executive  Committee:  L.  P.  Goodell,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man; Ed  Davis,  of  Marion;  W.  H.  Carson,  of  Camp;  G.  0. 
.Greiner,  of  Lamar;  W.  S.  Nevins,  of  Grayson;  H.  Wagner,  of 
Hunt;  W.  N.  Norton,  of  Dallas;  John  Gillis,  of  Wood;  P.  Alt- 
bayer,  of  Kaufman;  George  B.  Colby,  of  Johnson;  George  A. 
O'Brien,  of  McLennan;  S.  M.  Jones,  of  Limestone;  C.  Em- 
manuel,  of  Cherokee;  George  F.  Pool,  of  Orange;  C.  B.  Peck, 
of  Harris;  W.  B.  Blain,  of  Fayette;  T.  L.  Wren,  of .  Travis; 
E.  Mullen,  of  De  Witt;  C.  W.  Standart,  of  Kinney;  G.  W.  An- 
drew, of  Erath;  W.  H.  Harvey,  of  Bell;  William  McMaines,  of 
Callahan ;  J.  C.  Martin,  of  Tarrant ;  Sam  L.  Hain,  James  P. 
Newcomb,  and  Tom  B.  Johnson,  of  Bexar. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,   1894 

DALLAS,  August  14-16 

This  convention  was  not  far  behind  its  predecessor  .of  two 
years  ago  in  point  of  attendance,  division  over  important  ques- 
tions, rival  candidates,  and  the  volume  of  oratory.  A  contem. 
porary  characterized  it  as  quite  as  full  of  fight  but  not  of 
split.  Besides  four  candidates  for  governor,  free  silver,  Presi- 
dent Cleveland's  policy,  and  the  two-thirds  rule  required  some 
sort  of  decision.  Majority  rule  won  over  the  two-thirds  rule 
by  a  vote  of  481  to  374.  The  silver  men  won  most  of  the  nomi- 
nations; the  sound  money  men  shaped  the  platform. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  J.  R.  Fleming,  of  Bexar; 
permanent,  W.  R.  Hamby,  of  Travis.  Thirty-one  vice-presi- 
dents. Secretary,  Will  L.  Sargent,  of  Navarro. 


Parties  in  Texas  3^9 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Charles  A.  Culberson, 
of  Dallas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  George  T.  Jester,  of  Navarro; 
Attorney-General,  Martin  M.  Crane,  of  Johnson ;  Comptroller, 
R.  W.  Finley,  of  Travis ;  Treasurer,  W.  B.  Wortham,  of  Travis ; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Andrew  J.  Baker,  of 
Tom  Green;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  J.  M.  Car- 
lisle, of  Tarrant;  Supreme  Court,  Reuben  R.  Gaines,  of  Lamar, 
Thomas  J.  Brown,  of  Grayson,  LeRoy  G.  Denman,  of  Bexar; 
Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  J.  M.  Hurt,  of  Dallas,  W.  L.  David- 
son, of  Williamson,  John  M.  Henderson,  of  Brazos. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, H.  A.  O'Neill,  of  Cass;  2.  Howard  Templeton,  of  Hopkins; 
3.  E.  L.  Agnew,  of  Fannin;  4.  Allison  Mayfield,  of  Grayson;  5. 
George  R.  Smith,  of  -  -;  6.  W.  H.  Clark,  of  Dallas;  7. 

Gordon  Russell,  of  Wood;  8.  John  T.  Garrison,  of  Nacogdoches; 
9.  M.  H.  Gossett,  of  Kaufman;  10.  G.  C.  Groce,  of  Ellis;  11. 
George  Clark,  of  McLennan ;  12.  J.  W.  Blake,  of  Limestone ;  13. 
S.  P.  Wilson,  of  Cherokee;  14.  J.  D.  Polk,  of  Jefferson;  15.  P. 
W.  Dean,  of  Leon;  16.  0.  T.  Holt,  of  Harris;  17.  Thomas  J. 
Ballinger,  of  Galveston;  18.  Jonathan  Lane,  of  Fayette;  19. 
D.  C.  Giddings,  of  Washington,  chairman;  20.  R.  H.  Evans, 
of  Williamson;  21.  A.  B.  Storey,  of  Caldwell;  22.  John  C.  B'eas- 
ley,  of  Bee ;  23.  G.  W.  Fulton,  of  San  Patrick) ;  24.  J.  A.  Buck- 
ler, of  -  -;  25.  W.  N.  Caldwell,  of  El  Paso;  26.  T.  H. 
Strong,  of  Coleman ;  27.  J.  W.  Moffett,  of  Bell ;  28.  D.  G.  Hill, 
of  Taylor;  29.  J.  N.  Browning,  of  Donley;  30.  Lee  Riddle,  of 
Hood;  31.  A.  C.  Owsley,  of  Denton. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Democrats  of  Texas,  in  State  convention  assembled,  renew  their 
pledge  of  devotion  to  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  party  as  taught 
by  the  fathers,  and  hereby  adopt  the  following  platform  of  principles: 

1.  We  reiterate  our  indorsement  of  the  National  Democratic  plat- 
form, adopted  at  Chicago  in  1892,  and  stand  as  a  unit  in  support  of 
our  Democratic  President  and  Congress  in  their  efforts  to  redeem  the 
pledges  of  said  platform.  We  also  indorse  and  reaffirm  the  Dallas 
Harmony  Agreement,  entered  into  on  March  19,  1894,  and  ratify  said 
agreement  as  the  act  of  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas. 

JThe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas    Newt, 


340  Platforms  'of  Political 

2.  The   Federal   government    is   a    government   of   limited   powers, 
deriving  all  its  powers  from  express  grants  from  the  people,  and  all 
powers  not  expressly  delegated  to  it  are  reserved  to  the  States  and  the 
people.     Each  government,  Federal  and   State,  is  supreme  within  its 
respective  sphere  and 'is  entitled  to  the  loyal  support  of  every  citizen. 
We  deprecate  all  assaults  on  either  government  while  acting  within 
the  scope  of  its  constitutional  authority,  and  hold  it  to  be  the  duty 
of  every  citizen  to  sustain  both  governments  alike  in  the  exercise  of 
all  their  respective  constitutional  functions,  executive,  legislative,  and 
judicial,  without  diminution  or  detraction  from  either. 

3.  Recognizing   the    fact   that   the   Federal    Constitution   expressly 
empowers  Congress  to  provide  for  calling  forth  the  military  to  exe- 
cute the  laws  of  the  Union  and  to  suppress  insurrection  against  the 
Federal  government,  and  that  Congress,  in  pursuance  of  such  express 
grant  of  authority,  has  enacted  laws  carrying  into  effect  these  constitu- 
tional powers,  we  commend  the  President  for  his  prompt  and  vigorous 
action  in  suppressing  the  recent  lawless  disturbance  in  Illinois  and 
other  States,  for  the  purpose  of  executing  the  laws  of  the  Union,  and 
believe  that  such  action  on  his  part  was  expressly  sanctioned  by  the 
Constitution. 

4.  We   hold  to   the  use   of  both   gold  and   silver   as   the   standard 
money  of  the  country,  and  the  equal  coinage  of  both  metals  without 
discrimination  against  either  metal  or  charge  for  mintage;    but  the 
dollar  unit  of  coinage  of  both  metals  must  be  of  equal  intrinsic  and 
exchangeable  value  or  be  adjusted  through  international  agreement  OT 
by  such  safeguards  of  legislation  as  shall  insure  the  maintenance  of 
the  parity  of  the  two  metals  and  the  equal  power  of  every  dollar  at  all 
times  in  the  markets  and  in  payment  of  debts,  and  we  demand  that  all 
paper   currency   shall  be  kept  at  par  with  and   redeemable   in   such 
coin.    We  insist  upon  this  policy  as  especially  necessary  for  the  pro- 
tection of  farmers  and  laboring  classes,  the  first  and  most  defenseless 
victims  of  unstable  money  and  a  fluctuating  currency. 

5.  We  demand  of  Congress  the  passage  of  such  tariff  legislation  as 
may   be   in  strict  accordance  with   the  principles   announced   in  our 
last  National   platform,  and  denounce  all  attempts  to  secure  special 
protection  or  privileges  for  any  particular  class  or  classes  as  unwise, 
unpatriotic,  and  undemocratic. 

6.  We  indorse  the  Democratic  administration  of  Grover  Cleveland 
as  eminently  wise,  patriotic,  and  statesmanlike. 

7.  We  heartily  indorse  the  present  Democratic  State  administration 
and  congratulate  the  people  of  Texas  on  the  reforms  it  has  accom- 
plished. 

8.  We  congratulate  the  people  of  Texas  that  the  disturbing  'question 
of  railway  legislation  has  been  definitely  and  finally  settled  and  in  a 
manner  alike  just  to  the  people  and  the  railways. 


Parties  in  Texas  341 

9.  While  recognizing  to  the  fullest  extent  the  right  of  labor  to  or- 
ganize for  the  advancement  of  its  members  and  the  promotion  of  their 
interests,  we  maintain  that  the  right  of  every  citizen  of  Texas  to  pur- 
sue his  labor  and  occupation  without  molestation  or  hindrance  from 
any  source  must  not  be  abridged  in  this  State;  and  we  demand  of  our 
next  legislature  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  may  be  necessary  to  pro- 
tect every  citizen  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  such  individual  liberty. 

10.  We  hold  to  the  theory  that  government  was  instituted  for  the 
protection  of  life,  liberty,  and  property,  and  that  it  fails  in  its  purpose 
when  it  denies  that  protection  to  any  citizen  or  class  of  citizens.     We 
view  with  grave  apprehension  the  growing  tendency  to  set  at  defiance 
the  laws  devised  for  the  protection  of  life  and  property,  and  demand 
of  our  legislature  such  amendment  of  these  laws  as   may  be  found 
necessary,  and  of  our  executive  officers  the  use  of  all  the  powers  of 
the  State,  when  necessary,  for  the  suppression  of  lawlessness  and  the 
protection  of  the  lives  of  our  citizens  and  all  classes  of  property  within 
this  State. 

11.  A  general  diffusion  of  knowledge  being  essential  to  the  liberties 
and  rights  of  the  people,  we  pledge  that  the  constitutional  provisions 
requiring  the  public  free  schools  to  be  maintained  and  supported  for 
a  period  of  not  less  than  six  months  each  year  shall  be  faithfully  car- 
ried out,  and  the  University,  its  branches,  and  other  educational  insti- 
tutions shall  be  properly  endowed  and  maintained. 

12.  We  believe  the  system  of  hiring  convicts  to  corporations  and 
individuals  is  against  public  policy  and  should  be  discontinued  at  the 
earliest  practicable  moment  consistent  with  the  best  interest  of  the 
State. 

13.  We  favor  the  passage  of  a  law  by  the  next  legislature  regulating 
primary  elections  of  political  parties  in  this  State. 

14.  We  commend  the  action   of  the  public   officials   in  seeking  to 
recover  lands   unlawfully   obtained  by   railroad   companies   from   the 
State  for  sidings  and  switches,  and  pledge  the  people  that  so  long  as 
the  Democratic  party  remains  in  power  this  course  shall  be  continued 
until  every  acre  is  recovered  or  returned  to  the  State.     At  the  same 
time  we  pledge  that  all  actual  settlers  on  such  lands  and  also  all  pur- 
chasers in  good  faith  for  value,  who  may  have  purchased  any  of  said 
lands  from  the  railroad  companies  or  their  assignees,  shall  have  their 
titles  validated  and  made  good  in  so  far  as  the  State  may  have  any 
claim. 

15.  We  demand  that  our  senators  and  representatives  in  Congress 
be  requested  to  use  all  honorable  means  to  secure  adequate  appropria- 
tions for  the  improvement  of  the  ports  and  inland  waterways  of  the 
State  of  Texas. 

16.  We  favor  the  adoption  of  the  pending  constitutional  amendment 
authorizing  annual  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the  Confederate 


342  Platforms  of  Political 

Home,  and  pledge  the  Democratic  party  to  the  continued  maintenance 

and  support  of  said  institution. 

D.  C.  GIDDINGS,  D.  G.  HILL, 

O.  T.  HOLT,  JOHN  T.   GARRISON, 

J.  N.   BROWNING,  P.  W.  DEEN, 

J.  A.   BUCKLER,  THOS.  J.  BALLINGER, 

GEORGE   CLARK,  L/EE  RIDDLE, 

G.  C.  GROCE,  S.   P.  WILSON, 

J.  D.  POLK,  G.   W.   FULTON, 

JONATHAN  LANE,  W.  M.  CALDWELL, 

A.  B.  STOREY,  W.  H.  CLARK. 

MINORITY    REPORT 

We,  the  minority  of  your  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions, 
respectfully  report  that  in  a  spirit  of  Democratic  charity  and  con- 
cession we  have  exhausted  every  reasonable  means  to  secure  an  agree- 
ment with  the  majority  upon  a  Democratic  platform,  and,  being  thus 
unable  to  agree,  we  submit  the  accompanying  platform  which  we  deem 
a  just  and  fair  presentation  of  Democratic  principles  upon  which  every 
Democrat  in  Texas  should  be  able  to  stand,  and  we  recommend  the 
adoption  of  the  same  by  the  convention. 

J.  W.  BLAKE.  JOHN  C.  BEASLEY, 

ALVIN  C.  OWSLEY,  E.  L.  AGNEW, 

H.  A.  O'NEAL,  G.  R.  SMITH, 

J.  W.  MOFFETT,  HOWARD  TEMPLETON, 

R.  H.  EVANS,  J.  G.  RUSSELL, 

M.   H.  GOSSETT,  ALLISON   MAYFIELD. 

T.  H.  STRONG, 

We,  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  happily  reunited,  in  convention  as- 
sembled, invoking  the  favor  and  blessings  of  Almighty  God,  hereby 
proclaim  the'  following  declaration  of  sentiments,  principles,  and  poli- 
cies, to  which  we  solemnly  pledge  our  fealty  and  support: 

1.  We  reaffirm  our  adherence  and  devotion  to  Democratic  principles 
as  taught  by  the  fathers  of  the  republic  and  from  time  to  time  pro- 
claimed by  the  party. 

2.  We    declare   and   pledge   anew   our   allegiance   to    the   National 
Democracy,  and  indorse  the  declaration  of  principles  adopted  at  Chi- 
cago in  1892. 

3.  We  heartily   commend  and   indorse   the   administration   of   our 
Democratic   President,   Grover  Cleveland,   in  the   elevation   of  official 
integrity,  the  reduction  of  governmental  expenditures,  the  wise  and 
patriotic  treatment  of  the  pension  question,  the  firm  insistence  upon 
respect  abroad  or  land  and  sea  to  the  United  States  flag,  the  efforts 
to  reduce  custom  duties  to  a  strictly  revenue  basis,  and  the  passage 
of  a  tariff  bill  embodying  an   income  tax,  the  prompt  repeal  of  the 


Parties  in  Texas  343 

odious  Federal  election  laws,  and  we  stand  pledged  and  ready  to  aid 
all  faithful  exertions  of  the  administration  in  the  execution  of  the 
demands  of  our  party  platform. 

4.  We  hold  to  the  use  of  both  gold  and  silver  as  the  standard  money 
of  the  country  and  to  the  coinage  of  both  metals  without  discrimina- 
tion against  either  or  charge  for  mintage,  but  the  dollar  unit  of  coin- 
age of  both  metals  shall  be  adjusted  by  such  safeguards  of  legislation 
as  shall  insure  the  maintenance  of  the  parity  of  the  two  metals,  and 
the  equal  power  of  every  dollar  at  all  times  in  the  markets  and  in  the 
payment   of   debts  and   we   believe   that  this   parity  and   purchasing 
power  will  be  maintained  by  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  both 
metals  at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1.     We,  therefore,  favor  the   immediate 
restoration  of  silver  coinage  as  it  existed  prior  to  1873,  and,  if  upon 
a  fair  trial  it  shall  be  determined  that  this  ratio  will   not  keep  the 
two  metals  in  circulation  on  a  parity  with  each  other,  then  the  ratio 
to  be  readjusted  to  the  end  that  the  money  of  the  people  shall  be  such 
in  quantity  and  quality  as  was  originally  contemplated  by  the  Consti- 
tution, and  we  further  demand  that  all  paper  currency  shall  be  kept  at 
par  with  and  redeemable  in  such  coin. 

5.  We  reannounce  that  the  Federal  government  is  one  of  limited 
and  delegated  powers  and  that  such  as  are  not  conferred  upon  it  by 
the  Constitution  are  reserved  to  the  States  respectively  or  to  the  people, 
and  we  insist  that  the  strict  observance  of  this  principle  is  essential 
to  the  prosperity  of  local  self-government. 

6.  We  favor  the  equal  and  impartial  enforcement  of  the  laws  of  the 
land,  State  and  Federal,  against  all  guilty  of  a  violation  thereof,  and 
we  indorse  the  vigorous  measures  recently  taken  by  President  Cleve- 
land to  execute  the  laws  of  the  United  States  for  the  preservation  of 
public   property,   transmission  of  the   mails,   and  regulation  of  inter- 
state commerce;  but  at  the  same  time  we  regret  the  necessity  for  such 
interference  by  the  President,  and  believe  that  the  power  thus  exer- 
cised should  only  be  used  as  in  this  instance  in  the  last  extremity, 
and  after  the  State  has  failed  and  refused  to  preserve  order. 

7.  We  assert  and  contend  that  life  tenure  of  office  invites  arbitrary 
despotic  power,  and,  therefore,  favor  such  amendments  to  the  Federal 
Constitution  as  will  limit  the  terms  of  Federal  officers  to  a  reasonable 
term  of  years. 

8.  We  favor  Federal  appropriations  sufficient  to  deepen  our  several 
harbors  and  remove  obstructions  in,  and  provide  locks  and  dams  for 
the  Trinity,  Brazos,  and  other  navigable  rivers,  so  that  our  vast  com- 
merce may  at  an  early  day  have  the  advantage  of  water  transportation 
to  thp  markets  of  the  world. 

9.  We  commend  and  indorse  our  State  Democratic  administration 
and  congratulate  the  people  upon  the   successful  inauguration  of  re- 
form in  the  alien  ownership  of  lands,  the  prohibition  of  land  monopolies, 
the  regulation  of  railways  by  the  agency  of  the  commission,  the  regu- 


344  Platforms  of  Political 

lation  of  the  execution  of  municipal  securities,  and  stocks  and  bonds 
by  railway  companies,  and  pledge  an  efficient  enforcement  of  these 
laws. 

10.  We  condemn  the  destructive  principles  of  the  Republican  and 
so-called  People's  party  as  essentially  inimical  to  Democracy  and  de- 
structive to  free  government. 

11.  We  pledge  a  continued  economical  administration  of  the  State 
government   in  all   its    departments  consistent  with   efficiency  of  the 
public  service. 

12.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  such  further  laws  as  may  be  neces- 
sary to  protect   laborers,  material  men,   and  mechanics  against  loss 
and  injustice. 

13.  We  favor  the  continuation  of  the  policy  and  system  of  working 
convicts  that  prevents  their  competition  with  free  labor. 

14.  We  pledge  the  further  enactment  of  such   laws  as  experience 
and  wisdom  may  find  necessary  to  complete  the  work  of  suppressing 
trusts,  pools,  and  combinations  in  restraint  of  trade. 

15.  We  favor  and  pledge  the  necessary  appropriations  to  maintain 
the  efficient  operation  of  the  public  free  schools  for  the  constitutional 
period  of  six  months,  the  efficient  maintenance  of  the  University  and 
its  branches,  and  the  proper  support  of  the  Confederate  and  Orphans' 
homes. 

16.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  laws  to  prevent  and  punish  frauds 
in  primary  elections. 

17.  With  unshaken  belief  in  Democracy  and  the  political  soundness 
and  justice  of  the  principles  herein  enunciated,  we  confidently  commit 
them  to  the  candid  judgment  of  the  verdict  they  will  render. 

The  minority  report  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  451  to  4!5. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  G.  Dudley,  of  Lamar,  chair- 
man; 1st  Senatorial  district,  W.  W.  Dillard,  of  Bowie;  2.  John 
L.  Young,  of  Delta;  3.  W.  J.  Hood,  of  Fannin;  4.  E.  P.  Hill, 
of  Cooke;  5.  H.  A.  Finch,  of  Collin;  6.  George  A.  Garden,  of 
Dallas;  7.  Henry  B.  Marsh,  of  Smith;  8.  S.  J.  Hendricks,  of 
Rusk:  9.  J.  M.  Harper,  of  Navarro;  10.  W.  C.  Wear,  of  Hill; 
11.  J.  C.  Oltorf,  of  Falls;  12.  L.  L.  Mclnnis,  of  Brazos;  13.  S. 
A.  McMeans,  of  Anderson;  14.  J.  S.  Keaghey,  of  Jasper;  15. 
George  D.  Neal,  of  Grimes;  16.  R.  M.  Johnston,  of  Harris;  17. 
John  E.  Linn,  of  Wharton;  18.  M.  L.  Townsend,  of  Lavaca; 
19.  W.  B.  Garrett,  of  Washington;  20.  A.  S.  Walker,  Jr.,  of 
Travis;  21.  Joseph  Faust,  of  Comal;  22.  E.  L.  Dunlop,  of 
Vicoria ;  23,  George  W.  Fulton  of  San  Patricio ;  24,  R.  H.  Burney. 
of  Kerr;  25.  C.  L.  Lauderdale,  of  Llano ;  26.  Arch  Grinnan, 


Parties  in  Texas  345 

of  Brown;  27.  W.  G.  Kingsbury,  of  Bosque;  28.  W.  H.  Warren, 
of  Shackelford;  29.  R.  E.  Huff,  of  Wichita;  30.  A.  L  Moseley, 
of  Parker;  31.  G.  W.  Barefoot,  of  Montague. 

"REGULAR"   REPUBLICAN   STATE   CONVENTION,   1894 

DALLAS,  August  28  and  29 

The  interest  of  this  convention  centered  around  the  selection 
of  the  State  chairman.  N.  W.  Cuney  opposed  the  re-election  of 
N.  B.  Moore.  Dr.  John  Grant  was  elected  by  a  vote  of  368 
to  247. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Wilbur  F.  Crawford,  of 
Milani;  permanent,  Webster  Flanagan,  of  Rusk.  Secretary,  D. 
C.  Kolp,  of  Wichita. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  W.  K.  Makemson,  of 
Williamson;  Lieutenant-Governor,  R.  B.  Rentfro,  of  Cameron; 
Attorney-General,  J.  A.  Hurley,  of  Hopkins;  Comptroller,  G. 
A.  Tomlinson,  of  Tarrant ;  Treasurer,  G.  W.  Lowden,  of  Taylor ; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Ed  Anderson,  of 
Travis;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  A.  H.  Colwell 
(c),  of  Brazos;  Supreme  Court,  J.  M.  McCormick,  of  Dallas, 
C.  H.  Maris,  of  Cameron,  C.  0.  Harris,  of  Runnels;  Court  of 
Criminal  Appeals,  W.  K.  Homan,  of  Grayson,  Henry  Terrell, 
of  Bexar,  C.  G.  White,  of  Smith. 

Committee,  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  R.  B.  Hawley, 
chairman;  1st  Congressional  district,  A.  T.  Lockett,  2.  J.  G. 
Tibbetts,  3.  Webster  Flanagan,  4.  C.  M.  Ferguson,  5.  George  A. 
Knight,  6.  B.  O.  James,  7.  Thomas  A.  Pope,  8.  J.  M.  Terrell, 
9.  W.  K.  Makemson,  10.  R,  B.  Hawley,  chairman,  11.  J.  W. 
Robinson,  12.  W.  S.  Messmer,  13.  J.  A.  Smith. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  We,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  renew 
our  unqualified  devotion  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  as 
set  forth  in  the  National  Republican  party  platform,  adopted  at  Minne- 
apolis in  1892. 

1PThe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas    Newt. 


346  Platforms  of  Political 

[2]  We  reaffirm  the  American  doctrine  of  protection,  and  we  favor 
more  uniform  protection  to  manufacturers  and  producers  in  every 
branch  of  industry  which  shall  equalize  the  difference  between  the 
compensation  paid  to  American  labor  and  the  earnings  of  labor  abroad. 

[3]  We  denounce  the  attitude  of  the  Democratic  Congress  in  legis- 
lating against  the  industrial  interests  of  the  country. 

[4]  We  denounce  their  flagrant  discrimination  against  the  agricul- 
tural and  pastoral  growth  everywhere,  while  fostering  the  combina- 
tions and  trusts  of  aggregated  capital,  creating  and  maintaining  mon- 
opolies at  the  expense  of  every  consumer  and  injury  of  the  entire 
country. 

[5]  We  point  with  pride  to  the  success  of  the  Republican  policy 
of  reciprocity,  under  which  our  interchange  of  trade  had  grown  enorm- 
ously, leading  to  free  intercourse  and  freer  commerce  with  every 
American  nation  and  we  denounce  the  action  of  the  Democratic  Con- 
gress which  has  abrogated  these  trade  relations  to  the  injury  of  every 
interest  and  every  part  of  the  country. 

[7]  We  are  in  favor  of  sound  money — gold,  silver,  and  currency — 
its  volume  as  large  as  practicable,  so  coined  and  issued  that  every 
dollar  shall  be  equal  in  value  the  one  to  the  other. 

[8]  We  favor  the  indorsement  of  the  Nicaragua  canal  project  by 
the  National  government. 

[9]  We  condemn  the  letter  of  President  Cleveland  to  Congressman 
Catchings  as  prolonging  a  condition  of  uncertainty  which  has  pafalyzed 
the  industries  of  the  country  for  the  past  two  years,  and  we  approve 
his  action  in  interposing  the  National  authority  to  suppress  the  late 
riots  in  Chicago  and  elsewhere. 

[10]  We  favor  equal  school  accommodations  for  all  races  and  con- 
demn that  policy  of  the  Texas  Democracy  which  has  reduced  the  per 
capita  appropriation  of  the  State  school  fund  from  $5.00  two  years  ago 
to  $3  or  less  at  the  present;  also  that  the  State  should,  as  early  as 
practicable,  take  the  necessary  steps  toward  instituting  the  colored 
branch  of  the  university,  thus  putting  into  effect  the  expressed  will 
of  the  people. 

[11]  We  denounce  in  unmeasured  terms  the  acts  of  the  Democratic 
administration  in  invading  and  depleting  the  permanent  school  fund 
as  an  assult  upon  the  noblest  heritage  left  by  the  fathers  to  the  chil- 
dren of  Texas. 

[12]  We  denounce  the  Democratic  methods  of  finance,  the  deple- 
tion of  the  State  treasury,  and  their  utter  incapacity  in  providing 
State  revenues  and  caring  for  the  State's  credit. 

[13]  The  condition  of  our  sheep  and  cattle  industries  demands  a 
rational  revision  of  the  State  laws  governing  the  lease  and  sale  of 
State  lands.  We  favor  the  leasing  of  grazing  lands  for  long  terms, 
with  absolute  possession  for  such  term  of  years,  with  minimum  selling 


Parties  in  Texas  347 

price,  confident  that  such  policy  will  result  in  increasing  revenues  to 
the  State. 

[14]  We  deplore  the  communistic  tendencies  of  Governor  Hogg  and 
his  antagonism  to  that  spirit  of  National  unity  which  should  pervade 
every  State  of  this  great  Nation. 

Additional  Resolutions 

WHEREAS,  the  great  and  rapid  increase  in  the  agricultural  and  manu- 
factured products  of  the  State  of  Texas  makes  it  necessary  for  this 
people  to  have  like  advantages  and  facilities  with  other  portions  of  the 
United  States  in  the  export  and  import  of  all  commodities,  and  make 
our  Gulf  ports  the  gateways  to  the  markets  of  the  world,  which  would 
insure  and  bring  a  greater  trade  from  all  portions  of  the  globe  to  our 
doors  in  exchange  for  the  products  of  the  great  northwest,  we  deem  it 
absolutely  necessary  that  to  accomplish  this  great  object  it  is  nec- 
essary to  cheapen  the  transportation  as  far  into  the  interior  as 
possible  by  water.  By  improving  our  navigable  rivers  we  can  offer 
such  inducements  to  th-e  people  of  the  great  northwest  that  their 
trade  will  naturally  seek  our  markets;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  this  convention  do  ask  and  demand  of  the  government 
of  the  United  States  such  appropriations  as  will  be  necessary  to  make 
the  Trinity  River  navigable  every  day  in  the  year  from  Dallas  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Resolved,  that  we  condemn  the  law  passed  by  the  last  legislature 
which  provides  that  negroes  living  in  counties  under  the  district  sys- 
tem shall  not  be  trustees  under  that  system. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Dr.  John  Grant,  of  Tarrant, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  W.  E.  Singleton,  of  Marion; 
2.  R.  E.  Colwell.  of  Camp:  3.  and  4.  blank;  5.  Thomas  Andrews, 
of  Collin;  6.  blank;  7.  J.  W.  Butler,  of  Smith;  8.  J.  M.  Hickey, 
of  Anderson;  9.  W.  M.  McDonald,  of  Kaufman;  10.  S.  M.  C. 
Davis,  of  Hill;  11.  W.  F.  Crawford,  of  Milam;  12.  and  13. 
blank;  14.  W.  W.  Frazier,  of  Jasper;  15.  L.  E.  Dunn,  of 
-:  16.  Henry  C.  Ferguson,  of  Fort  Bend;  17.  blank; 
18.  J.  G.  Shermack,  of  Fayette;  19.  John  C.  Cain,  of  Washing- 
ton; 20.  Hugh  B.  Hancock,  of  Travis;  21.  A.  L.  Maynard,  of 
Caldwell ;  22.  G.  R.  Townsend,  of  Victoria ;  23.  W.  N.  Linton, 
of  Webb;  24.  E.  H.  Terrell,  of  Bexar;  25.  J.  A.  Smith,  of  El 
Paso;  26.  C\l.  Mullins,  of  Robertson;  27.  Harry  Harris,  of  Cor- 
yell;  28.  B.  B.  Kenyon,  of  Taylor;  29.  D.  C.  Kolp,  Wichita;  30. 
Thomas  B.  Burbridge,  of  Tarrant;  31.  George  A.  Knight,  of 
Montague. 


•7 


348  Platforms  of  Political 

STATE   LABOR   CONVENTION,   1894 

FORT  WORTH,  September  24 

Dissatisfaction  with  the  treatment  of  the  demands  of  labor 
by  the  twenty-third  legislature,  and  with  the  ninth  and  tenth 
planks  of  the  Democratic  platform,  prompted  the  labor  organi- 
zations of  Dallas  and  Fort  Worth  to  call  a  State  convention. 
Its  sessions  were  held  behind  closed  doors. 

Officers:  Chairman,  George  Clough,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
W.  W.  Price,  of  Denison. 

DEMANDS  AND  RESOLUTIONS1 

Money. — 1.  We  hold  that  the  value  of  all  labor  products  is  deter- 
mined by  the  amount  of  labor  required  to  produce  or  duplicate  them, 
and  as  silver  and  gold  are  labor  products  their  intrinsic  value  must 
necessarily  vary  from  time  to  time  in  relation  to  each  other.  Hence 
to  maintain  a  parity  of  value  at  any  fixed  ratio  between  two  or  more 
labor  products,  varying  in  their  supply  and  in  the  labor  required  for 
their  production,  is  a  manifest  impossibility,  except  by  the  exercise 
of  fiat  authority,  which  is  unjustly  and  improperly  exercised  when 
used  to  give  any  one  labor  product  an  artificial  value  over  others; 
therefore,  demand  that  our  statesmen  shall  devise  some  form  of  cur- 
rency each  unit  of  which  shall  at  all  times  represent  a  fixed  and  un- 
varying amount  of  labor. 

2.  Under   exigencies   of   present   conditions,   and   until   such   ideal 
labor  money  shall  become  a  practical  verity,  we  demand  of  Congress 
the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver  at  a  ratio  of  16  to  1,  with- 
out international  agreement;   and  we  denounce  as  an  intolerable  out- 
rage upon  wealth  producers  the  demonetization  of  silver  and  the  con- 
traction of  our  circulating  medium  to  a  single  gold  standard  basis. 

3.  As  Congress  has  not  the  power  to  charter  National  banks,  we 
demand  the  abolition  of  such  banks,  believing  them  to  be  inimical  to 
the  best  interests  of  the  country. 

Land. — We  demand  the  elimination  of  all  speculative  ownership  of 
land  or  other  natural  resources,  and  believe  the  only  practicable  means 
of  accomplishing  this  end  is  through  the  concentration  of  all  taxes  on 
the  rental  value  of  such  land  or  natural  resources. 

Direct  Government — 1.  We  demand  that  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  be  so  amended  that  the  President,  Vice-President,  and 

aThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
Septembr  25  and  Ocobr  6,  1894. 


Parlies  in  Texas  ?49 

United  States  senators  be  elected  by  direct  vote  of  the  people;  also 
that  postmasters  be  elected  by  popular  vote  of  the  people  of  the  city  or 
community  in  which  they  serve. 

2.  We  demand  of  the  members  of  the  coming  legislature  that  they 
do  not  vote  for  or  support  any  person  for  United  States  senator  who 
will  not  pledge  himself  to  vote  for  our  demands. 

WHEBEAS,  we  believe  that  the  time  has  come  when  organized  labor 
should  and  must  combine  in  some  manner  to  defeat  the  encroachments 
of  organized  capital,  and 

WHEBEAS,  we  believe  that  effective  resistance  to  such  encroachments 
is  only  possible  through  united  action  at  the  ballot  [box] ;  therefore, 
be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  denounce  the  action  of  Grover  Cleveland, 
President  of  the  United  States,  in  sending  the  army  of  the  United 
States  into  Chicago,  to  uphold  organized  capital  and  overawe  organized 
labor,  in  defiance  of  the  protest  of  the  governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois 
and  in  contravention  of  the  Federal  Constitution  and  the  guaranteed 
rights  of  sovereign  States,  and  pledge  ourselves  to  oppose  any  man 
for  public  office  who  indorses  Mr.  Cleveland's  action. 

2.  That  as  trade  unionists  and  laboring  men  we  regard  the  strike 
as  a  legitimate  weapon,  and  we  regard  with  alarm  and  great  concern 
the  attempt  of  any  political  party  to  make  such  action  illegal  or  to  visit 
with  penal  punishment  any  peaceful  or  nonaggressive  action  taken  in 
furtherance  of  such  strikes. 

3.  That  we  denounce  and  condemn  the  ninth  and  tenth  planks  of 
the   platform  adopted   at   the  last   Democratic   State   convention,   as- 
sembled at  Dallas,  August  18,  1894,  and  we  hereby  call  upon  all  labor- 
ers, organized  and  unorganized,  to  assist  us  by  every  possible  effort 
to   defeat  every  candidate,   from   local   officials   up,    who   indorses   or 
accepts  such  planks. 

4.  That  we  express  our  sympathy  for  E.  V.  Debs  in  his  manly  and 
patriotic   struggles   to   uphold   the   rights   and    liberties    of   American 
workingmen,  and  we  condemn  and  denounce  the  cruel  and  infamous 
persecution  to  which  he  has  been  subjected  by  the  subservient  tools 
and  agents  of  organized  monopoly. 

5.  That  we  denounce  the  practice  of  officers  throughout  Texas  of 
arresting  unemployed  men  and  women  on  a  charge  of  vagrancy  and 
putting  them  to  work  on  the  streets  and  poor  farms;  we  also  denounce 
the  convict  system  of  this  State. 

State  Executive  Committee:  G.  C.  Renken,  of  Fort  Worth, 
George  N.  Beach,  of  Dallas,  G.  W.  Baird,  of  Gordon,  W.  W. 
Price,  of  Denison,  J.  W.  Bain,  of  Tyler,  F.  A.  Harris,  of  Rock- 
dale,,  W.  A.  Carper,  of  Waco,  B.  U.  Hultzman,  of  Omaha,  W.  S. 
Gross,  of  Cooper,  Mayo  Paretti,  of  Galveston,  M.  P.  Jones,  of 
San  Antonio,  M.  W.  Williams  of  Taylor. 


350  Platforms  of  Political 

STATE    CONFERENCE   OF    "GOLD"    DEMOCRATS,    1895 

WACO,  May  9 

Pursuant  to  a  call  issued  April  19th,  the  Democratic  members 
of  the  legislature,  opposed  to  free  silver,  held  a  caucus  on  the 
24th;  they  decided  to  take  no  formal  action.  On  the  same  day, 
a  call  was  issued  from  Waco  for  a  conference  of  Democrats  op- 
posed to  free  silver,  to  be  held  May  9,  1895.  The  attendance 
at  the  conference  was  not  large. 

Officers:  Chairman,  Rufus  Hardy,  of  Navarro.  Secretary. 
George  Robinson,  of  Bell. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  L.  C.  Alexander,  of  McLennan; 
V.  W.  Hale,  of  Lamar;  A.  L.  Matlock,  of  Tarrant;  W.  E. 
Hughes,  of  Dallas;  John  T.  Harcourt,  of  Parker;  Lewis  Han- 
cock, of  Travis;  Henry  Sackett,  of  Coleman;  George  Clark,  of 
McLennan;  P.  M.  Whitaker,  of  Smith;  G.  J.  Adkisson,  of  Mc- 
lennan ;  J.  T.  Davis,  of  McLennan ;  A.  A.  Kemble,  of  Ellis,  chair- 
man. Upon  motion  the  chairman  was  added  to  the  committee. 

i 

RESOLUTIONS1 

1.  The  efforts  of  the  advocates  of  the  unlimited  coinage  of  silver 
at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1  at  their  recent  meeting  at  Austin  to  pledge  the 
Democratic  party  to  the  cause  of  silver  monometalism  forces  upon  us, 
as  Democrats,  the  necessity  of  declaring  our  views,  and  of  appealing 
to  all  Democrats  who  favor  sound  money  to  arouse  themselves  to  the 
duty  of  putting  the  financial  issue  clearly  before  the  masses  of  the 
people.  These  advocates  of  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver  at  the 
ratio  of  16  to  1,  without  reference  to  the  radical  changes  in  monetary 
conditions  during  the  past  twenty  years,  or  the  cooperation  of  other 
civilized  governments,  seriously  propose  that  the  United  States  of 
America,  alone  of  all  the  great  powers,  is  able  to  double  by  legislation 
the  market  and  intrinsic  value  of  the  silver  bullion  of  the  world,  for 
such  is  necessarily  the  meaning  of  free  and  unlimited  coinage  under 
present  conditions.  We  declare  our  disbelief  in  such  doctrine,  and 
assert  that  this  government,  great  as  may  be  its  power,  can  not  give 
value  to  anything  by  law  alone. 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
May  10,  1895. 


Parties  in  Texas  351 

2.  We  congratulate  the  country  that  the  advocates  of  free  and  un- 
limited coinage  of  silver  at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1  have  at  last  thrown 
aside  the  disguise  of  honest  bimetalism,  under  which  they  have  been 
masquerading  for  years,  and  now  publicly  proclaim  their  purpose  to 
place  the  finances   of  the   country  upon  a   silver  basis  alone.     In  de- 
fiance of  the  latest  authoritative  expression  from  the  Democratic  party 
in   National   convention,   which   refused  by  an  overwhelming  vote   to 
commit  the  party  to  the  heresy  of  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver, 
and  despite  the  refusal  of  the  Democratic  State  convention  of  Texas  in 
1894  to  incorporate  such  a  demand  in  a  Democratic  platform,  and  un- 
mindful of  the  history  and  traditions  of  the  party  throughout  the  long 
years  of  its  glorious  existence,   it  has  always  stood  for  a  sound  and 
honest  currency  and  has  never  once  given  party  countenance  to  de- 
based money,  these  advocates  of  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver 
at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1  announce  their  purpose  to  seize  and  take  pos- 
session of  the  Democratic  party  in  Texas  and  to  drive  from  the  party 
all  those  who  differ  with  them  and  refuse  to  bow  the  knee  to  this  silver 
Baal.     We  declare  that  we  will  not  be  driven  from  the  party,  neither 
will   we  tamely  submit   to  the  seizure  and  prostitution  to  such  base 
purposes.     We  stand,   without  apology  or  explanation,  upon  the  plat- 
forms of  our  party,  National  and  State,  upon  this  rock  we  build  our 
political  church,  and  the  gales  of  Populism  and  fiatism  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it. 

3.  We  hold  that  there   can  never  exist  with  any  people  for   any 
definite  time  two  different  standards  of  money  value,  and  the  history 
of   this   country   since   1792    abundantly   confirms   the   assertion.     We 
stand  with  Andrew  Jackson  and  with  our  present  Democratic  adminis- 
tration for  gold  as  the  unit  measure  of  value  and  as  the  best  and  most 
stable  measure  yet  discovered  by  human  effort,  and  we  demand  of  our 
lawmakers  that  this  country  shall  take  no  backward  step  upon  this 
question,  but  to  the  contrary  that  the  gold  standard  of  value  shall  be 
maintained  inviolate,  to  the  end  that  the  honor  and  glory  of  our  coun- 
try, its  good  name  and  credit,  shall  be  preserved  among  the  nations 
of  the  earth  and  our  people  be  saved  from  the  destruction   of  their 
material   interests  necessarily  resulting^  from  a  change  to   a  debased 
and  constantly  fluctuating  standard  of  value. 

4.  We  favor  honest  bimetalism  and  the  use  of  both  gold  and  silver 
as  the  money  of  the  country  and  the  largest  coinage  of  silver  con- 
sistent with  the  safety  of  our  financial   system  and  the  preservation 
of  an  honest  dollar  worth  100  cents  at  all  times  and  in  all  countries. 
We  demand  that  every  dollar  in  circulation  among  the  people,  whether 
gold  or  silver  or  paper  as  its  representative,  shall  possess  at  all  times 
equal  purchasing  and  debt-paying  power  with  every  other  dollar,  and 
we  declare  it  to  be  our  purpose  to  wage  unceasing  warfare  upon  any 
proposed  system  of  coinage  which  will  enable  a,  mine  owner  or  bullion 
owner  to  take  his  bullion  to  a  government  mint  and  have  it  stamped 


352  Platforms  of  Political 

as  a  dollar,  regardless  of  its  value.  If  bullion  values  are  to  be  thus 
increased  we  prefer  that  such  increase  shall  inure  to  the  government 
and  the  people  rather  than  to  the  mine  owner. 

5.  It  is  neither  contemplated  nor  desired  that  one  dollar  of  silver 
now   coined   or  which   may   be   coined   under   present   laws   shall   be 
demonetized,  or  its  standing  in  any  way  impaired,  and  the  government 
should  carry  out  the  present  requirement  of  the  law  that  its  parity 
with  gold  be  maintained. 

6.  We  denounce  the  heresy  of  fiatism  in  all  its  forms  and  we  an- 
nounce our  purpose  to  defend  and  maintain  the  essential  principles  of 
pure  Democratic  government,  and  we  have  no  words   of  comfort  or 
encouragement  for  its  enemies.     We  call  upon  all  Democrats  who  love 
their  party  for  itself  and  not  for  office,  and  who  take  a  patriotic  pride 
in  the  honor  and  glory  of  their  country,  to  come  and  unite  with  us  in 
preserving  the  party  from  the  dangers  which  now  seriously  threaten 
its  very  existence,  and  in  saving  our  country  and  its  people  from  the 
misery  and  destruction  which  must  ensue  from  the  driving  from  our 
shores  of  $600,000,000  of  gold  coin  now  in  circulation  among  us,  and 
the  adoption  of  silver  as  the  sole  basis  of  value  in  this  country.    We 
favor   unrestricted   commercial    intercourse   with   the   nations    of   the 
earth,  and  honest  money  as  the  basis  of  our  exchanges  at  home  and 
abroad. 

Additional  Resolution 

Resolved,  that  a  Central  committee  to  be  composed  of  seven  Demo- 
crats be  appointed  by  the  chairman,  and  that  said  committee  be  in- 
vested with  full  authority  to  take  such  action  as  it  may  deem  neces- 
sary for  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  honest  money  and  the  pre- 
servation of  Democratic  principles.  Said  committee  shall  have  power 
to  appoint  such  other  committees,  State  and  local,  as  may  be  deemed 
necessary,  and  it  may  also  call  a  delegate  State  convention  of  honest 
money  Democrats  at  such  time  and  place  as  may  be  deemed  proper, 
and  generally  have  charge  and  supervision  of  the  organization  of  sound 
money  clubs  throughout  the  State. 

Central  Committee:  V.  W.  Hale,  of  Lamar;  Lewis  Hancock, 
of  Travis;  B.  B.  Paddock,  of  Tarrant:  W.  E.  Hughes,  of  Dallas; 
D.  A.  Nunn,  of  Houston ;  L.  C.  Alexander,  of  McLennan ;  Rufus 
Hardy,  of  Navarro,  chairman. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Central  committee  at  Dallas,  June  22, 
1895,  it  was  voted  to  increase  the  committee  so  as  to  consist  of 
one  member  from  each  senatorial  district  of  the  State. 

Delegates  to  the  'Memphis  Convention:  K.  M.  Van  Zandt, 
T.  J.  Powell,  A.  L.  Matlock,  B.  B.  Paddock,  of  Fort  Worth; 


Parties  in  Texas  353 

Columbus  Upson,  of  San  Antonio ;  E.  L.  Dunlop,  of  Victoria; 
Rufus  Hardy,  Richard  Skinner,  of  Corsicana;  William  Poindex- 
ter,  of  Cleburne;  V.  W.  Hale,  E.  S.  Connor,  Fred  H.  Gaines, 
H.  D.  McDonald,  of  Paris;  D.  A.  Nurm,  of  Crockett;  Jerry 
McDaniel,  of  Centerville;  M.  L.  Crawford,  George  Aldredge, 
John  W.  Springer,  W.  E.  Hughes,  0.  P.  Bowser,  of  Dallas; 
Lewis  Hancock,  George  B.  Zimpleman,  of  Austin ;  George  Clark, 
L.  C.  Alexander,  R.  H.  Kingsbury,  of  Waco;  W.  L.  Christian, 
John  T.  Harcourt,  of  Weatherford;  Walter  Gresham,  Leo  N. 
Levi,  of  Galveston;  Joseph  Bledsoe,  of  Sherman;  M.  L.  Sims, 
of  Clarksville;  W.  E.  Spell,  of  Hillsboro;  George  Robinson, 
of  Belton;  E.  L.  Antony,  of  Cameron;  Henry  Sackett.  of  Camp 
Colorado;  D.  C.  Giddings,  of  Brenham;  0.  T.  Holt,  of  Houston; 
J.  T.  Bottorf,  E.  C.  Smith,  of  Denton ;  WT.  M.  Garwood.  of  Bas- 
trop ;  Cone  Johnson,  R.  B.  Hubbard,  Theodore  Woldert.  of  Tyler. 

STATE  MASS  MEETING  OF  "SILVER"  DEMOCRATS,  1895 

FORT  WORTH,  August  6 

Pursuant  to  a  call  issued  April  19th,  the  Democratic  mem- 
bers of  the  legislature,  favoring  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage 
of  silver  at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1,  held  caucuses  April  22  and  25, 
at  which  resolutions  were  adopted,  calling  upon  all  Democrats 
in  sympathy  with  them  to  select  delegates  to  a  general  State 
mass  meeting  at  Fort  Worth,  August  6,  1895.  Between  four 
and  five  hundred  delegates  attended. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Bryan  T.  Barry,  of  Dallas; 
permanent,  Joseph  W.  Bailey,  of  Cooke.  Secretary  pro  tempore. 
W.  L.  Sargent,  of  Hunt;  permanent,  W.  A.  Fields,  of  Hill. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  district,  H.  A. 
O  ?Xcal,  of  Cass ;  2.  John  L.  Shepard,  of  Camp ;  3.  Travis  Hen- 
derson, of  Lamar;  4.  C.  L.  Potter,  of  Cooke;  5.  C.  H.  Yoakum; 
of  Hunt;  6.  C.  A.  Culberson,  of  Dallas;  7.  John  M.  Duncan,  of 
Smith;  8.  B.  B.  Hart,  of  Wood;  9.  A.  B.  Watkins,  of  Henderson; 
10.  Jo  Abbott,  of  Hill;  11.  Cullen  F.  Thomas,  of  McLennan, 
secretary;  12.  Spencer  Ford,  of  Brazos;  13.  John  H.  Reagan, 
of  Anderson;  14,  A.  H.  Conkrite,  of  Nacogdoches;  15,  T.  H. 
Ball,  of  Walker;  16.  J.  S.  Dougherty,  of  Harris;  17.  blank; 

23—328 


354  Platforms  of  Political 

18.  K.  O.  Faires,  of  Fayette;  19.  blank;  20.  J.  J.  Faulk,  of 
Travis;  21.  Lee  Beatty,  of  Caldwell;  22.  blank;  23.  R.  W.  Hen- 
derson, of  Frio;  24.  J.  F.  Onion,  of  Bexar;  25.  James  Brock, 
of  El  Paso;  26.  S.  P.  Burns,  of  Brown;  27.  Felix  Venney,  of 
Bell;  28.  W.  P.  Sebastian,  of  Stephens;  29.  John  H.  Stephens, 
of  Wilbarger;  30.  R.  M.  Wynne,  of  Tarrant,  chairman;  31. 
H.  C.  Ferguson,  of  Denton. 

PLATFORM1 

WHEREAS,  the  policy  and  traditions  of  the  Democratic  party  since 
its  organization  have  been  in  favor  of  both  silver  and  gold  as  the 
standard  money  of  this  country;  and 

WHEREAS,  every  National  Democratic  convention  held  since  1876, 
when  silver  coinage  was  first  made  an  issue,  has  declared  the  policy 
of  the  party  to  be  in  favor  of  the  coinage  of  both  gold  and  silver  with- 
out discrimination;  and 

WHEREAS,  a  large  majority  of  the  Democratic  representatives  in 
Congress  since  the  demonetization  of  silver  in  1873  by  a  Republican 
Congress  has  demanded  the  restoration  of  silver  to  the  position  it  held 
as  one  of  the  redemption  moneys  of  the  United  States  before  the  act 
of  1873;  and 

WHEREAS,  there  is  an  organized  effort  to  lead  the  Democratic  party 
into  indorsing,  ratifying,  and  approving  the  vicious  and  ruinous  legis- 
lation of  the  Republican  party  on  the  financial  question,  which  has 
resulted  in  such  widespread  disaster  and  impoverishment  of  the  in- 
dustrial classes  of  our  country;  and 

WHEREAS,  there  is  manifested  a  purpose  on  the  part  of  some  of  our 
prominent  Democrats,  led  by  President  Cleveland  and  his  cabinet,  to 
overturn  the  established  creed  of  the  Democracy  upon  the  financial 
question,  and  to  place  the  business  interests  of  this  country  within  the 
control  of  a  concentrated  money  power  and  above  the  laws  and  will  of 
the  people;  the  proposed  issue  of  $500,000,000  of  gold  bonds  in  times 
of  profound  peace,  and  the  withdrawal  and  cancellation  of  $500,000,000 
of  greenbacks  and  National  currency  from  circulation,  and  the  substi- 
tution of  National  bank  currency  therefor,  is  a  proposition  so  startling 
to  the  Democratic  party  as  to  cause  just  alarm;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  advocates  of  the  single  gold  standard  have  already  or- 
ganized an  aggressive  campaign  to  defeat  the  will  of  the  voting  masses 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  bring  strife  and  discord  into  its  organiza- 
tion, and  to  that  end  have  written  open  letters,  made  speeches,  and 
organized  conventions; 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  mass  meeting  are  taken  from  the  Fort  Worth 
Gazette,  August  7,  1895. 


Parties  in  Texas  355 

Now,  therefore,  we,  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  in  mass  meeting 
assembled,  proposing  and  intending  only  to  preserve  our  party  from 
the  pernicious  effects  of  such  radical  and  revolutionary  departure  from 
its  traditions  and  oft  repeated  declarations  of  principles,  and  to  wrest 
it  from  the  control  of  those  who  would  lead  it  into  the  Republican 
camp  to  be  destroyed,  here  most  solemnly  pledge  our  devotion  to  its 
principles  and  its  achievements  in  the  past. 

Resolved,  1.  That  gold  and  silver  are  the  money  of  the  Constitution 
and  that  Congress  has  no  authority  to  destroy  or  to  materially  impair 
the  use  of  either  as  the  standard  money  of  the  country. 

2.  That  gold  and  silver  jointly  measured  the  value  of  property  an£ 
the  volume  of  bank  paper  and  exchange  from  1792  to  1873,  and  that 
silver  ought  to  be  restored  to  the  place  it  occupied  as  a  part  of  the 
metal  money  of  the  country  before  the  passage  of  the  act  of  Congress 
of  that  year  for  its  demonetization. 

3.  That  the  passage  of  that  act,  effected  clandestinely,  in  the  judg- 
ment of  this  mass  meeting,  was  the  greatest  crime  ever  perpetrated  in 
this  country  by  an  act  of  legislation. 

4.  That  the  act,  by  striking  down  one-half  of  the  standard  money 
of  redemption,  has  caused  the  destruction  of  thousands  of  millions  of 
dollars  of  the  value  of  property,  paralyzed  all  industries,  except  money 
lending,  has  arrested  enterprise,  has  filled  the  country  with  tramps 
and  beggars  who  can  not  obtain  employment,  caused  an  amount  of 
bankruptcy  greater  than  ever   existed   in   this   country  before,   made 
agricultural  and  mercantile  employments  unprofitable,  and  must  end, 
if  persisted  in,  in  general  bankruptcy  and  ruin. 

5.  That  while  the  great  losses  caused  by  the  act  in  the  past  can 
not  be  retrieved,  as  a  means  of  preventing  the   continuance  of  this 
condition,  we  are  in  favor  of  and  demand  the  restoration  of  silver  to 
the  place  it  occupied  prior  to  the  passage  of  the  act  of  Congress  of 
1873  as  a  part  of  the  standard  money  of  the  country,  and  demand  the 
free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  both  gold  and   silver  at  the  ratio  of 
16  of  silver  to  1  of  gold,  and  that  the  same  be  made  legal  tender  for 
all  debts,  public  and  private,  and  we  demand  the  passage  of  a  law 
by  Congress  that  all  contracts  hereafter  made  for  payment  of  money, 
whether  in  gold,  silver,  or  coin,  may  be  discharged  by  any  money  made 
legal  tender  by  law. 

6.  That  this  country  is  great  and  powerful  enough  to  establish  and 
maintain  a  financial  system  for  the  benefit  of  our  people  independently 
of  the  interests,  policy,  or  dictation  of  foreign  countries,  or  their  bond- 
holders and  money  lenders. 

7.  That  we  are  in  favor  of  gold  and  silver  and  paper  money,  con- 
vertible into  these  metals,  as  the  money  of  the  country,  and  we  are 
opposed  to  the  retirement  of  the  legal  tender  notes  of  the  government 
and  the  substitution  for  them  of  bank  paper  based  on  promises  to  pay, 
and  not  on  gold  and  silver. 


356  Platforms  of  Political 

8.  We  condemn  the  policy  by  which  all  coin  obligations  of  the  gov- 
ernment have  been  held  payable  in  gold  at  the  option  of  the  holders, 
thereby  causing  the  issuance  of  bonds  in  time  of  peace,  when  the  option 
to  redeem  in  either  •  metal,  wisely  exercised  by  the  secretary  of  the 
treasury,  would  have  prevented  the  issuance  and  sale  of  bonds,  which 
have  cost  the  people  vast  sums  of  money,  and  caused  an  appeal  to 
foreign  bondholders  to  protect  the  treasury. 

9.  We  denounce  as  unwarranted  the  declaration  of  certain  advocates 
of  the  gold  standard  in  this  State  to  the  effect  that  the  friends  of  free 
silver  contemplate  or  desire  the  disruption  of  the  Democratic  party, 
or  to  take  action  independently  of  the  organization  of  said  party  in 
this  State,  and  conceive  and  express  the  belief  that  our  only  hope  for 
financial  reform  in  the   interest   of  the  masses  of  the  people   is   by 
loyalty  to  the  organization  and  precepts  of  the  Democratic  party. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[10]  By  the  Committee  on  Organization:  We  further  recommend 
that  this  convention  request  the  State  Democratic  executive  committee 
when  it  issues  its  call  for  a  State  convention  to  elect  delegates  to  the 
next  Democratic  National  convention,  that  the  financial  issue,  that  is, 
whether  the  Democracy  favors  the  single  gold  standard  or  bimetalism, 
gold  and  silver,  as  the  standard  money  of  the  country  and  the  free  and 
unlimited  coinage  of  silver  at  the  present  ratio  of  16  of  silver  to  1  of 
gold,  and  that  delegates  elected  to  said  State  convention  be  instructed 
by  said  primary  to  vote  for  delegates  to  the  National  convention  in 
accordance  with  the  decision  of  said  primaries. 

[11]  The  Democrats  of  Texas,  on  their  own  volition,  assembled  in 
convention,  desire  to  express  their  admiration  and  undiminished  con- 
fidence in  the  Hon.  Richard  Coke,  who  won  this  State  from  the  tyranny 
of  Republicanism  and  subsequently  served  this  State  with  distinguished 
ability  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  for  eighteen  years,  and, 
recognizing  in  him  a  friend  of  the  people,  we  send  him  greetings  in 
his  voluntary  retirement  and  assure  him  that  his  great  and  splendid 
services  in  behalf  of  the  people  are  gratefully  remembered,  and  we 
commend  to  those  in  the  public  service  the  course  and  character  and 
devotion  to  duty  of  the  Hon.  Richard  Coke. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  W.  Blake,  of  Limestone, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  J.  M.  Talbot,  of  Bowie;  2.  A. 
P.  Corley,  of  Red  River;  3.  R.  L.  Ross,  of  Lamar;  4.  J.  L.  Nel- 
son, of  Grayson ;  5.  W.  G.  Beverly,  of  Collin ;  6.  Bryan  T.  Barry, 
of  Dallas;  7.  R.  N.  Stafford,  of  Wood;  8.  Ned  Morris,  of  Hen- 
derson ;  9.  Bryan  Drew,  of  Kaufman ;  10.  T.  S.  Smith,  of  Hill ; 
11.  O.  L.  Stribling,  of  McLennan;  12.  A.  G.  Board,  of  Brazos; 


Parties  in  Texas  357 

13.  S.  A.  McMeans,  of. Anderson;  14.  blank;  15.  L.  T.  Dashiell, 
of  Leon;  16.  J.  S.  Dougherty,  of  Harris;  17.  James  McDonald, 
of  Galveston;  18.  J.  S.  Ledbetter,  of  Fayette;  19.  blank;  20.  Nor- 
ton Moses,  of  Burnet;  21.  A.  A.  Thomas,  of  Hays;  22,  and  23. 
blank;  24.  M.  C.  Harris,  of  Bexar;  25.  Juan  S.  Hart,  of  El  Paso; 
26.  T.  H.  Strong,  of  Coleman;  27.  Winbourn  Pierce,  of  Bell; 
28.  0.  T.  Maxwell,  of  Eastland;  29.  S.  P.  Huff,  of  Wilbarger; 
30.  J.  W.  Swayne,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Sam  G.  Tankersly,  of  Wise. 

"REGULAR"   REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1896 

AUSTIN,  March  24-26 

1 

The  efforts  of  the  managers  of  the  several  candidates  for  the 
presidential  nomination  to  line  up  the  largest  number  of  dele- 
gates resulted  in  many  contests.  Much  depended  upon  the  action 
of  the  credentials  committee.  Apparently  the  McKinley  sup- 
porters were  in  the  majority,  but  a  combination  of  the  Allison 
and  Reed  men,  under  the  leadership  of  N.  W.  Cuney,  captured 
the  temporary  organization  of  the  convention.  The  attendance 
was  very  large.  Rumors  that  there  would  be  a  split  preceded 
the  assembling  of  the  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  N.  W.  Cuney,  of  Galveston.  Secretary, 
D.  C.  Kolp,  of  Wichita.  The  temporary  officers  were  made  per- 
manent. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  N.  W. 
Cuney,  W.  M.  Makemson,  E.  H.  Terrell,  H.  C.  Ferguson. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  G.  G.  Clifford,  of  Bexar, 
Eugene  Marshall,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  B.  Ripsdorph,  2.  P.  J.  Dennis,  3.  Webster  Flanagan, 
4.  C.  M.  Ferguson,  5.  R.  M.  McConnell,  6.  J.  M.  McCormick, 
7.  L.  B.  Kinchion,  8.  Dr.  W.  E.  Davis,  9.  Henry  C.  Gray,  10. 
R.  B.  Hawley,  chairman,  11.  R.  B.  Rentfro,  12.  George  B.  Jack- 
son, 13.  J.  C.  Minton. 


358  Platforms  of  Political 


PLATFORM1 

1.  We  reaffirm  the  historic  adherence  of  the  Republican  party  to 
sound  finance.  We  demand  an  honest  dollar  of  greatest  purchasing 
power  for  every  class  alike.  The  largest  issue  of  gold,  silver,  and 
paper  compatible  with  security  and  the  requirements  of  the  trade,  all 
of  equal  value,  interchangeable  one  for  the  other,  every  dollar  rest- 
ing on  gold  coin  as  the  only  money  of  final  redemption.  The  Republi- 
cans of  Texas  declare  this  to  be  in  their  deliberate  judgment  the  only 
basis  for  a  large  and  liberal  circulation  of  money  and  for  the  main- 
tenance of  confidence. 

[2]  We  reaffirm  the  American  doctrine  of  protection.  Under  its 
influence  every  legitimate  enterprise  will  revive,  labor  will  be  em- 
ployed, and  the  earning  power  of  every  laborer  in  every  field  will  be 
enhanced.  We  denounce  the  Democratic  Gorman-Wilson  bill  as  a  pre- 
tense and  a  fraud.  Professing  a  reduction  of  the  tariff,  it  struck  down 
the  greatest  interest  of  the  South,  which  for  thirty  years  has  been  pro- 
tected under  Republican  administration.  We  demand  the  re-enactment 
of  a  tariff  which  shall  provide  ample  revenues  for  the  expenses  of  the 
government  and  secure  for  American  labor  in  every  part  of  our  country 
protection  against  the  invasion  of  the  products  of  the  pauper  labor  of 
Europe  and  of  Asia,  where  children  of  tender  years  and  every  member 
of  every  family  are  required  to  labor  on  starvation  wages  without 
education  and  without  hope. 

[3]  We  are  in  favor  of  the  maintenance  of  every  American  right  as 
defined  by  the  Monroe  doctrine,  and  sympathize  with  all  people  strug- 
gling for  liberty,  but  we  oppose  the  unnecessary  acquisition  of  new 
territory,  or  the  involving  of  our  country  in  foreign  complications  as 
contrary  to  the  traditions  and  history  of  our  country. 

[4]  We  view  with  satisfactin  and  pride  the  growth  of  Republican 
sentiment  in  the  South  and,  relying  on  the  force  of  a  healthy  public 
opinion,  demanding  fair  and  honest  elections,  we  believe  that  further 
legislation  on  this  subject  by  Congress  is  undesirable  and  unnecessary. 

[5]  We  view  with  alarm  the  character  of  much  of  the  foreign  immi- 
gration now  entering  our  country  and  demand  the  enactment  of  more 
stringent  laws,  fixing  a  standard  of  requirements  for  all  immigrants, 
based  upon  moral  and  physical  health  and  intelligence. 

^Additional  Resolution 

[6]  Resolved,  that  we  demand  that  wool,  hides,  cattle,  sugar,  and 
lumber  shall  be  provided  by  Congress  with  that  character  of  protection 
which  these  great  industries  warrant  and  require. 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Statesman^ 
March  25-27,  1896. 


Parties  in  Texas  35IJ 

McKINLEY  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION,  1896 

AUSTIN,  March  26 

Failing  in  their  efforts  to  vote  down  the  report  of  the  cre- 
dentials committee,  unable  to  stop  the  proceedings  by  boisterous 
conduct,  and  unsuccessful  in  their  attempt  to  capture  the  stage 
by  physical  force,  about  sixty  per  cent  of  the  delegates  organ- 
ized another  convention  immediately  after  Cuney  declared  the 
' '  Regular ' '  Republican  convention  adjourned.  Chairman  Grant 
mounted  the  rostrum  and  said:  "I  am  now  before  the  highest 
tribunal  in  the  land — that  of  the  people  through  their  represent- 
atives. I  am  here  in  the  interest  of  liberty  and  freedom — some- 
thing we  have  been  denied  today.  I  stand  before  you  as  the 
chairman  of  the  Republican  State  executive  committee  to 
demand  for  you  the  rights  and  privileges  guaranteed  to  you  by 
the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  State.  .  .  .  The  talk  of  the 
mob  which  has  just  left  here  about  fairness  and  harmony  is  a 
hollow  mockery.  One  man  stands  here  and  says  we  shall  not  be 
heard.  As  chairman  of  the  State  executive  committee  it  matters 
not  to  me  how  you  voice  your  sentiments,  but  I  now  give  you 
a  chance  to  voice  them  in  your  own  way.  I  now  declare  the 
proceedings  just  had  here  null  and  void.  You  were  sent  here 
by  the  people  to  voice  their  sentiments,  to  attend  an  orderly 
convention.  I  now  call  such  a  convention  to  order  and  declare 
it  open  for  business." 

Officers:  Chairman,  Richard  Allen,  of  Houston.  Secretary, 
Lewis  Luitwieler. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  John 
Grant,  of  Grayson;  Frank  Hamilton,  of  Travis;  R.  L.  Smith, 
of  Colorado;  Dr.  W.  E.  Davis,  of  Tarrant. 

Presidential  electors:  State  at  large,  A.  H.  Colwell,  E.  P. 
Hunt. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  D.  C.  Anderson,  2.  H.  B.  Kane,  3.  Webster  Flanagan, 
chairman,  4.  H.  G.  Goree,  5.  Thomas  McConnell,  6.  D.  N.  Mason, 
7.  W.  F.  Banks,  8.  C.  C.  Drake,  9.  T.  B.  Rowland,  10.  R,  L. 
Smith,  11;  J.  W.  Robinson,  12.  E.  Vanderlight,  13.  Marshall 
Hunt. 


360  Platforms  of  Political 

REPORT 

We  believe  that  the  question  of  protection  to  American  industries  in 
the  coming  presidential  contest  will  be  the  leading  issue  and  we,  there- 
fore, regard  Hon.  William  McKinley  as  the  logical  Republican  candi- 
date, and  instruct  the  delegates  and  alternates  selected  by  this  con- 
vention to  vote  for  him  at  St.  Louis  as  long  as  his  name  is  before  said 
convention. 

"REFORM"    REPUBLICAN    STATE    CONVENTION,    1896 

HOUSTON,  April  20 

"The  convention  was  composed  of  representative  men,  very 
few,  if  any,  of  whom  appeared  to  belong  to  the  class  known  as 
professional  politicians. ' ' 

Officers:  Chairman,  Lock  McDaniel,  of  Harris.  Secretary. 
A.  B.  Norton,  of  Dallas. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  H.  F. 
McGregor,  of  Harris ;  L.  P.  Goodell,  of  Tarrant ;  W.  N.  Norton, 
of  Dallas;  J.  B.  Schmitz,  of  Denton. 

Presidential  electors:  State  at  large,  W.  B.  Slosson,  of  Har- 
ris, E.  P.  Scott,  of  Lamar. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  Henry  Cline,  2.  George  F.  Pool,  3.  W.  T.  Koach,  4.  E. 
P.-Scott,  5.  E.  W.  Norton,  6.  W.  H.  Atwell,  secretary,  7.  H.  K. 
Davis,  8.  John  L.  Ward,  9.  T.  H.  Dwyer,  10.  W.  R.  Kimmons, 
11.  F.  Fritz,  12.  C.  W.  Standart,  13.  W.  S.  McCutcheon,  of 
El  Paso,  chairman. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We  reaffirm  our  allegiance  to  the  great  basic  principles  of  the 
Republican  party,  protection,  reciprocity,  and  internal  improvements,, 
sustained  by  a  sound  financial  system. 

2.  We  favor  bimetalism,  i.  e.,  the  use  of  gold  and  silver  coin  as 
money  of  ultimate  redemption. 

3.  We  favor  the  immediate  calling  of  an  international  monetary 
and  reciprocity  conference  for  the  adoption  of  an  international  agree- 

1Prhe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Houston  Post, 
April  21,  1896, 


Parties  in  Texas  361 

ment,  with  such  reciprocal  clauses  as  to  trade  between  countries  that 
ratify  the  action  of  the  conference  as  will  force  every  country  through 
self-interest  to  adopt  the  basis  thus  established. 

4.  We  favor  the  Nicaraguan  canal  project. 

5.  We  favor  changing  the  basis  of  representation  in  the  National 
conventions  so  that  congressional  districts,  that  are  not  represented 
by  Republican  congressmen  at  the  time  the  congressional  convention 
for  the  election  of  delegates  is  called,  shall  be  entitled  to  elect  but  one 
delegate  and  one  alternate. 

6.  We  favor  the  adoption  by  the  National  convention  of  a  code  of 
procedure  for  State  and  district  conventions,  governing  the  election  of 
delegates  to  the  National  convention,  that  will  protect  the   integrity 
of  the  Republican  party. 

7.  We  favor  all  measures  calculated  to  improve  the  condition  of  the 
colored  race  and  that  will  enable  an  Afro-American  citizen  to  better 
fulfill  the  obligations  of  and  maintain  the  high  standard  of  American 
citizenship. 

8.  We  believe  in  a  protective  tariff  that  will  protect  our  markets  for 
America's  products  and  that  will  insure  American  wages  for  American 
workmen.     We  'believe    in    a   protective   tariff   for   Texas    products — 
horses,  cattle,  sheep,  and  all  raw  material  as  well  as  manufactured 
products. 

9.  We  believe  in  the  payment  by  this  government  of  the  bounty  to 
sugar  producers   and   manufacturers,   as   under  the  McKinley  act  of 
1890,  to  the  end  that  the  production  of  sugar  be  stimulated  until  all 
that  we  can  consume  is  produced  by  our  own  people  in  this  country. 

State  Executive  Committee:  H.  F.  McGregor,  chairman;  1st 
Senatorial  district,  Ed  Davis,  of  Marion;  2.  William  Holliday, 
of  Newton;  3.  G.  0.  Greiner,  of  Lamar;  4.  J.  T.  Atcheson,  of 
Cooke;  5.  H.  Wagner,  of  Hunt;  6.  J.  M.  Steere,  of  Dallas;  7. 
John  Gillis,  of  Wood;  8.  blank;  9.  P.  Altbayer,  of  Kaufman; 
10.  George  B.  Colby,  of  Johnson;  11.  Dr.  A.  M.  Armstrong, 
of  McLennan;  12.  S.  M.  Jones,  of  Limestone;  13.  blank;  14. 
J.  T.  Armstrong,  of  Jefferson;  15.  R.  F.  Trau,  of  Polk;  16. 
Seth  B.  Strong,  of  Harris ;  17.  F.  Colwell,  of  Brazoria ;  18.  and 
19.  blank;  20.  T.  L.  Wren,  of  Travis;  21.  F.  A.  Vaughan,  of  De 
Witt;  22.  and  23.  blank;  24.  T.  B.  Johnson,  of  Bexar;  25.  C. 
W.  Standart,  of  Kinney;  26.  blank;  27.  W.  Harvey,  of  Bell; 
28.  blank;  29.  J.  E.  Lutz,  of  Wilbarger;  30.  blank;  31.  C.  T. 
Ramsdell,  of  Denton. 


362  Platforms  of  Political 

STATE  CONFERENCE  OF  "GOLD"  DEMOCRATS,  1896 

DALLAS,  April  21 

The  Democratic  State  executive  committee  met  at  Austin, 
February  5,  1896.  The  Gold  Democratic  executive  committee 
followed  with  a  conference  on  February  15th  at  Galveston. 
About  two  hundred  attended  this  conference.  The  questions  con- 
fronting the  latter  were,  whether  they  should  recognize  the  call 
of  Chairman  Dudley  to  participate  in  the  primary  on  June  6th, 
or  whether  they  should  organize  outside  the  Democratic  party. 
There  was  division  upon  these  points.  The  majority  favored 
continuing  the  fight  within  party  lines,  but  denounced  the  pri- 
mary as  a  usurpation  to  be  submitted  to  only  as  a  last  resort. 
The  minority  favored  the  creation  of  an  organization  inde- 
pendent of  Dudley's  committee.  The  grievances  against  Chair- 
man Dudley  were  summarized  as  follows: 

At  the  last  convention  of  the  party  in  this  State  a  State  ex- 
ecutive committee  was  duly  elected  and  constituted  according 
to  customary  party  usage,  which  committee,  as  constituted,  was 
composed  of  eighteen  Democrats  who  believed  and  advocated 
a  sound  money  system  of  currency  .  .  .  and  thirteen  Dem- 
ocrats who  believed  in  and  advocated  the  free  and  unlimited 
coinage  of  silver  by  this  government  alone  at  the  ratio  of  16 
to  1.  It  is  to  be  assumed  that  the  respective  members  of  the 
committee,  as  regularly  constituted,  represented  actual  sentiment 
of  the  Democratic  party  in  their  respective  constituencies.  The 
death  of  two  members,  who  represented  the  sentiment  of  sound 
money  on  said  committee,  furnished  an  opportunity  to  the  chair- 
man thereof  to  appoint  as  successors  for  said  deceased  members 
two  others  of  diametrically  opposite  views  upon  the  financial 
question,  and'  each  appointment  was  promptly  made  and  the 
wishes  of  a  large  majority  .of  the  Democratic  voters  of  these 
two  senatorial  districts  were  stifled  and  disregarded.  .  .  . 
The  committee  still  stood  sixteen  for  sound  money  and  fifteen 
for  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver.  .  .  .  Without 
notice  or  form  of  trial  .  .  .  the  chairman  removed  W.  B. 
Garrett,  a  sound  money  member  .  .  .  and  appointed  nri 
advocate  of  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver  in  his 
place  .  .  .  the  pretense  being  that  he  [W.  B.  Garrett]  had 
removed  from  the  district. 


Parties  in  Texas  363 

The  course  of  subsequent  events  convinced  the  "Gold?J  Demo- 
crats that  they  could  not  win  in  the  primary  of  June  6.  Chair- 
man Hardy  called  another  conference  to  meet  at  Dallas,  April 
21,  1896.  Here  the  final  step  was  taken;  the  "Gold"  Democrats 
declared  in  favor  of  a  separate  organization.  This  decision  was 
reached  after  much  debate.  The  majority  report  of  the  com- 
mittee on  resolutions  proposed  to  send  delegates  to  the  Chicago 
convention  and  to  nominate  presidential  electors,  but  made  no 
provision  for  a  straight-out  organization  of  a  Democratic  party 
at  Austin  in  June.  The  minority  report,  which  was  adopted 
by  an  overwhelming  majority,  proposed  to  reorganize  the  party 
and  call  a  nominating  convention  to  place  a  straight  ticket  in 
the  field  for  State  offices  and  put  sound  money  candidates  in 
the  field  for  Congress  in  each  of  the  districts. 

Officers:  Chairman,  L.  C.  Alexander,  of  McLennan.  Secre- 
tary, George  Robinson,  of  Bell. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  district,  J,  H. 
Mathews,  of  —  — ;  2.  R.  M.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  3. 

E.  S.  Connor,  of  Lamar;  4.  W.  0.  Davis,  of  Cook;  5.  R.  De- 
Armond,  of  Collin ;  6.  A.  T.  Watts,  of  Dallas ;  7.  Cone  Johnson, 
of  Smith;  8.  J.  B.  Long,  of  Cherokee;  9.  Rufus  Hardy,  of 
Navarro;  10.  W.  Poindexter,  of  Johnson;  11.  George  Clark,  of 
McLennan;  12.  W.  H.  Lewis,  of  Robertson;  13.  B.  C.  Hasmer, 
of  Rusk ;  14.  R,  A.  Green,  of  Jefferson ;  15.  William  Watson,  of 
-;  16.  E.  H.  Bailey,  of  Harris;  17.  George  P.  Finley, 
of  Galvestoii;  18.  and  19.  blank;  20.  Irvin  Daniel,  of  Travis; 
21.  Eugene  Nolte,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  E.  L.  Dunlop,  of  Victoria; 
23.  blank;  24.  W.  P.  Hudgins,  of  Bexar;  25.  W.  J.  Fewel,  of  El 
Paso;  26.  L.  B.  Russell,  of  Comanche;  27.  E.  R.  Hall,  of  Coryell ; 
28.  C.  U.  Connallee,  of  Eastland;  29.  J.  C.  Chesterner,  of—  -; 
30.  J.  A.  Kidd,  of  Parker;  31.  J.  T.  Bottorff,  of  Denton. 

MAJORITY    REPORT1 

[Th-e  majority  and  minority  reports  were  substantially,  almost 
verbatim,  the  same,  except  that  the  majority  report  does  not  contain 
the  words  italicised  in  resolutions  3  and  4  below.  For  this  reason  only 
the  minority  report,  which  was  adopted,  is  here  printed.] 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  conference  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
April  22,  1896. 


364  Platforms  of  Political 

MINORITY   EEPORT 

[1]  We  denounce  the  conduct  of  Dudley  and  his  packed  committee 
for  attempting  a  series  of  usurpations  subversive  of  party  practices 
and  destructive  to  party  principles.  They  have  attempted: 

(1)  To  defy  and  repudiate  the  National  Democratic  convention  and 
to  hold  the  Democratic  party  in  Texas  in  favor  of  the  free  and  unlim- 
ited coinage  of  silver,   regardless  of  the   action  of  the  National  De- 
mocracy. 

(2)  To  prescribe  that  the  expression  of  the  Democracy  of  Texas, 
in  a  partisan  primary  election,  shall  constitute  a  final  judgment  upon 
the  silver  question,  which  judgment  shall  stand  as  the  party  decision 
until  reversed  by  another  primary  election  or  convention,  regardless 
of  the  action  of  our  brother  Democrats  of  the  Nation. 

(3)  To  prescribe  a  form  of  ticket  which  presents  the  issue  in  a 
false  and  fictitious  light,  and  which  would  force  upon  every  Democrat 
the  necessity  of  voting  a  falsehood,  no  matter  on  which  side  he  casts 
his  ballot,  and  this  for  the  purpose  of  driving  from  the  polls  every 
Democrat  who  believes  in  the  maintenance  of  honest  money  in  these 
United  States. 

(4)  To  emasculate  the  powers  of  local  Democracy  in  the  counties, 
and  to  take  from  county  conventions  all  powers  heretofore  exercised 
by  them. 

(5)  To  take  from  the  people  in  their  local  assemblages  the  privilege 
of  giving  expression  to  their  sentiments  on  all  public  questions  and  to 
limit  their   right  of  expression   to   a   single   issue,   and  that  falsely 
stated. 

(6)  To  create  an  officialism  hitherto  unknown  in  the  party,  to  wit: 
one  set  of  permanent  delegates  to   all  conventions  during  the  year, 
thereby  depriving  the  local  Democracy  of  the  right  to  elect  their  repre- 
sentatives according  to  their  will  and  pleasure,  according  to  such  exi- 
gencies and  conditions  as  may  exist  at  the  time  party  action  may  be- 
come necessary.     This  for  the  purpose  of  hedging  off  the  Democratic 
people  of  this  State  from  any  expression  after  the  National  convention 
has  declared  the  party  faith  on  National  issues. 

(7)  To  call  into  the  councils  of  the  Democracy  the  hosts  of  Pop- 
ulism for  the  purpose  of  nominating  its  candidates  and  formulating 
its  platforms  without  even  requiring  of  them  a  serious  promise  to  vote 
for  the  one  or  assist  in  enacting  the  other  into  laws,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose with  their  aid  of  committing  the  Democracy  of  Texas  and  the 
Union  to  Populist  principles  and  to  deliver  the  electoral  vote  of  Texas 
to  a  free  silver  candidate  for  President. 

Because  of  these  usurpations  we  refuse  to  recognize  James  G.  Dud- 
ley and  his  fellow-usurpers  as  constituting  any  longer  the  Democratic 
State  executive  committee  of  Texas.  We  repudiate  in  toto  the  author- 
ity of  said  pretended  committee  and  call  upon  all  Democrats  of  Texas 


Parties  in  Texas  365 

to  unite  with  us  for  the  preservation  of  the  essential  principles  and 
practices  of  Democratic  faith  in  this  State. 

[2]  We  recommend  to  all  Democrats  to  abstain  altogether  from  any 
recognition  of  the  primary  elections  called  by  James  G.  Dudley  for 
June  6,  1896,  and  to  refuse  to  vote  therein  for  any  person  or  for  any 
purpose.  Touch  not,  handle  not  the  unclean  thing. 

[3]  We  recommend  that  the  chairman  of  our  executive  committee 
issue  at  once  his  call  for  a  delegated  convention  of  the  Democratic 
party  of  Texas,  to  be  held  at  the  City  of  Austin  on  Tuesday,  June  23, 
1896,  at  11  a.  m.,  then  and  there  to  reorganize  the  Democratic  party  of 
Texas,  to  select  four  delegates  from  the  State  at  large  to  the  National 
Democratic  convention  to  be  held  at  Chicago  on  July  7,  1896,  and  four 
alternates,  and  also  two  electors  for  the  State  at  large  and  two  alter- 
nates; to  provide  that  separate  conventions  of  the  several  congressional 
districts  may  be  held  at  the  same  time  and  place  for  the  selection  of 
two  delegates  and  two  alternates  for  each  district,  and  also  a  presi- 
dential elector  and  alternate  for  each  district,  and  to  arrange  and  pro- 
vide -for  holding  thereafter  a  State  nominating  convention  and  such 
other  conventions  for  the  nomination  of  other  officers  by  the  Democratic 
party  of  Texas  as  may  be  deemed  advisable. 

[4]  We  recommend  an  immediate  and  thorough  organization  of  the 
Democratic  party  throughout  the  State,  the  formation  of  Democratic 
clubs  and  the  nomination  of  candidates  for  every  office  whose  election 
is  provided  for  by  law  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  November,  1896.  In 
those  counties  in  which  the  county  executive  committees  have  refused 
to  bow  the  knee  to  these  gross  usurpations  on  the  part  of  James  G. 
Dudley  and  his  so-called  committee  and  confederates,  we  suggest  such 
line  of  conduct  as  to  them  may  seem  best,  according  to  conditions 
existing  at  any  time  which  may  call  for  proper  Democratic  action. 
In  those  counties  in  which  the  county  executive  committees  have 
yielded  to  these  usurpations  of  Dudley  and  his  so-called  committee  we 
recommend  that  the  Democracy  of  such  counties  meet  at  once  in  their 
respective  precincts  and  counties,  reorganize  the  party,  and  send  full 
delegations  to  the  State  convention  to  be  called  by  our  chairman,  in 
accordance  with  the  recommendations  herein,  to  assemble  at  Austin 
on  June  23,  1896. 

[5]  Fellow-Democrats  of  Texas,  the  issue  is  upon  us  and  can  not 
be  evaded.  We  have  witnessed  with  mortification  the  spirit  and  intent 
displayed  by  James  G.  Dudley  and  his  abettors,  manifesting  a  deter- 
mination to  ostracise  more  than  one-half  of  the  Democrats  of  this 
State  in  order  to  carry  out  their  unholy  purposes,  in  obedience  to  the 
order  of  a  cabal  at  Washington.  We  have  seen  him  and  his  abettors 
trample  upon  the  rights  and  sentiments  of  the  Democracy  of  two  of 
the  senatorial  districts  by  the  appointment  of  members  from  said  dis- 
tricts on  his  committee  wholly  alien  in  sentiment  to  the  Democracy 
they  pretended  to  represent.  This  not  being  sufficient  for  the  ac- 


366  Platforms  of  Political 

complishment  of  his  partisan  purposes,  we  have  seen  him  defy  law, 
precedent,  and  decency  by  the  removal  of  another  Democrat  from  the 
committee  and  the  appointment  of  a  silver  partisan  in  his  stead;  and 
these  unlawful  acts  were  promptly  followed  by  the  bold  and  destructive 
usurpations  which  we  enumerate. 

[6]  We  have  appealed  for  redress  without  avail.  We  have  besought 
these  people  for  the  right  and  have  been  spurned.  The  edict  has  gone 
forth  that  no  Democrat  who  believes  in  sound  money  and  the  pre- 
servation of  the  honor  and  good  name  of  the  American  people  shall 
have  any  voice  in  party  affairs,  and  shall  only  be  extended  the  gracious 
privilege  of  voting  for  such  nominees  and  principles  as  those  of  opposite 
faith  may  permit.  More  than  once  unrelenting  war  has  been  declared 
against  us.  More  than  once  have  we  been  invited  to  abandon  the 
Democratic  household  and  leave  it  in  charge  of  these  aliens  and  de- 
structives. The  Democratic  party  is  our  party,  and  we  propose  to 
defend  it  and  to  maintain  its  immortal  purposes  and  principles,  de- 
fiant alike  of  foes  without  and  traitors  within.  The  existence  of  the 
party  is  the  issue  now,  and  we  call  upon  all  Democrats  who  revere  its 
glorious  traditions  and  love  its  principles  to  unite  with  us  in  an  honest 
determination  to  uphold  its  existence  for  the  good  of  ourselves  and 
those  who  may  come  after  us. 

STATE    CONVENTION   OF    "GOLD"    DEMOCRATS,    1896 

AUSTIN,  June  23 

The  attendance  was  not  large.  A  State  nominating  convention 
was  held  at  Waco,  August  25,  1896. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  E.  L.  Antony,  of  Milam; 
permanent,  J.  Peter  Smith,  of  Tarrant.  Secretary  pro  tempore, 
F.  H.  Gaines  of  Travis;  permanent,  M.  W.  Johnson,  of  Lamar. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  George 
Clark,  Rufus  Hardy,  E.  S.  Connor,  A.  L.  Matlock;  1st  Congres- 
sional district,  J.  M.  Shaw,  of  Grimes,  and  Jerry  McDaniel,  of 
Leon;  2.  Peter  H.  Hughes,  of  Anderson,  and  William  Fletcher, 
of  Jefferson;  3.  L.  D.  Stroud,  of  Rockwall,  and  J.  H.  Turner, 
of  Rusk ;  4.  H.  D.  McDonald,  of  Lamar,  and  William  Henderson, 
of  Hopkins;  5.  P.  B.  Moore,  of  Grayson,  and  E.  C.  Smith,  of 
Denton;  6.  George  N.  Aldredge,  of  Dallas,  and  John  R.  Clay, 
of  Kaufman;  7.  W.  T.  Hefley,  of  Milam,  and  J.  R.  Martin,  of 
Falls;  8.  T.  F.  West,  of  Tarrant,  and  J.  E.  Bomar,  of  Tarrant; 
9.  W.  P.  Gaines,  of  Travis,  and  George  McGee,  of  Hays;  10. 


Parties  in  Texas  367 

Fenton  Cannon,  of  Galveston,  and  French  Simpson,  of  Lavaca; 
11.  Ed  Linn,  of  Victoria,  and  W.  R.  Neill,  of  Guadalupe;  12. 
A.  W.  Houston,  of  Bexar,  and  Ca.pt.  L.  Hagen,  of  Gillespie; 
13.  B.  W.  Rose,  of  Eastland,  and  Charles  Davis,  of  El  Paso. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  A.  T.  Watts,  of  Dallas, 
and  W.  0.  Davis,  of  Cooke;  1st  Congressional  district,  W.  C. 
Abercrombie,  of  Walker;  2.  Robert  McClure,  of  Rusk;  3.  Cone 
Johnson,  of  Smith;  4.  R.  M.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  5.  C.  W. 
Geers,  of  Denton;  6.  W.  L.  Crawford,  of  Dallas;  7.  John  W. 
Davis,  of  McLennan;  8.  B.  B.  Paddock,  of  Tarrant;  9.  R.  J. 
Hill,  of  Travis;  10.  M.  L.  Malevinsky,  of  Galveston;  11.  Paul 
Wipprecht,  of  Guadalupe;  12.  Perry  Lewis,  of  Bexar;  13.  Wil- 
liam Veale,  of  Stephens. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  W.  D.  Wood,  chair- 
man, 2.  Dr.  J.  G.  Foster,  3.  E.  S.  Connor,  4.  blank,  5.  M.  H. 
Garnett,  6.  J.  J.  Carnes,  7.  blank,  8.  D.  R.  Harris,  9.  Rufus 
Hardy,  10.  blank,  11.  George  Clark,  12.  M.  W.  Sims,  13.  J.  H. 
Grant,  14.  A.  Gilman,  15.  Wm.  G.  Millroy,  16.  blank,  17.  A.  W. 
Fly,  18.  blank,  19.  Thomas  B.  Botts,  20.  A.  P.  Wooldridge,  21. 
W.  D.  Wood,  22.  to  25.  blank,  26.  J.  P.  Smith,  27.  R.  C.  Bigham, 
28.  W.  E.  Armstrong,  29.  Walter  F.  Moore,  30.  A.  L.  Matlock, 
31.  C.  W.  Geers. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We,  the  Democrats  of  Texas,  in  State  convention  assembled, 
renew  our  pledges  of  devotion  to  the  undying  principles  of  the  party 
as  taught  by  Jefferson  and  Jackson,  and  splendidly  exemplified  by 
Grover  Cleveland. 

2.  Having  heretofore  formally  repudiated  the  methods  and  actions 
of  a  fraudulently  constituted  so-called  Democratic  executive  committee, 
we  hereby  reaffirm  such  denunciation  and  announce  our  purpose  not 
to  vote  for,  or  in  any  manner  give  political  countenance  to  any  candi- 
date for  political  office  who  either  approves  such  action  or  who  pro- 
poses in  any  manner  to  profit  thereby.     The  action  of  this  so-called 
committee  was   deliberately  conceived  and   executed  for  the  purpose 
of  effecting  a   complete   disfranchisement  of  brother    Democrats,   and 
it  has   resulted  in  the   destruction   of   Democratic  methods   and  pro- 
cedure, consecrated  by  party  use  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  the 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Statesman, 
June  24,  1896. 


368  Platforms  of  Political 

preservation  of  which  are  essential  to  the  purity  of  party  action  and 
the  stability  of  party  ascendancy.  This  destructive  action  has  neces- 
sitated the  reorganization  of  the  Democratic  party  in  Texas,  and  we 
announce  that  our  separation  from  those  who  would  destroy  the  party 
for  the  sake  of  gaining  a  temporary  advantage  for  their  peculiar 
financial  heresy  is  final  and  irreconcilable  until  they  return  to  the 
advocacy  of  true  Democratic  principles. 

3.  Holding  it  to  be  as  impossible  for  man  to  measure  value  by  more 
than  one  standard  as  it  is  to  so  measure  any  other  quantity,  and  being 
firmPy  convinced  that  a  change  in  the  standard  for  the  measure   of 
value  at  this  time  would  result  in  a  financial  panic  to  which  the  history 
of  the  world  furnishes  no  parallel,  and  believing  that  every  government 
owes  it  to  its  honor  and  to  its  citizens  that  it  shall  so  order  its  laws 
as  to  require  all  debts  to  be  paid  in  money  as  nearly  as  possible  equal 
in  value  to  the  money  in  circulation  at  the  time  of  the  creation  of  the 
debt,  we  declare  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  United  States  to  maintain  the 
present  gold  standard  as  the  measure  of  value  to  the  end  that  justice 
shall  be  done  to  all  men  and  the  honor  of  the  Nation  be  preserved.    We 
believe  in  the  use  of  silver  as  current  money  and  the  coinage  and  cir- 
culation of  such  amount  thereof  as  can  be  kept  at  a  parity  with  gold, 
but  we  oppose  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver  by  this  govern- 
ment alone  as  a   measure  borrowed  from   Populism   and  fraught,   if 
successful,  with  dishonor  and  disgrace  to  the  Nation  and  destruction  to 
the  people. 

4.  We  favor  a  tariff  for  revenue  only,  sufficient  in  amount  to  sup- 
port the   government,  economically  administered.    We   demand  a  re- 
turn to   frugal   and  simple  government,   the  abolition  of  all   useless 
offices,  the  rigid  curtailment  of  all  expenses,  and  the  return  of  the 
government  to  its  ordinary  functions  of  protection  to  life,  liberty,  and 
property.    We  oppose  all  sumptuary  legislation,  no  matter  under  what 
disguise,  and  demand  that  the  citizen  be  left  free  to  pursue  his  own 
happiness  without  unnecessary  interference  by  governments. 

5.  We  believe  that  the  issue  of  greenbacks  by  a  Republican  Congress 
under  the  imperious  exigencies  of  a  great  civil  war,  and  which  were 
then  declared  to  be  a  temporary  expedient,  and  their  retention  in  cir- 
culation  by  subsequent  congressional   action  has  contributed  to  mis- 
educate  and  to  debauch  the  public  mind  upon  questions  of  finance  more 
than  all  other  causes  combined.     It  has  miseducated  our  people  as  to 
the  proper  financial  functions  of  the  government  and  has  tended  to  the 
propagation  of  fiatistic  ideas  now  so  current  in  the  land.     It  has  misled 
many  of  our   people  into  the  belief  that  the  government  can  create 
values  with  its  stamp,  and  their  constant  redemption  and  reissuance 
has  more  than  once  nearly  bankrupted  our  treasury  and  enabled  the 
money  changers  to  rob  the  people.     We  demand  the  immediate  retire- 
ment of  this  government  from  the  banking  business,  and  that  the  law 
authorizing  the  reissuance  of  the  treasury  note  shall  be  repealed  and 


Parties  in  Texas  369 

such  promises  be  retired  and  canceled.  We  favor  the  establishment  of 
a  safe  system  of  banking  under  rigid  governmental  supervision  in 
order  that  the  people  of  this  country  may  have  at  all  times  a  sound, 
safe,  and  elastic  currency,  amply  sufficient  for  the  transaction  of 
their  business. 

6.  We   congratulate  the  country  that  thus  far  the  credit  and  the 
honor  of  the  Nation  have  been  maintained  by  the  patriotic  and  untir- 
ing efforts  of  President  Cleveland  and  his  secretary  of  the  treasury, 
John  G.  Carlisle,  in  the  unequal  battle  which  they  have  so  long  waged 
against  the  combined  strength  of  the  cormorants  of  Wall  and  Lombard 
streets  and  the  bullionaires  of  the  silver  mountains,  aided  and  abetted 
by  two  Congresses,  so  grossly  incompetent  as  not  to  know  the  right  or 
so  unpatriotic  and  dishonest  as  to  prefer  their  own  political  and  finan- 
cial aggrandizement  to  the  good  of  their  country,  and  we  call  upon  all 
good  citizens,  irrespective  of  party  affiliations,  to  add  to  our  own  their 
unqualified  and  hearty  indorsement  of  these  two  pure   and  unselfish 
patriots. 

7.  Resolved,  that  we  elect  four  delegates  from  the.  State  at  large  and 
four  alternates,  and  that  each  congressional  district  elect  two  delegates 
and  two  alternates,  to  attend  the  National  Democratic  convention  to 
be  held  in  Chicago  on  July  7,  1896;  that  we  confide  to  the  patriotism 
and  fidelity  of  said  delegates  or  alternates  so  attending  the  full  dis- 
cretion to  act  in  such  manner  as  in  their  judgment  will  best  promote 
the  integrity  and   honor  of  the  Democratic  party   of   the   State  and 
Nation,  and  we  instruct  them  to  act  as  far  as  possible  in  concert  with 
all  true  Democrats   there   met   together  for  the  advancement  of   the 
principles  and  policies  hereinbefore  declared. 

8.  That   we   nominate   fifteen   Democratic   electors,   one   from   each 
congressional  district,  and  two  from  the  State  at  large. 

9.  That  a  State  Democratic  convention  is  hereby  called  to  meet  at 
Waco  on  August  25,  1896,  for  the  purpose   of  nominating  candidates 
for  all  State  offices. 

10.»  That  we  elect  a  State  chairman  and  a  committeeman  from  each 
State  senatorial  district  to  constitute  the  Democratic  executive  com- 
mittee of  Texas. 

11.  That  we  recommend  that  in  each  congressional,  senatorial,  and 
representative  district  in  this  State  candidates  be  nominated  by  Demo- 
crats of  such  districts  who  are  in  accord  with  the  platform  herewith 
submitted. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Rufus  Hardy,  chairman;  1st 
Senatorial  district,  blank;  2.  Dr.  J.  G.  Foster,  3.  E.  S.  Connor, 
4.  W.  II.  Dougherty,  5.  S.  D.  Hatler,  6.  A.  T.  Watts,  7.  and  8. 
blank.  9.  John  L.  Terrell,  10.  W.  C.  Ware,  11.  W.  T.  Hefley; 
12.  H.  E.  Stoddard,  13.  J.  J.  Wood,  14.  blank,  15.  Jerry  Mc- 

24—828 


370  Platforms  of  Political 

Daniel,  16.  to  18.  blank,  19.  T.  B.  Botts,  20.  blank,  21.  Ham 
Hardy,  22.  to  26.  blank,  27.  John  M.  Reed,  28.  J.  J.  Butts,  29. 
to  31.  blank. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1896 

AUSTIN,  June  23  and  24 

With  "Gold"  and  "Silver"  State  executive  committees,  each 
claiming  to  represent  the  true  Democracy  of  Texas  and  each 
endeavoring  to  perfect  an  organization  to  ensure  the  success 
of  its  pet  measures,  the  outlook  for  the  Democratic  State  ex- 
ecutive committee,  selected  at  the  last  State  convention,  was 
anything  but  pleasing.  Chairman  Dudley  called  a  meeting  of 
his  committee  at  Dallas  for  May  27,  1895,  "for  the  purpose  of 
taking  such  action  in  reference  to  the  issue  upon  the  financial 
question,  now  agitating  this  State,  ...  as  will  be  for  the 
best  interests  of  the  Democratic  party."  When  the  committee 
met,  it  was  evenly  divided  upon  the  money  question,  thus  mak- 
ing it  necessary  for  the  chairman  to  give  the  deciding  vote.  It 
was  decided  to  submit  the  "pending  issue  on  the  financial 
question ' '  to  the  voters  of  the  entire  State  in  '  *  the  same  primary 
election  in  which  delegates  are  selected  to  the  usual  conventions." 
The  language  of  these  resolutions  left  it  in  doubt  whether  there 
were  to  be  held  two  primaries  or  only  one  convention.  Another 
meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee  was  held  at  Austin 
on  February  5,  1896.  By  a  vote  of  16  to  15  it  was  decided  to 
hold  the  primary  election  on  June  6,  1896,  to  vote  on  the  money 
question  and  to  elect  delegates  to  the  State  convention.  The 
delegates  when  elected  were  to  be  considered  as  instructd  and 
shall  attend  all  State  conventions  held  in  1896.  State  conven- 
tions were  held  June  23  and  August  18,  1896. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  W.  F.  Ramsey,  of  Johnson; 
permanent,  H.  G.  Robertson,  of  — .  Secretary  pro 

tempore,  Lee  J.  Rountree,  of  Hays;  permanent,  W.  A.  Fields, 
of  Hill. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  J.  W. 
Bailey,  John  M.  Duncan,  J.  W.  Blake,  Charles  A.  Culberson, 
John  H.  Reagan,  E.  G.  Senter,  Horace  Chilton,  J.  S.  Hogg; 


Parties  in  Texas  371 

1st  Congressional  district,  L.  T.  Dashiell  and  0.  T.  Holt;  2.  J. 
M.  Campbell  and  M.  R.  Gear;  3.  H.  B.  Marsh  and  Ben  Tooney; 

4.  John  L.  Shepard  and  Jake  Hodges;  5.  C.  B.  Randell  and  "W. 
T.  Beverly;  6.  D.  W.  Odell  and  W.  J.  Hooks;  7.  H.  P.  Robert- 
son and  Charles  A.  Coffield;  8.  J.  M.  Richardson  and  Eugene 
Moore ;  9.  Jeff  Johnson  and  Heber  Stone ;  10.  W.  S.  Robson  and 
John  Lovejoy;  11.  J.  A.  Dibbrell  and  R.  A.  Pleasants;  12.  F. 
M.  Paschal  and  W.  W.  Gatewood ;  13.  Fred  Cockrell  and  J.  A. 
Templeton. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  T.  S.  Smith,  of  Hill, 
Winbourne  Pierce,  of  Bell ;  1st  Congressional  district,  J.  C.  Buf- 
fington,  2.  W.  M.  Imboden,  3.  Ned  Morris,  4.  Howard  F.  O'Neal, 

5.  E.  L.  Agnew,  6.  F.  P.  Powell,  7.  D.  H.  Hardy,  8.  M.  M. 
Scott,  9.  T.  B.  Coehran,  10.  S.  H.  Hopkins,  11.  A.  S.  Thurmond, 
12.  Melton  Mays,  13.  S.  B.  Huff. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, Hiram  Glass,  2.  H.  E.  Henderson,  3.  N.  P.  Jackson,  4. 
D.  A.  Bliss,  5.  R,  W.  Carpenter,  6.  F.  P.  Holland,  7.  R.  B. 
Baird,  8.  R.  T.  Milner,  9.  W.  H.  Allen,  10.  F.  P.  Powell,  11. 
J.  M.  McKinney,  12.  A.  C.  Brietz,  13.  John  H.  Reagan,  chair- 
man, 14.  W.  W.  Perkins,  15.  W.  G.  Bennett,  16.  H.  B.  Rice,  17. 
John  E.  Linn,  18.  Jonathan  Lane,  19.  S.  L.  Staples,  20.  Norton 
Moses,  21.  A.  A.  Thomas,  22.  J.  C.  Beasley,  23.  John  R.  Kleiber, 
24.  J.  F.  Onion,  25.  M.  G.  Jackson,  26.  J.  M.  Pressler,  27.  0.  L. 
Lockett,  secretary,  28.  0.  T.  Maxwell,  29.  J.  A.  Templeton,  30. 
J.  W.  Swayne,  31.  J.  P.  Blount. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  reaffirms  its 
traditional  principles  in  favor  of  strict  construction   of  the  Federal 
Constitution  and  the  preservation  of  the  rights  of  the  States  and  the 
liberties  of  the  people,  the  political  equality  of  our  citizens,  freedom 
of  conscience,  the  separation  of  church   and  State,  and  the  freedom 
of  the  press  as  among  the   fundamental   doctrines   embodied  in  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
and  at  all  times  adhered  to  by  the  Democracy  of  the  Union. 

2.  We  are  opposed  to  all  monopolies  and  trusts  and  all  class  legis- 
lation and  demand  equal  rights  to  all  and  exclusive  privileges  to  none, 

xTlie  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Statesman, 
June  24  and  25,  1896. 


372  Platforms  of  Political 

and  we  insist  that  all  of  the  great  corporations,  while  protected  in  all 
rights,  should  be  held  subordinate  to  law  and  held  subject  to  all  legal 
restraint  and  control. 

3.  We  favor  a  tariff  for  revenue  only,  but  in  a  sufficient  amount 
supported  by  other  taxation  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  government 
economically  administered,  so  as  to  render  it  unnecessary  to  increase 
the  public  debt  in   any  manner  whatever.     And  we  believe  that  the 
present  tariff  law  lets   into  the  country  raw  materials  free  of  duty 
and  levies  heavy  duties  on  manufactured  products,  thus  subjecting  our 
agricultural  and  pastoral  classes,  to  competition  with  the  world,  while 
it  enables  the  rich  manufacturers  by  means  of  combinations  and  trusts 
to  extort  their  own  prices  for  their  products  from  the  people,  violating 
the  Federal  Constitution  as  well  as  the  fundamental  principles  of  the 
Democratic  party  that  tariff  duty  should  be  levied  and  collected  for 
the  purpose  of  revenue  only. 

4.  We  favor  an  economical  administration  of  the  government.    And 
we  view  with  alarm  the  increased  expenses  caused  by  the  session  of 
Congress    just   adjourned,    which    has    appropriated    for    expenditures 
during  the  next  fiscal  year  $515,759,820.49.     We  condemn  this  excessive 
appropriation  of  the  people's  money  and  insist  on   a  large  reduction 
of  the  public  expenditures,  and   we  believe  that  there  has  been  an 
unnecessary  increase  in  the  number  of  officers  and  employes  of  the 
Federal  government,  and  that  the  number  should  be  greatly  and  speed- 
ily reduced. 

5.  We   demand   the  submission  of  a  constitutional  amendment  to 
the  several  States  which  will  authorize  Congress  to  pass   an  income 
tax  law,  to  the  end  that  the  wealth  of  the  Nation  may  be  compelled 
to  bear  its  just  share  of  the  expenses  of  the  government. 

6.  The  Democratic  party  is  unalterably  opposed  to  the  issuance  of 
interest-bearing  bonds  by  the  Federal  government  in  times  of  peace, 
and  we  demand  that   the  Federal   debt  should  be  diminished  rather 
than  increased  until  it  shall  be  fully  paid  off  and  discharged. 

7.  We  favor  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  gold  and  silver  into 
standard  money  without    discrimination  against  either  and  at  the  ratio 
of  16  to  1,  independently  of  the  action  of  other  nations,  which  standard 
money  shall  be  legal  tender  for  all  debts,  public  and  private,  and  we 
further  demand  that  the  money  of  the  country  shall  consist  of  gold 
and  silver  thus  coined,  and  of  paper  convertible  into  these  coins  on 
demand  by  the  holder,  and  in   this  connection  we  demand  that  the 
practice  of  the  Treasury  Department  of  refusing  to  exercise  its  option 
to  pay  coin  notes  in  silver  the  same  as  in  gold  shall  be  discontinued, 
because  the  same  is  an  unwarranted  use  of  power  which  results  in 
making  the  Federal  treasury  but  a  brokerage  office  for  speculators  in 
gold. 

8.  We  demand  that  a  law  shall  be  enacted  by  the  Federal  Congress 
making  gold  and  silver  coined  at  the  ratio  heretofore  mentioned,  and 


Parties  in  Texas  373 

the  paper  convertible  into  such  coin  on  demand  of  the  holder  of  such 
notes,  legal  tender  for  all  debts,  public  and  private,  thereafter  con- 
tracted, without  reference  to  any  contract  or  agreement  that  the  debts 
shall  be  paid  in  some  particular  kind  of  money,  reserving  alone  to 
the  Federal  government  the  right  to  designate  the  kind  of  money 
In  which  customs  dues  may  be  paid. 

9.  We  are  opposed  to  the  cancellation  and  retirement  of  the  legal 
tender  notes  of  the  government,  which  serve  all  the  purposes  of  money 
to  the  government  and  the  people  at  the  least  expense  at  which  cur- 
rency can  be  supplied. 

10.  We  oppose  National  banks  of  issue  for  the  reason  that  the  issu- 
ance of  paper  currency  is  a  function  of  the  government  which  should 
not  be  farmed  out  to  any  individual  either  natural  or  artificial. 

11.  That  the   Democracy  recognizes   as   a  necessary  result  of  the 
War  between  the  States  that  the  Federal  soldiers,  who  were  therein 
disabled  and  whose  necessities  may  require  it,  should  receive  a  pen- 
sion, but  it  is  insisted  that  the  pension  roll  should  be  made  a  roll  of 
honor  and  that  those  who  performed  no  service  for  the  government, 
or  who   are   in   affluent  circumstances,    should  not  demand   that  the 
masses  be  taxed  to  increase  their  wealth  and  a  still  greater  burden 
should  not  be  imposed  upon  those  who  are  so  little  able  to  bear  it. 
The  Democratic  party  views  with  alarm -the  growing  tendency  in  pen- 
sion legislation  to  discriminate  between  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
late  war  and  to  give  to  the  widows  of  deceased  officers  large  pension^ 
and  to  the  widows  of  the  common  soldiers  very  much  smaller  amounts 
without  reference  to  the  needs  of  the  one  or  the  wealth  of  the  other, 
thereby    creating    what    the    spirit    of    our    government    prohibits — a 
privileged  class  akin  to  and  fashioned  after  the  class  distinctions  of 
European  monarchies. 

12.  The  Democracy  of  Texas  further  hereby  instructs  its  delegates 
to  the  National  convention,  to  assemble  at  Chicago,  to  use  their  ut- 
most endeavors  to  secure  the  adoption  of  the  platform  above  outlined 
in  its  entirety,  and  particularly  that  portion  which  relates  to  the  money 
question,  which  we  believe  to  be  the  paramount  issue  in  this  campaign. 

13.  They  are  further  specially  instructed  to  use  their  utmost  and 
best  endeavors  to  secure  the  nomination  of  candidates  for  President 
and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  at  said  convention  who  are 
known  to  be  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  money  plank  herein  proposed, 
and  who  will   endeavor  to  secure   its   enactment  into  a  law   by  the 
Federal  Congress  in  the  event  of  their  election. 

14.  They  are  further  instructed  to  vote  as  a  unit  upon  all  questions 
that  may  be  presented  to  the  convention,  as  well  as  upon  the  ones 
above  specifically  mentioned. 

15.  We  believe  that  any  law  which  permits  the  President  of  the 
United  States  to  send  troops  into  a  State  without  a  request  therefor 
by  the  legislature  or  executive  of  the  State,  when  there  is  no  insur- 


374  Platforms  of  Political 

rection  against  the  government  of  the  United  States  nor  resistance  to 
the  enforcement  of  the  National  laws,  not  only  violates  a  plain  pro- 
vision of  the  Constitution,  but  is  dangerous  to  the  liberties  of  the 
people  and  should  be  repealed. 

16.  We  approve,  indorse,  and  recommend  our  present  State  admin- 
istration as  being  patriotic,  wise,  and  economical  and  pledge  our  con- 
tinued support  of  the  same. 

[17]  Resolved,  that  we,  the  delegates  composing  this  convention, 
do  hereby  pledge  ourselves  and,  as  far  as  we  have  the  power  to  do  so, 
the  Democracy  of  this  State  to  sustain,  uphold,  and  advocate  whatever 
policies  may  be  adopted  by  the  Democratic  National  party  to  be  put 
forth  by  it  at  the  National  convention  soon  to  be  held  in  the  City  of 
Chicago. 

[18]  We  indorse  and  confirm  in  detail  and  in  whole  the  action  of 
the  State  executive  committee  in  the  conduct  of  the  campaign  up  to 
the  present  time,  and  congratulate  the  chairman,  Hon.  James  G.  Dud- 
ley, upon  the  able  and  patriotic  manner  in  which  he  has  discharged 
the  onerous  duties  devolved  upon  him  as  chairman  of  said  committee. 

[19]  That  we  favor  the  election  of  United  States  senators  by  a 
direct  vote  of  the  people. 

[20]  That  we  look  with  horror  upon  the  tendency  of  some  of  the 
people  to  adopt  the  wild  vagaries  advocated  by  the  Populist  party. 

[2l]  That  we  believe  that  all  differences  of  opinion  upon  political 
issues  that  may  exist  among  Democrats  should  exist  within  party 
lines,  and  we  deplore  the  disposition  of  any  Democrat  to  leave 
his  party  because  he  may  not  agree  with  the  majority  upon  economic 
questions,  and  trust  that  all  Democrats  will  abandon  such  purpose  and 
remain  with  us  and  help  to  defeat  all  enemies  of  our  grand  old  party. 

[22]  That  we  view  with  alarm  the  fact  that  the  Republican  party 
is  unable  to  profit  by  the  light  of  experience  or  observation,  and  that 
by  its  recent  platform,  adopted  at  St.  Louis,  it  has  shown  that  it  is 
still  in  favor  of  carrying  out  all  of  the  pernicious  policies  so  long 
practiced  by  it  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  people  and  that  the  people 
can  no  longer  hope  for  any  relief  by  the  supremacy  of  that  party. 

MINORITY  REPORT 

i 

The  Democracy,  in  convention  assembled,  now  proclaim  to  the  people 
its  entire  confidence  in  the  wisdom  and  patriotism  of  the  Democracy 
of  the  United  States  and  of  Texas  to  give  to  all  the  people  a  wise,  pure, 
economical,  and  good  government,  and  we  declare: 

1.  That  we  reflect  with  pride  upon  the  achievements  of  our  party 
in  the  past  and  realize  that  the  people  are  indebted  to  the  Democratic 
party  for  all  the  liberty  they  now  enjoy  under  this  government. 

2.  [Same  as  plank  22  of  the  majority  report.] 

3.  [Same  as  plank  20  of  the  majority  report.] 


Parties  in  Texas  375 

4.  That  we  recognize  in  our  Democratic  President,  Grover  Cleve- 
land, a  wise,  courageous,  and  patriotic  citizen  and  look  upon  him  as 
a  true  friend  to  all  of  the  people,  but  especially  as  a  friend  of  the 
South.     We  regard  his  official  acts  and  messages  as  exceptionally  wise 
and  just  and  heartily  approve  and  indorse  the  same,  feeling  sure  that 
in  every  instance  he  has  done  the  best  thing  that  could  be  done  under 
existing  circumstances,  and  we  can  not  fail  to  condemn  the  disposition 
manifested  by  some  who  claim  to  be  Democrats  to  abuse  and  slander 
him. 

5.  We  believe  that  our  country  should  remain  upon  a  safe,  sound, 
and  stable  currency  basis  and  that  gold  is  the  best  possible  standard 
and  measure  of  values. 

a.  We  favor  the  freest  and  fullest  use  of  silver  possible  as  a  legal 
tender  money  consistent  with  its  stability  and  to  the  extent  that  its 
parity  with  the  best  money  in  existence  may  be  maintained,  which  is 
in  full  accord  with  our  National  administration. 

b.  We  believe  in  adopting  a  policy  that  will  give  to  our  people  as 
much  money  as  is  possible,  so  long  as  every  dollar  issued  can  be  kept 
equal  in  value  and  in  purchasing  power  with  every  other  dollar  and 
with  the  best  dollar. 

c.  We  are  opposed  to  any  policy  that  may  force  upon  the  people  a 
fluctuating  and  depreciating  currency. 

d.  We  believe  that  any  deficiency  in  the  volume  of  our  money  or 
gold  and  silver  should  be  supplied  with  paper  money,  issued  by  the 
government  and  redeemable  in  coin  on  demand,  and  that  the  govern- 
ment should  provide  a  sure  and  certain  means  for  its  redemption  at  as 
little  cost  as  is  possible  to  the  people. 

e.  We  are  opposed  to  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver  into 
legal  tender  money  by  the  United  States  alone  at  the  ration  of  16  to  1, 
and  feel  sure  that  such  a  policy  would  result  in  a  debased  and  fluctuat- 
ing currency  and  would  greatly  contract  our  supply  of  money. 

f.  We  approve  and  indorse  the  views  of  Cleveland  and  Carlisle  upon 
the  financial  issue. 

6.  [Adopted;  appears  above  as  plank  16  of  the  majority  report.] 

7.  We  believe  that   only  a  sufficient  amount  of  money  should  be 
collected  from  the  people  to  economically  administer  the  affairs  of  the 
government,  and  that  all  laws  intended  to  raise  revenues  should  be 
adjusted  and  framed  with  the  single  view  to  raise  such  revenues  as 
are  necessary  to  so  conduct  the  government,  and  we  are  unalterably 
opposed    to   the   protective   system,    and   to  all   other  forms   of  class 
legislation. 

8.  That  we  consider  it  beyond  the  power  of  the  executive  committee 
of  this  State  to  direct  the  sovereign  Democratic  voters  of  the  several 
counties  to  select  their  delegates  to  the  State  and  district  convention 
in  any  particular  manner,  fully  believing  that  such  power  rests  with 
the  voter  of  each  particular  county,  and  that  Democracy  can  confide 


376  Platforms  of  Political 

to  the  wisdom  and  purity  of  the  voters  of  each  county  the  duty  oJ 
selecting  their  delegates,  and  believe  that  they  will  send  only  Demo- 
crats to  Democratic  conventions  and  will  adopt  a  method  to  obtain  an 
honest  expression  of  the  people  on  all  subjects  submitted  to  them 
without  dictation  from  any  centralized  source. 
9.  [Same  as  plank  21  of  the  majority  report.] 

JONATHAN  LANE, 
JOHN  I.  KLEIBEB. 

Duncan  stated  that  the  framers  of  the  majority  report  had  by  an 
oversight  failed  to  indorse  the  State  administration;  therefore,  he 
moved  that  the  report  of  the  minority  be  tabled  with  the  exception  of 
the  section  indorsing  the  State  administration.  The  motion  prevailed. 

STATE   LABOR   UNION,   1896 
WACO,  July  3  and  4 

In  his  call  for  the  meeting  of  the  second  annual  session  of 
the  Texas  State  Labor  Union,  President  George  N.  Beach  stated 
the  purpose  of  this  organization  as  follows:  "The  purpose  of 
this  organization  is  to  form  a  closer  bond  of  union  between  the 
organized  farmers,  artisans,  and  wageworkers  of  the  State,  to 
assist  in  molding  public  opinion  in  favor  of  the  rights  of  pro- 
ductive labor,  and  to  furnish  action  on  matters  of  mutual  in- 
terest. The  organization  is  nonpartisan,  but  discusses  and  en- 
courages the  discussion  of  questions  of  political  economy  in  their 
bearing  on  work  and  wages,  and  all  bodies  electing  delegates  to 
the  Waco  meeting  are  requested  to  instruct  them  as  to  the  wishes 
of  the  body  sending  them  upon  the  questions  of  shorter  hours, 
child  labor,  compulsory  arbitration,  the  initiative  and  refer- 
endum, proportional  representation,  preferential  ballot,  convict 
labor,  home  rule  in  taxation,  and  such  other  questions  as  the 
electing  body  deems  proper  for  discussion  at  the  State  Labor 
Union." 

Officers:  President,  George  N.  Beach,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
Mrs.  Alice  McAnulty,  of  Williamson. 

DEMANDS1 

1.  We  demand  of  the  State  legislature  the  submission  to  the 
people  an  amendment  to  the  constitution  giving  all  taxing  districts 

xThe    demands   are    copied   from    the   Dallas   News,   July   5,    1896. 


Parties  in  Texas  377 

the  right  to  levy  their  taxation  upon  such  forms  of  property  as  they 
&ee  fit,  provided  they  pay  their  full  quota  to  the  State  fund. 

2.  We  demand  the  adoption  of  the  initiative  and  referendum  in  the 
making  and  adoption  of  all  laws. 

3.  We  demand  the  abolition  of  the  present  official  fee  system,  and 
all  in  excess  of  $2500  in  fees  shall  go  to  the  public  school  fund. 

•4.     We  demand  a  uniform  system  of  textbooks  in  the  public  school* 
of  the  State,  to  be  furnished  free. 

5.  We  demand  an  effective  mechanics'  and  laborers'  lien  law. 

6.  We   demand  the  abolition   of  the  present   contract  system,  and 
that  convict  labor  be  taken  out  of  competition  with  free  labor,   and 
recommend  that  the  employment  df  convict  labor  be  applied  to  the 
construction  of  public  roads  and  improvement  of  waterways,  and  that 
all  convict  labor  not  employed  in  those  works  manufacture  tools  and 
clothing  for  the  use  of  the  various  State  institutions  only.    We  further 
demand  that  all  convict-made  goods  shipped  into  the  State  from  with- 
out shall  be  stamped  or  branded  "convict-made". 

7.  We  demand  the  passage  of  a  bill  to  protect  employes   and  to 
guarantee   their  right  to   belong  to  labor  organizations.     We   indorse 
and  recommend  what  is  known  as  the  "Golden"  House  Bill  No.  652  of 
the  twenty-third  legislature. 

8.  We  demand  that  all  railroads  and  corporations  in  our  State  be 
compelled    to  pay   their   employes   in   lawful   money   of  the   country, 
weekly  or  monthly,  and  in  case  of  discharge  that  employes  be  paid 
at  the  nearest  railroad  station  to  the  place  of  discharge. 

9.  We  demand  the  passage  of  a  law  prohibiting  the  employment  of 
children  under  fifteen  years  of  age  in  mines,  factories,  or  workshops. 

10.  We  demand  the   passage   of  a  law  giving  all  installment  pur- 
chasers an  equity  in  their  purchases  to  the  full  amount  paid  in,  and 
forbidding  the  forfeiture  of  such  right  by  failure  to  continue  the  pay- 
ments.    This  law  should  apply  to  real  estate  as  well  as  to  personal 
property. 

11.  We  demand  the  establishment  of  a  State  labor  bureau  as  a  de- 
partment of  the  State  government,  to  collect,  compile,  and  submit  to 
the  legislature  and  executive  from  time  to  time  all  obtainable  data 
on  questions  affecting  work  and  wages. 

12.  We  demand  that  the  State  administration  make  a  thorough  and 
immediate  investigation  of  the  condition  of  affairs  at  the  Thurber  coal 
mines   and  of  the   miners.     And,   moreover,  we   condemn   the  use  of 
armed  forces  for  the  purpose  of  holding  in  oppression  the  working 
people  of  this  State. 

State  Executive   Committee:    George  N.   Beach,   of  Dallas; 

A.  E.  Widmer,  of  Waco;  T.  B.  Taylor,  of  Cornhill;  

Tracy,  of  Dallas;  -  -  Miller,  of  Dallas;  F.  Bossy,  of 

Granger. 


378  Platforms  of  Political 

PROHIBITION   STATE   CONVENTION,   1896 

DALLAS,  July  29 

About  fifty  delegates  attended  this  convention.  The  report 
of  the  platform  committee  raised  the  issue  between  the  "broad 
gauged"  and  "narrow  gauged"  adherents;  the  latter  were  in 
the  majority.  The  report  of  the  committee  on  nominations 
caused  some  debate  on  the  advisability  of  placing  a  State  ticket 
in  the  field. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  James  B.  Goff,  of  Travis; 
permanent,  J.  M.  Dunn,  of  McLennan.  Secretary  E.  A.  Wingo, 
of  Van  Zandt. 

Presidential  Electors:  J.  M.  Dunn,  J.  B.  Cranfill,  J.  D. 
Graves,  E.  A.  Wingo,  D.  H.  Hancock,  S.  T.  Wise,  W.  D.  Jack- 
son, G.  W.  Logan,  J.  M.  Webster,  H.  Bradford,  Miles  Epler, 
S.  C.  Cunningham,  A.  B.  Bailey,  G.  H.  M.  Wilson,  E.  C.  Heath. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Randolph  Clark,  of 
McLennan;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Rev.  H.  Bradford,  of  Dallas; 
Attorney-General,  James  B.  Goff,  of  Travis;  Comptroller,  W.  T. 
Clayton,  of  Galveston;  Treasurer,  Jerome  W.  Henderson,  of 
Hopkins;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  Man- 
ning, of  Van  Zandt;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Dr. 
E.  C.  Burleson,  of  McLennan. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  G.  A.  Colson,  D. 
M.  Prendergast,  Ed  Rogers,  E.  A.  Wingo,  E.  C.  Heath,  G.  W. 
Owen,  S.  W.  Patterson. 

PLATFORM1 

[Preamble  same  as  that  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

1.  [Same  as  plank  1  of  the  platform  of  1894.] 

2.  [Same  as  plank  6  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

3.  We  favor  immigration,  laws  so  framed   as   to  exclude  paupers, 
insane,  ignorant  and  vicious  classes;   and  no  foreigner  should  be  al- 
lowed to  vote  who  has  not  become  naturalized,   and   resided   in  the 
United  States  ten  years. 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News. 
July  30,  1896. 


Parties  in  Texas  37!) 

4.  [Same  as  plank  9  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

5.  The  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  should  be 
elected  by  a  direct  vote  of  the  people. 

6.  [Same  as  plank  11  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

7.  [Same  as  plank  11  of  the  platform  of  1894.] 

8.  [Same  as  plank  13  of  the  platform  of  1894.] 

9.  We  favor  the  initiative  and  referendum. 

10.  [Same  as  plank  14  of  the  platform  of  1894.] 

State  Executive  Committee:  E.  A.  Wingo,  of  Van  Zandt, 
chairman;  1st  Congressional  district,  J.  D.  Graves,  of  Brazoria; 
2.  B.  W.  Burch,  of  Orange;  3.  J.  W.  Peyton,  of  -  -;  4. 

J.  W.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  5.  D.  H.  Hancock,  of  Collin; 
6.  H.  F.  Mclntosh,  of  Dallas ;  7.  J.  T.  Jordan,  of  Bell ;  8.  R.  G. 
West,  of  Parker;  9.  G.  W.  Logan,  of  Williamson;  10.  W.  T. 
Clayton,  of  Galveston;  11.  A.  B.  Bailey,  of  Hays;  12.  B.  P. 
Bailey,  of  Harris ;  13.  T.  H.  Peebles,  of  Wichita. 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE   CONVENTION,   1896 

i 
GALVESTON,  August  5-8 

The  Peoples'  party  did  not  hold  a  State  convention  for  the 
purpose  of  selecting  delegates  to  the  National  convention  which 
met  at  St.  Louis,  July  22,  1896.  The  Texas  delegates  to  that 
convention  opposed  fusion.  One  of  the  problems  of  the  lead- 
ers was  to  prevent  the  Galveston  convention  from  taking  action 
censuring  the  fusionists. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Marshall  Burney,  of  Kerr; 
permanent,  H.  L.  Bentley,  of  Taylor.  Secretary  pro  tempore, 
L.  M.  Galloway,  of  Navarro;  permanent,  J.  F.  Weeks,  of  Cher- 
okee. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  E.  0.  Call,  of  Navarro, 
H.  D.  Wood,  of  Hunt;  1st  Congressional  district,  R.  H.  Cab- 
iness;  2.  G.  W.  Carnes,  of  -  -;  3.  John  0 'Byrne,  of  Gregg; 

4.  Sid  C.  Harper,  of  Hopkins;  5.  E.  W.  Kirkpatrick,  of  Collin; 
6.  E.  G.  Sessions,  of  Navarro;  7.  G.  B.  Harris,  of—  — ; 

8.  J.  E.  Martin,  of  Tarrant;  9.  Marion  M.  Williams,  of  Travis; 
10.  J.  R.  Allen,  of  Fayette;  11.  A.  J.  Carrothers,  of—  -; 

12.  T.  W.  Haines,  of  Blanco ;  13.  D.  B.  Gilliland,  of  Jack. 


380  Platforms  of  Political 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Jerome  C.  Kearby, 
of  Dallas ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  H.  S.  P.  Ashby,  of  Tarrant ;  At- 
torney-General, W.  M.  Walton,  of  Travis;  Comptroller,  E.  O. 
Meitzen,  of  Lavaca;  Treasurer,  S.  0.  Daws,  of  Limestone;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  S.  G.  Granberry,  of  Travis; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  A.  B.  Francisco,  of  Gal- 
veston;  Railroad  Commissioners,  Evan  Jones,  of  Erath,  W.  W. 
Nelms,  of  Williamson,  E.  P.  Alsbury,  of  Harris;  Supreme  Court, 
T.  J.  McMinn,  of  Bexar;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  R.  V.  Bell, 
of  Cooke. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  C.  H.  Jenkins, 
chairman,  N.  P.  Houx,  W.  H.  Matthews,  E.  S.  Peters,  R.  J. 
Sledge,  J.  B.  Gay,  A.  B.  Carruthers,  J.  G.  Burney,  H.  L.  Bent- 
ley,  J.  G.  H.  Buck. 

PLATFORM1 

Preamble 

We  demand  a  change  of  administration  in  Texas  for  the  reason  that 
during  the  twenty-three  years  in  which  the  Democratic  party  has  had 
control  of  this  State  it  has  squandered  our  magnificent  public  domain 
in  donations  to  corporations  and  sales  at  nominal  prices  to  syndicates 
and  land  grabbers,  and  has  thrown  every  impediment  in  the  way  of 
the  actual  settler.  It  has  multiplied  officers,  wasted  the  public  reve- 
nues, increased  our  State  debts,  and  raised  our  taxes  to  the  point 
approaching  confiscation.  It  has  increased  the  expenses  of  the  State 
government  from  $1,000,000  per  annum  to  more  than  $4,000,000  per 
annum.  By  its  maladministration  of  the  public  school  funds  it  has, 
in  open  violation  of  the  constitution,  reduced  our  public  free  schools 
from  a  six  to  a  three  months'  session  per  annum,  and  at  the  same  time 
it  has  invaded  our  permanent  school  fund  so  that  the  same  will  be 
ultimately  extinguished,  instead  of  remaining  as  a  perpetual  benefit  to 
posterity,  as  designed  by  our  fathers.  Though  needlessly  multiplying 
courts,  it  has  failed  to  enforce  the  laws  by  refusing  to  repeal  senseless 
technicalities  in  our  criminal  procedure;  it  has  rendered  necessary 
reversals  of  the  judgments  of  convictions  against  notorious  criminals 
to  such  an  extent  that  our  courts  of  final  resort  have  been  subjected  to 
gross  abuse  and  the  administration  of  our  laws  has  been  brought  into 
such  contempt  as  to  incite  mobs  to  deeds  of  violence  to  the  shame  and 
disgrace  of  our  State. 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  News, 
August  6  and  7,  1896. 


Parties  in  Texas  381 

We  denounce  the  present  administration  of  this  State  as  being  purely 
personal  and  dominated  by  ring  rule,  as  is  evidenced  by  such  acts  as 
the  payment  of  extravagant  and  unnecessary  fees  to  its  henchmen  and 
its  refusal  to  buy  bonds  except  through  favorite  brokers.  This  ad- 
ministration, like  its  predecessor,  claims  the  right  of  being  its  own 
successor,  and  like  them  will  claim  the  right  to  pass  the  office  of 
governor  to  the  "next  in  line,"  unless  the  citizens  of  Texas  show  by 
their  votes  that  the  office  of  governor  belongs  to  the  people,  and  not 
to  the  official  family.  A  long  lease  of  power  tends  to  corruption,  and 
is  subversive  of  economy  and  efficient  government,  and  we  believe  that 
the  best  interests  of  Texas  demand  a  change  of  administration  and 
an  inspection  of  the  books. 

We  submit  the  following  declaration  of  principles  of  the  People's 
party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  at  Galveston,  Texas,  this 
August  5,  1896: 

National  Politics 

[1]  We  indorse  the  principles  of  the  People's  party  as  set  forth 
in  our  National  platform,  adopted  at  St.  Louis,  July  22,  1896.  Amen. 

Land 

[2]  The  People's  party  favors  all  State  legislation  that  tends  to 
increase  the  number  of  homeowners  and  that  will  assist  in  the  settling 
of  our  unoccupied  land;  hence  we  demand  that  only  the  improvements 
and  the  amount  actually  paid  to  the  State  upon  school  lands  be  subject 
to  taxation. 

[3]  No  non-resident  alien  ownership  of  land  should  be  allowed  in 
Texas. 

[4]      [Same  as  plank  14  of  the  platform  of  1894.] 

[5]  We  demand  a  law  giving  to  owners  of  real  estate  one  year  to 
redeem  all  lands  in  Texas  sold  under  forced  sale  and  deeds  of  trust. 

Taxation 

[6]  We  favar  a  constitutional  amendment  exempting  $250  of  per- 
sonal property  from  taxation  in  lieu  of  the  exemption  of  $250  of  house- 
hold and  kitchen  furniture  and  the  exemption  of  $500  worth  of  im- 
provements on  homesteads. 

[7]  We  are  opposed  to  counties  or  cities  contracting  a  bonded  debt 
unless  the  same  be  ordered  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  people  proposed 
to  be  taxed  by  said  debt. 

[8]  We  are  in  favor  of  a  just  and  equal  rendition  of  all  property 
"  for  taxation,  and  to  that  end  demand  that  all  notes  and  other  securi- 
ties shall  be  rendered  for  taxation,  and  we  are  opposed  to  double 
taxation. 


382  Platforms  .of  Political 

[9]  We  denounce  the  Democratic  party  for  its  reckless  extrava- 
gance in  the  adminishtration  of  the  affairs  of  State,  and  pledge  the 
People's  party  to  the  most  rigid  economy  in  the  administration  of  said 
affairs. 

Schools 

[10]     We   favor  an  effective  system  of  public  free  schools  for  six 
months  in  the  year,  as  provided  for  in  the  constitution,  for  all  children 
between  the  ages  of  five  and  eighteen  years,  and  each  race  shall  have 
its  own  pro  rata  portion  of  the  school  fund,  and  its  own  trustees,  to  be 
elected  by  the  respective  races,  and  control  its  own  schools. 
[11]      [Same  as  plank  16  of  the  platform  of  1894.] 
[12]      [Same  as  plank  3  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

Labor 

[13]  We  demand  the  enactment  of  a  law  declaring  eight  hours  to 
be  a  legal  day's  work  for  all  artisans,  mechanics,  and  laborers  in  the 
employment  of  contractors  and  corporations. 

[14]     [Same  as  plank  11  (1)  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

[15]      [Same  as  plank  11  (2)  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

[16]      [Same  as  plank  8  of  the  platform  of  1892.] 

[17]  [Same  as  plank  27  of  the  platform  of  1894,  except  that  the 
word  "favor"  is  replaced  by  "demand".] 

General  Demands 

[18]  We  demand  a  free  vote  by  every  qualified  elector  without 
reference  to  nationality,  and  an  honest  count. 

[19,  20,  and  21]  [Same  as  planks  29,  30,  and  31  of  the  platform 
of  1894.] 

[22]  [Same  as  plank  8  'of  the  platform  of  1891,  plus  the  following: 
"and  that  all  short  term  convicts  and  county  convicts  shall  be  em- 
ployed upon  the  public  roads,  where  thought  practicable  by  the  com- 
missioners' court."] 

[23]  We  favor  a  law  making  it  a  misdemeanor  for  any  railroad 
company  to  give  free  transportation  to  any  State,  county,  or  municipal 
officer,  or  any  such  officer  to  receive  such  transportation. 

[24]  We  demand  the  repeal  of  the  law  authorizing  conductors  on 
railroads  to  charge  more  than  the  regular  ticket  fare  when  tickets  are 
not  procured  by  passengers. 

[25]  We  demand  that  the  State  be  redistricted,  as  to  judicial  and 
representative  districts,  to  the  end  that  the  number  of  judicial  and 
representative  districts  be  materially  reduced. 

[26]     We  demand  that  the  present  system  of  paying  our  officers  by 


Parties  in  Texas  383 

fees  shall  be  abolished  and  that  all  county  officers  and  district  clerks 
be  paid  fixed  salaries  not  to  exceed  $2000  per  annum  net,  and  that  all 
fees  collected  in  excess  of  this  salary  shall  be  paid  into  the  county 
school  fund. 

[27]  ~We  condemn  now,  as  we  did  in  our  platform  of  1894,  the 
policy  of  placing  raw  material  on  the  free  list  while  every  article 
manufactured  from  said  raw  material  is  protected. 

[28]  We  are  not  the  enemy  of  railroads,  and  we  here  declare  that, 
while  we  favor  government  ownership  of  railroads,  yet,  so  long  as  such 
property  is  owned  and  operated  by  corporations,  it  is  entitled  to  fair 
and  impartial  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  government  and  the  people 
and  to  the  same  protection  that  is  accorded  to  private  property. 

[29]  We  condemn  the  setting  aside  of  large  contingent  funds  sub- 
ject to  the  draft  of  one  man,  as  demoralizing  to  good  State  government. 

[30]  Without  committing  the  party  to  the  advocacy  or  rejection  of 
government  bounties  as  a  principle  or  policy,  we  condemn  the  Demo- 
cratic State  administration  because  of  their  failure  to  collect  from  the 
general  government  the  sugar  bounty  earned  by  and  due  to  the  State. 
We  favor  also  the  collection  by  the  State  of  the  pro  rata  of  money  due 
Texas  or  its  citizens  on  account  of  the  illegal  cotton  tax  collected  by 
the  general  government,  and  we  demand  that  said  fund,  in  addition  to 
the  fund  now  provided  by  law,  be  devoted  to  the  aid  of  infirm  and 
indigent  ex-Confederate  soldiers  and  their  wives,  the  balance,  if  any, 
to  be  devoted  to  the  extension  of  provisions  for  the  industrial  educa- 
tion of  the  boys  and  girls  of  Texas. 

[31]  We  favor  such  a  revision  of  the  fellow-servants'  act  as  shall 
correct  the  inequalities  of  the  present  law  and  give  adequate  protection 
to  employes. 

[32]  We  are  in  favor  of  equal  justice  and  protection  under  the  law 
to  all  citizens,  without  reference  to  race,  color,  or  nationality. 

[33]  The  People's  party  of  Texas  favors  a  liberal  appropriation  by 
the  general  government  to  improve  the  harbors  of  Texas  and  to  this 
end  we  request  our  senators  and  representatives  in  Congress  to  sup- 
port such  appropriations  as  will  be  sufficient  to  secure  and,  maintain 
deep  water  in  such  harbors,  rivers,  and  waterways. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[34]  Resolved,  that  we  favor  a  law  allowing  county  convicts  not 
less  than  fifty  cents  a  day  for  all  work  performed  by  them  in  working 
cut  fines  and  costs  on  the  public  roads  and  poor  farms. 

[35]  That  we  condemn  the  practice  of  letting  contracts  upon  public 
buildings  in  this  State  without  advertising  for  proposals  for  same. 

[36]  That  it  is  the  policy  of  the  Populist  party  that  the  money  col- 
lected from  the  taxpayers  of  the  State  should  be  disbursed  within  and 
to  the  citizens  of  the  State  when  practicable. 


384  Platforms  of  Political 

State  Executive  Committee:  Joe  S.  Bradley,  of  Taylor,  chair- 
man; State  at  large,  J.  B.  Rayner,  of  Robertson,  L.  D.  Stans- 
berry,  of  Gregg;  1st  Congressional  district,  E.  P.  Alsbury,  of 
Harris;  2.  H.  C.  Howell,  of  Jasper;  3.  S.  G.  Earle,  of  Hunt; 
4.  S.  C.  Harper,  of  Hopkins;  5.  D.  E.  Lyday,  of  Fannan;  6. 
E..O.  Call,  of  Navarro;  7.  A.  C.  Isaacs,  of  Milani;  8.  Thomas 
B.  King,  of  Erath;  9.  M.  W.  Williams,  of  Travis;  10.  J.  B. 
Gay,  of  Brazoria;  11.  J.  W.  Rut-ledge,  of  Karnes;  12.  A.  B. 
Surber,  of  Kerr ;  13.  J.  S.  Bradley,  of  Taylor. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1896 

FORT  WORTH,  August  18  and  19 

t 
i 

The  majority  rule  again  was  applied  to  nominations.  For 
the  first  time  the  State  executive  committee  nominated  the  officers 
of  the  temporary  organization.  A  proposition  was  received  from 
the  campaign  committee  of  the  People's  party  that  the  Demo- 
cratic party  allow  the  former  seven  of  the  fifteen  presidential 
electors ;  it  was  declined. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  R.  M.  Johnston,  of  Har- 
ris: permanent,  C.  L.  Potter,  of  Cooke.  Secretary  pro  tempore, 
John  J.  Ball,  of  Cass ;  permanent,  A.  M.  Kennedy,  of  Limestone. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, W.  T.  Armistead,  2.  James  Clark,  3.  Travis  Henderson, 
4.  Dr.  W.  H.  Freeman,  5.  J.  S.  Sherrill,  6.  James  Moroney,  7. 
F.  J.  McCord,  8.  J.  H.  Long,  secretary,  9.  A.  S.  Gill,  10.  W.  F. 
Ramsey,  11.  R.  L.  Henry,  12.  J.  C.  Scott,  13.  John  H.  Reagan, 
chairman,  14.  George  F.  Ingraham,  15.  L.  T.  Dashiell,  16.  Frank 
Andrews,  17.  E.  D.  Gavin,  18.  W.  S.  Robson,  19.  S.  L.  Staples, 
20.  D.  S.  Chessher,  21.  Ed  R,  Kone,  22.  A.  S.  Thurman,  23.  Dr. 
T.  J.  Turpin,  24.  J.  F.  Onion,  25.  Winchester  Kelso,  26.  H.  C. 
Randolph,  27.  J.  R.  Raby,  28.  H.  C.  Hord,  29.  D.  F.  Goss,  30. 
R.  M.  Wynne,  31.  W.  S.  Jamison. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Charles  A.  Culberson, 
of  Dallas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  George  T.  Jester,  of  Navarro ; 
Attorney-General  M.  M.  Crane,  of  Johnson;  Comptroller,  R.  W. 
Finley,  of  Travis;  Treasurer,  W.  B.  Wortham,  of  Travis;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  A.  J.  Baker,  of  Tom  Green ; 


Parties  in  Texas  385 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  J.  M.  Carlisle,  of  Tar- 
rant;  Railroad  Commissioners,  John  H.  Reagan,  of  Anderson, 
Allison  Mayfield,  of  Grayson,  L.  J.  Storey,  of  Guadalupe. 

PLATFORM1 

The  leaders  of  the  Populist  party  have  opened  the  campaign  with  a 
platform  containing  many  incorrect  statements  respecting  past  and 
present  State  administrations.  Denouncing  an  alleged  personal  gov- 
ernment under  ring  rule,  they  have  committed  the  management  of 
their  party  to  a  committee  of  three,  with  plenary  powers  to  trade  and 
traffic  for  offices  for  their  leaders;  asserting  that  the  administration 
refuses  to  buy  bonds  except  through  favorite  brokers,  they  could  have 
found  by  proper  investigation  the  incorrectness  of  such  a  charge; 
charging  that  in  the  past  twenty-three  years  expenses  have  increased 
from  $1,000,000  to  $4,000,000  annually,  the  record  shows  that  the  gen- 
eral expenses  of  the  State  government,  for  the  fiscal  year  ending 
September  1,  1896,  amounted  to  $2,231,791.81,  and  for  the  year  ending 
September  1,  1897,  will  not  exceed  $2,200,000,  instead  of  $4,000,000 
annually  as  charged,  and  that'  expenses  for  general  purposes  were 
greater  in  1873  than  now;  insisting  that  the  school  term  has  been 
reduced  from  six  months  to  three  months,  the  truth  is  that  the  term 
is  now  four  and  six  tenths  months,  and  the  next  year  will  be  five  and 
one-half  months;  declaring  the  rate  of  taxation  approaches  confiscation,' 
it  is  well  known  that  the  rate  is  moderate  and  necessary  to  conduct 
an  economical  government,  is  lower  than  any  State  in  the  Union,  ex- 
cept three;  and  though  free  with  promises,  the  convention  shows  its 
inconsistency  by  its  failure  to  pledge  a  reduction  either  of  taxation  or 
expenses;  alleging  a  multiplication  of  offices,  they  point  out  none 
which  should  be  abolished,  and  propose  the  creation  of  two  additional 
official  bureaus;  protesting  special  friendship  for  silver  and  loyalty  to 
principle  above  place,  they  conceal  their  choice  for  President  and  Vice- 
President.  Upon  these  misrepresentations  by  the  Populist  leaders, 
which  we  do  not  believe  are  concurred  in  or  indorsed  by.  the  friends 
of  good  government  in  their  own  or  any  other  party,  we  invoke  the 
considerate  judgment  of  the  people,  and  submit  the  following  as  the 
declaration  of  principles  of  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas  in  the 
present  campaign: 

1.  We  indorse  the  principles  of  the  Democracy  as  set  forth  in  the 
platform  of  the  National  convention,  which  convened  at  Chicago,  July 
7,  and  pledge  to  William  J.  Bryan  and  Arthur  Sewall  our  united  and 
cordial  support  for  President  and  Vice-President. 

2.  We  indorse  in  toto  the  platform  of  our  National  convention,  but 
we  specially  commend  and  approve  the  declaration  for  an  income  tax, 

irThe    proceedings    of    the    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas    News. 
25—328 


386  Platforms  of  Political 

opposition  to  the  issue  of  bonds  in  time  of  peace,  against  the  power  of 
banks  to  issue  money,  for  a  tariff  for  revenue  that  will  operate  with- 
out discrimination,  against  classes  or  sections,  and  for  the  free  and 
unlimited  coinage  of  gold  and  silver  at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1,  with  full 
legal  tender  quality,  and  without  reference  to  the  action  of  other  gov- 
ernments. 

3.  We  approve,  indorse,  and  commend  the  administration  of  Gov- 
ernor  Culberson  and   his   associates   as    being   economical,    wise,   and 
patriotic.     Under    them   the   government   has   been    administered    effi- 
ciently and   faithfully,  the   fees   of  office  have  been  reduced   $188,000 
annually;  the  general  expenses  have  been  decreased  $332,000  per  year, 
and  freight  charges  to  the  people  have  been  lessened  over  $3,000,000 
since  the  railroad  commission  began  operation.     It  has  paid  off  a  de- 
ficit of  $788,000  in  the  general  revenue  which  was  caused  by  the  pay- 
ment of  a  portion  of  the  public  debt,  the  necessary  construction  and 
repair  of  public  institutions,  and  a  reduction  of  the  rate  of  taxation, 
and  yet  conducted  the  government  at  a  less  annual  cost  for  general 
purposes  than  for  the  years  1871,  1872,  and  1873,  including  bond  issues, 
1882,  1889,  and  each  year  since  1891.     It  has  paid  off  a  deficit  in  the 
school  fund  of  $547,000,   caused  by  an  extraordinary  increase  in   the 
scholastic  population  and  general  financial  depression,  causing  the  in- 
ability of  the  State  to  continue  to  sell  and  lease  its  public  school  lands, 
and  to  collect  interest  upon  notes  for  lands  already  sold,  yet  operated 
the  schools  four  and  six  tenths  months  the  past  year,  and  has  pro- 
vided a  per  capita  apportionment  for  the  next  year  of  $4,  which  will 
run  the  schools  five  and  one-half  months.     Notwithstanding  the  rate 
of  taxation  has  been  increased  to  the  old  rate,  in  order  to  meet  these 
deficiencies  and  carry  on  the  government,   the  rate  for  all  purposes, 
including  schools,  is  lower  than  for  any  year  from  1871  to  1882,  only 
half  a  cent  higher  than  for  the  years  1885,  1886,  and  1887,  and  lower 
than  any   State  in  the  Union,   except  three.     The  public   institutions 
and  various  departments  have  been  conducted  with  energy  and  ability, 
the  laws  have  been  faithfully  executed,  and  the  fair  name  of  the  State 
protected  and  preserved. 

4.  We  pledge  a  continuance  of  economy  in  the  conduct  of  the  gov- 
ernment, such  further  reductions  of  expenses  as  may  be  found  con- 
sistent with  efficiency,  and  a  strict  enforcement  of  the  laws. 

5.  We  demand  a   reapportionment  of  the  judicial  districts   of  the 
State,  to  the  end  that  the  labor  of  the  judges  may  be  equalized  and 
unnecessary  districts  abolished. 

6.  We  demand  that  the  legislature  enact  a  law  requiring  express 
companies  to  maintain  general  offices  within  the  limits  of  the  State. 

7.  We  indorse  the  reforms  in  our  fee  system  recommended  by  Gov- 
ernor Culberson,  and  demand  that  the  fees  of  county  and  district  offices 
be  regulated  by  the  enactment  of  a  law  similar  to  that  which  now 
regulates  the  compensation  of  county  treasurers,  with  such  modifica- 


Parties  in  Texas  387 

tions  as  will  secure  efficient  public  service  and  be  just  alike  to  officer, 
litigant,  and  taxpayer. 

8.  'The   Democratic  party  is  the  friend  of  labor  and  the  laboring 
man,  and  for  the  ample  and  sufficient  protection  of  the  artisans,  me- 
chanics, and  laborers  of  our  State,  we  demand  the  passage  of  liberal 
laws,  securing  them  in  the  prompt  payment  of  their  wages,  and  pro- 
viding for  fixing  and  enforcing  liens  therefor. 

9.  We    demand   such   further   amendments   to   the   present   fellow- 
servant  law  as  will  attain  the  purpose  sought  to  be  accomplished  there- 
by, and  as  will  protect  employes  of  railway  and  other  corporations  in 
their  lives  and  against  injury. 

10.  The  Democratic  party  will  continue  its  well  established  policy 
of  disposing  of  the  public  school  lands  of  the  State  to  those  desiring 
homes,  so  as  to  promote,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  settlement  of  the 
country  and  its  speedy  development.     To  this  end,  and  that  the  school 
fund  may  be  more  speedily  increased  from  that  source,  we  favor  such 
legislation  as  will  facilitate  the  sale  of  such  lands,  rather  than  the 
indefinite  perpetuation  of  a  lease  system. 

11.  We  demand  a  reformation  in  our  criminal  laws.    Among  the 
reforms  imperatively  demanded  is  an  amendment  to  the  code  of  crim- 
inal  procedure   authorizing   the   appellate  court  to   presume   that   all 
matters  of  venue  were  proven  on  the  trial,  that  the  accused  pleaded 
to  the  indictment,  and  that  the  jury  was  sworn,  unless  such  questions 
were  in   issue  in   the  trial  court  and  were  there  acted  upon  before 
appeal;  an  amendment  to  article  725,  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure,  to 
the  effect  that  the  appellant  court  shall  not  be  required  to  reverse  a 
judgment  unless  a  failure  of  the  trial  court  to  observe  the  require- 
ments of  that  article  probably  injured  the  defendant  and  deprived  him 
of  a  fair  trial;    and  the  correction  of  the  evil  of  professional  jury 
service.     We  further  demand  that  our  jury  laws  be  revised  and  that 
the  number  of  exemptions  from  jury  service  be  reduced,  and  that  in 
every  criminal  case  trials  shall  be  alike  fair  and  impartial  as  between 
the  State  and  defendant,  and  to  that  end  that  the  State  have  the  same 
number  of  peremptory  challenges  allowed  a  defendant. 

12.  We  believe  that  the  system  of  hiring  convicts  to  individuals  or 
corporations  is  contrary  to  public  policy,  and  should  be  discontinued 
at  the  earliest  practicable  moment  consistent  with  the  best  interests 
of  the  State.    We  favor  the  adoption  of  the  amendment  to  Section  4, 
Article  7,  of  the  constitution,  submitted  by  the  twenty-fourth  legisla- 
ture, which  will  permit  the  investment  of  a  portion  of  the  school  fund 
In  agricultural  lands  for  the  benefit  of  the  penitentiary  system.     This 
will  provide  necessary  employment  for  convicts,  restrict  competition 
with  free  labor,  assist  in  avoiding  taxation  to  support  the  penitentiaries, 
and  furnish  a  safe  investment  for  the  fund,  but  the  amount  of  money 
for  this  purpose  should  be  carefully  limited. 

13.  We  favor  such  careful  and  guarded  laws  as  may  be  necessary 


388  Platforms  of  Political 

to  enable  the  State  board  of  education,  in  the  investment  of  the  school 
fund  in  county  bonds,  to  compete  with  private  investors,  so  that  this 
fund  may  not  lie  idle  in  the  treasury. 

14.  The    constitution    well    declares    that    a    general    diffusion    of 
knowledge  is  essential  to  the  preservation  of  liberty,  and  we,  therefore, 
demand  a  careful  husbanding  and  faithful  administration  of  the  school 
fund  and  revenue  of  the  State,  to  the  end  that  the  constitutional  pro- 
vision requiring  the  public  free  school  to  be  maintained  for  at  least  six' 
months  in  the  year  shall  be  observed  faithfully,  and  that  the  Univer- 
sity, its  branches,  and  other  educational  institutions  shall  receive  all 
proper  and  adequate  support  for  their  maintenance  and  growth. 

15.  Having  founded  the  Confederate  Home,  the  Democratic  party 
takes  special  pride  in  the  necessaries  and  comforts  it  provides  for  dis- 
abled heroes,  and  pledges  a  continued  improvement  and  enlargement 
of  its  benefits. 

16.  We  pledge  to  all  classes  and  races  equal  protection  in  the  en- 
joyment of  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.    Provision  has 
already  been  made  by  us  for  the  control  and  management  of  colored 
schools  by  colored  trustees.    The  Prairie  View  Normar  scnool  should 
be  enlarged,  making  provision  for  industrial  features  and  gradually 
converting  it  into  a  university  for  the  colored  people.     To  this  end  we 
favor  setting  apart  immediately  for  this  purpose  50,000  acres  of  the 
unappropriated  public  domain. 

17.  We  favor  the  election  of  United  States  senators  by  a  direct  vote 
of  the  people. 

18.  We  demand  that  our  representatives  and  senators  in  Congress 
be  requested  to  use  all  honorable  means  to  secure  adequate  appropri- 
ations for  the  improvement  of  the  ports  and  inland  waterways  of  the 
State. 

19.  We   demand   that  the   continued,   persistent   discrimination  by 
railways  in  favor  of  alien  shippers  and  against  our  merchants,  manu- 
facturers, and  farmers  shall  cease. 

20.  We  hold  that  it  is  the  absolute  duty  of  the  State  to  provide 
ample  and  sufficient  asylum  accommodation  for  the  unfortunate  insane 
of  the  State,  and  we  pledge  the  Democratic  party  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  that  purpose. 

Confident  of  the  justice  of  our  cause,  and  relying  upon  the  deliberate 
judgment  of  the  people,  we  invite  the  cooperation  and  support  of  all 
citizens,  irrespective  of  past  party  affiliations,  who  approve  these  prin- 
ciples and  desire  an  efficient  State  and  National  administration. 

Additional  Resolution 

[21]  Resolved,  that  the  chairman  of  the  Democratic  executive  com- 
mittee is  authorized  to  appoint  a  campaign  committee  of  three,  of 
which  he  shall  be  ex-officio  chairman. 


Parties  in  Texas  389 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  W.  Blake,  of  Limestone, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  B.  F.  Sherrill,  of  Marion;  2. 
A.  P.  Doak,  of  Red  River,  3.  Ben  H.  Denton,  of  Lamar ;  4.  I.  M. 
Standifer,  of  Grayson;  5.  W.  A.  "Williams,  of  Hunt;  6.  John  H. 
Cullom,  of  Dallas;  7.  R.  W.  Simpson,  of  Upshur;  8.  Jonathan  D. 
Rudd,  of  Harrison;  9.  A.  B.  Watkins,  of  Henderson;  10.  F.  B. 
Baillio,  of  Johnson;  11.  Shell  Hogan,  of  McLennan;  12.  H.  E. 
Ellis,  of  Limestone;  13.  S.  A.  McMeans,  of  Anderson;  14.  J. 
H.  Brooks,  of  Jefferson ;  15.  A.  F.  Brigance,  of  Grimes ;  16. 
R.  M.  Johnston,  of  Harris;  17.  John  Lovejoy,  of  Galveston;  18. 
W.  S.  Robson,  of  Fayette;  19.  M.  M.  Felder,  of  Washington; 
20.  F.  T.  Roche,  of  Williamson ;  21.  Lee  J.  Roundtree,  of  Hays ; 
22.  J.  G.  Jamison,  of  Victoria ;  23.  James  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron ; 
24.  B.  F.  McNulty,  of  Bexar;  25.  J.  W.  Hill,  of  Tom  Green; 
26.  Arch  Grinnan,  of  Brown;  27.  J.  L.  Spurlin,  of  Hamilton; 
28.  H.  P.  Brelsford,  of  Eastland;  29.  W.  B.  Plemmons,  of  Pot- 
ter; 30.  R.  E.  Maddox,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Dr.  J.  B.  Blount,  of 
Denton. 

STATE    CONVENTION   OF    "GOLD"    DEMOCRATS,    1896 

WACO,  August  25 

The  action  of  the  Chicago  convention  was  disconcerting  to  the 
"Gold"  Democrats  of  Texas.  A  conference  of  the  leaders  was 
held  July  31.  About  600  delegates  attended  the  convention 
at  Waco,  August  25.  The  subject  of  nominating  a  State  ticket 
was  not  discussed. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  F.  Charles  Hume,  of  Gal- 
veston; permanent,  Columbus  Upson,  of  Bexar.  Secretary,  J. 
A.  Redd,  of  Navarro. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  A.  T.  Watts,  of  Dallas, 
and  W.  0.  Davis,  of  Cooke;  1st  Congressional  district,  H.  W. 
Garrow;  2.  Robert  McClure;  3.  B.  B.  Cain;  4.  R.  M.  Henderson; 
5.  C.  W.  Geers,  6.  M.  W.  Littleton,  7.  J.  W.  Davis,  8.  B.  B. 
Paddock;  9.  R.  J,  Hill,  10.  I.  M.  Dennis,  11.  William  Rust,  12. 
W.  W.  King,  13.  William  Beall. 

Delegates  to  the  Indianapolis  Convention:  State  at  large,  D. 
C.  Giddings,  George  Clark,  A.  W.  Fly,  W.  L.  Crawford;  1st 


390  Platforms  of  Political 

Congressional  district,  Jerry  McDaniel  and  J,  M.  Cotton;  2. 
J.  J.  Wood  and  H.  M.  Rice;  3.  T.  0.  Woldert  and  James  H. 
Jones;  4.  W.  T.  Hudgins  and  W.  F.  Skillman;  5.  J.  M.  Lindsay 
and  T.  W.  Stratton;  6.  W.  W.  Locke  and  J.  T.  Trezevant;  7. 
W.  T.  Hefley  and  A.  E.  Watson;  8.  Sidney  L.  Samuels  and  W. 
H.  Lassiter;  9.  George  T.  McGee  and  Peyton  Brown;  10.  M. 
E.  Kleberg  and  T.  J.  Ballinger;  11.  Grant  R.  Bennett  and  T. 
D.  Wood;  12.  William  Antony  and  S.  D.  Scudder;  13.  S.  W. 
Eastern  and  Marion  Hill. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  J.  L.  Meyer,  of  Harris,  and  William  Watson;  2.  D.  A. 
Nunn,  of  Houston,  and  M.  J.  Whitman, .  secretary ;  3.  T.  0. 
Woldert,  of  Smith;  4.  R,  M.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins,  and  W. 
H.  Elliott;  5.  R.  C.  Foster,  of  Grayson,  and  W.  0.  Davis,  of 
Cooke;  6.  W.  L.  Crawford,  of  Dallas,  chairman,  and  Rufus 
Hardy,  of  Navarro;  7.  George  Clark,  of  McLennan,  and  J.  A. 
Martin,  of  Falls ;  8.  J.  P.  Smith,  of  Tarrant,  and  Henry  Lockett, 
of  Coleman ;  9.  W.  W.  Searcy,  of  Washington,  and  W.  D.  Wood ; 
10.  F.  Charles  Hume  and  M.  Lasker,  both  of  Galveston;  11. 
T.  M.  Moore,  and  F.  C.  Proctor,  of  Victoria ;  12.  William  Aubrey 
and  Reagan  Houston,  both  of  Bexar;  13.  W.  F.  Moore,  and  John 
N.  Simpson. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We,  the  National  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  State  convention  as- 
sembled, hereby  reaffirm  our  allegiance  to  the  principles  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  as  they  have  been  determined  by  the  party  in  National 
conventions  prior  to  the  National  convention  of  1896,   and  deny  the 
right  of  the  latter  convention  to  fasten  upon  the  party  new  political 
tenets  which  constitute  innovations  upon  the  body  of  Democracy  and 
which  will,  if  successful,  overwhelm  the  country  in  universal  embar- 
rassment. 

2.  Having  heretofore  formally  repudiated  the  methods  and  actions 
of  the   fraudulently   constituted   so-called   Democratic   executive    com- 
mittee, headed  by  James  G.  Dudley,  and,  since  that  time  the  so-called 
Democratic   party   of  Texas   having  approved   such   methods   and   in- 
dorsed said  action  and  the  committee,  we  also  hereby  repudiate  its 
action  and  every  act  at  Chicago  and  subsequently  at  their  different 
conventions. 

lrrhe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas   News,, 
August    26,    1896. 


Parties  in  Texas  391 

3.  Parties  are   made   for   men   and   not  men    for   parties,   and   the 
allegiance  which  parties  owe  their  political  affiliations  is  not  to  a  mere 
name,  hut  to  the  principles  which  the  party  was  organized  to  pro- 
mote.    It    is   manifest  accordingly   that   when    an    apparent   majority 
makes  use  of  its  temporary  ascendancy  to  repudiate  the  basic  prin- 
ciples on  which  the  party  rests  and  violates  the  traditions  to  which 
the  party  in  the  past  has  owed  its  greatness  and  its  glory,  it  becomes 
the  patriotic  duty  of  every  member  of  the  party  to  return  to  its  ancient 
principles  and  resume  its  capacity  for  continued  usefulness. 

4.  We  believe  that  in  order  to  maintain  the  integrity  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  to  preserve  its  principles  pure  and  uncontaminated, 
it  is  the  duty  of  all  Democrats  to  repudiate  the  platform  and  nominees 
of  the  late  Chicago  convention  and  cast  their  vote  for  electors  selected 
at  Austin,  to  voice  the  principles  and  maintain  the  policy  of  the  true 
Democratic  party. 

5.  We  are  in  favor  of  honest  elections,  and  to  this  end  we  demand 
that  all  parties  have  fair  representations  among  the  judges  and  clerks 
of  election. 

6-9.  [Same  as  planks  3-6  of  the  platform  adopted  June  23,  1896.] 
10.  We  condemn  the  methods  adopted  by  those  who  have  been  in- 
vested with  the  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  Democratic  party  of 
Texas,  they  having  used  the  same  solely  for  the  purpose  of  retaining 
the  present  administration  in  this  State,  and  by  which  the  true  De- 
mocracy of  this  State  was  in  a  manner  disfranchised  at  the  primaries, 
and,  therefore,  the  so-called  Democratic  nominations  at  Fort  Worth 
have  no  binding  force  upon  any  true  Democrat  in  this  State. 

State  Executive  Committee :  Rufus  Hardy,  of  Navarro,  chair- 
man; 1st  Senatorial  district,  W.  H.  Elliott,  of  Bowie;  2.  A.  J. 
Cross,  of  Red  River ;  3.  W.  P.  Brown,  of  Lamar ;  4.  W.  0.  Davis, 
of  Cooke;  5.  S.  D.  Hatter,  of  -  -;  6.  John  N.  Simpson, 
of  Dallas;  7.  S.  A.  Lindsay,  of  Smith;  8.  R.  L.  Jennings,  of 
Harrison;  9.  James  Hoffmaster,  of  - ;  10.  T.  R.  Ander- 
son, of  Ellis;  11.  W.  T.  Hefley,  of  Milam;  12.  E.  J.  Gibson,  of 
Limestone;  14.  blank;  15.  Jerry  McDaniels;  16.  M.  F.  Mott, 
of  Galveston ;  17.  and  18.  blank ;  19.  T.  B.  Botts,  of  Washington ; 
20.  W.  P.  Gaines,  of  Travis ;  21.  Hammett  Hardy,  of  Hays ;  22. 
James  McDonald,  of  Victoria ;  23.  Grant  R.  Bennett,  of  Nueces ; 
24.  J.  L.  Burgess,  of  Bexar ;  25.  W.  J.  Sewall,  of  El  Paso ;  26. 
James  U.  Benson,  of  Bosque;  27.  Bart  Hill,  of  Eastland;  28. 
blank;  29.  "Willis  Stewart,  of  Jack;  30.  A.  L.  Matlock,  of  Tar- 
rant;  31.  C.  W.  Geers,  of  Denton. 


392  Platforms  of  Political 

"REGULAR"   REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1896 

FORT  WORTH,  September  9  and  10 

The  convention  was  well  attended.  The  opening  was  post- 
poned from  the  8th  until  the  9th  because  the  State  executive 
committee  could  not  agree  upon  the  preliminaries.  The  opening 
was  marked  by  the  defeat  of  N.  W.  Cuney  for  temporary  chair- 
man. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  C.  M.  Ferguson,  of  Lamar; 
permanent,  H.  B.  Kane,  of  Anderson.  Secretary  pro  tempore, 
D.  C.  Kolp,  of  Wichita;  permanent,  K.  L.  Smith,  of  Colorado. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  E.  L.  Angel,  2.  Henry  B.  Kane,  chairman,  3.  Webster 
Flanagan;  4.  J.  A.  Hurley,  5.  H.  E.  Smith,  6.  J.  M.  McCormick, 
7.  J.  P.  Osterhout,  8.  Dr.  W.  E.  Davis,  9.  E.  P.  Wilmot,  10. 
N.  W.  Cuney,  11.  J.  0.  Luby,  12.  M.  D.  Bridges,  13.  J.  G.  Low- 
den. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  Resolved  by  the  Republican  party  of  Texas,  in  convention 
assembled,  that  we  heartily  indorse  the  platform  of  the  National  Re- 
publican convention  as  adopted  at  St.  Louis,  and  hereby  pledge  our 
faithful  adherence  to  the  same  for  the  following  reasons: 

Because  it  stands  for  honest  money  of  which  every  dollar  at  all  times 
shall  be  as  good  as  gold. 

Because  it  stands  for  protection  to  American  industry  and  reci- 
procity. 

Because  it  stands  for  a  vigorous  and  dignified  foreign  policy  and  for 
the  protection  of  American  citizens  and  American  property  everywhere 
at  any  cost. 

Because  it  stands  for  generous  recognition  of  the  veterans  of  the 
Union  army  and  for  reforms  in  the  administration  of  the  pension  laws.- 

Because  it  stands  for  a  strict  enforcement  of  our  immigration  laws. 

Because,  in  the  nomination  of  McKinley  and  Hobart,  it  represents 
the  highest  type  of  American  citizenship  and  by  their  election  insures 
a  return  of  prosperity  to  the  business  interests  of  our  country  and  the 
restoration  of  peace  and  liberty  throughout  the  land  and  unto  all  the 
inhabitants  thereof. 

xThe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas 
September   10   and   11,   1896. 


Parties  in  Texas  393 

[2]  We  favor  the  extending  of  aid  by  the  National  government  to 
the  improvement  of  our  rivers  and  harbors,  and  request  our  members 
of  Congress  to  use  their  best  efforts  to  secure  adequate  appropri- 
ations of  public  money  for  this  purpose. 

[3]  We  unqualifiedly  condemn  the  present  administration  of  affairs 
in  the  State  government  of  Texas  through  its  various  agencies,  and 
unite  in  calling  upon  all  good  citizens  irrespective  of  party  to  join 
together  in  a  determined  effort  to  drive  the  present  so-called  Demo- 
cratic party  from  power  in  our  beloved  State  and  give  to  our  people  a 
wise,  honest,  economical,  and  pure  government  that  shall  guarantee 
the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number  and  the  blessings  of  good 
government  to  the  people  of  this  great  State. 

[4]  We  recommend  to  our  legislature  the  enactment  of  appropriate 
laws  for  the  development  of  a  system  of  irrigation  in  the  semiarid 
sections  of  the  State. 

[5]  We  insist  that  laws  should  be  speedily  enacted  extending  to 
our  colored  youths  the  opportunities  of  a  university  education. 

[6]  We  favor  a  vigorous  enforcement  of  the  criminal  laws  of  this 
State,  irrespective  of  persons,  and  demand  that  the  procedure  govern- 
ing appeals  in  such  cases  be  reformed  with  a  view  to  the  speedy  de- 
termination of  the  correctness  of  convictions,  without  regard  to  tech- 
nicalities, and  in  this  connection  we  denounce  in  unmeasured  terms 
the  resort  to  mob  violence  against  persons  charged  with,  but  not  con- 
victed of  crime. 

To  this  end  we  recommend  the  appointment  of  a  committee  of  three 
to  be  appointed  by  the  chairman  of  this  convention  with  full  and 
plenary  powers  to  arrange  all  details  of  the  campaign  to  secure  the 
objects  set  forth  in  these  resolutions. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Edward  H.  R.  Greene,  of  Kauf- 
man, chairman. 

"REFORM"    REPUBLICAN    STATE    CONVENTION,    1896 

FORT  WORTH,  September  9 

Sixty  counties  were  represented  at  this  convention.  It  was 
held  contemporaneously  with  the  *  *  Regular ' '  Republican  conven- 
tion, with  a  view  of  coming  to  some  working  agreement  with 
that  body.  A  plenary  committee  was  appointed  to  continue 
negotiations  after  adjournment. 

Officers:  Chairman,  Dr.  Max  Urwitz,  of  Harris.  Secretary, 
George  Hall,  of  Orange. 

Nominees  for  State   Offices:     Governor,   Henry  B.   Cain,  of 


394  Platforms  of  Political 

Harris;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Robert  Hanschke,  of  Bexar;  At- 
torney-General, J.  H.  Norton,  of  Harris;  Comptroller,  T.  B. 
Johnson,  of  Bexar ;  Treasurer,  W.  N.  Norton  of  Dallas ;  Commis- 
sioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  James  M.  Steere,  of  Dallas; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  H.  F.  McGregor,  of  Har- 
ris; Railroad  Commissioners,  C.  H.  Donohower,  of  Deriton,  Ed 
Davis,  of  Marion,  L.  B.  Brackenbraw,  of  Brewster. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  H.  B.  Cline,  S.  L.  Hain,  J.  M. 
Decker,  J.  J.  Fairbanks,  L.  E.  Deger. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We  heartily  indorse  the  platform  as  set  forth  at  the  St.  Louis 
convention,   and,   in   naming  as   our  standard   bearers   McKinley  and 
Hobart,  meets  our  approval  and  we  assure  the  National  ticket  of  our 
support. 

2.  That  the  growth  of  our  party  in  worth  and  numbers  requires 
that  in  the  counties  where  the  white  and  colored  races  are  numerous, 
the  races  should  be  organized  in  separate  primaries  whenever  desired 
by  either  race. 

3.  That  we  condemn  lynching  as  a  violation  of  the  law  and  cor- 
rupting the  public  morals. 

4.  That  we  recommend  that  the  fee  system  be  abolished. 

5.  That  the  public  school  system  should  give  at  least  six  months 
open  school,  and  that  all  children  of  school  age  be  compelled  to  attend 
some  school  for  such  time. 

Committee  wit~k  Plenary  Powers:  J.  J.  Fairbanks,  of  Gray- 
son;  J.  P.  Newcomb,  of  Bexar;  Whit  Dry  den,  of  Tarrant;  J. 
B.  Schmitz,  of  Denton;  H.  F.  McGregor,  of  Harris. 

St\ate  Executive  Committee:  J.  J.  Fairbanks,  of  Grayson, 
chairman. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONFERENCE,  1897 

WACO,  July  30 

Chairman  Blake  called  a  conference  of  "all 'State,  congres- 
sional, senatorial,  representative,  judicial,  county,  and  precinct 
chairmen  as  well  as  of  the  presidents,  secretaries,  and  other  offi- 

VThe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas    News, 
September    10,    1896. 


Parties  in  Texas  395 

cers  of  Democratic  clubs,  and  the  editors  of  Democratic  papers. ' ' 
The  conference  was  an  innovation ;  its  object  was  to  consult 
in  regard  to  the  condition  of  the  party  and  to  discuss  plans  for 
improving  the  organization. 

The  State  executive  committee  also  met  on  this  occasion,  and 
upon  motion  of  the  chairman  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
solicit  bids  from  cities  desiring  the  next  State  convention,  sug- 
gesting abandoning  the  "old  way  of  rotation." 

Officers:     Chairman,   J.   W.    Blake.     Secretary,   . 

Committee  on  Resolutions :  1st  Congressional  district,  Fred 
B.  Robinson,  of  Walker,  secretary;  2.  William  M.  Imboden,  of 
Cherokee;  3.  R.  N.  Stafford,  of  Wood;  4.  B.  H.  Denton,  of 
Lamar;  5.  S.  P.  Evans,  of  Grayson;  6.  W.  F.  Ramsey,  of  John- 
son ;  7.  R.  L.  Henry,  of  McLennan ;  8.  J.  M.  Pressler,  of  Com- 
anche,  chairman;  9.  Jeff  Johnson,  of  Travis;  10.  A.  Haidusek, 
of  Fayette;  11.  J.  N.  Garner,  of  Uvalde;  12.  J.  F.  Onion,  of 
Bexar;  13.  C.  V.  Terrell,  of  Wise;  the  chairman. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

We  recognize  that  this  conference  has  no  authority  or  right  to  speak 
for  the  Democracy  of  Texas  in  any  binding  or  official  sense.  The 
sovereign  voice  of  the  Democracy  of  the  State  has  been  heard  and  is 
expressed  in  the  platform  of  the  party  in  convention  duly  assembled. 

2.  We  reaffirm  our  unswerving  and  unwavering  allegiance  to  the 
principles  of  the  party  as  expressed  in  its  last  platforms,  State  and 
National,  and  we  appeal  to  all  members  of  the  party  and  to  the  intelli- 
gent citizenship  of  the  State  desiring  good  government  to  stand  as  a 
unit  in  its  support,  and  to  further  continue  it  in  power  as  the  only 
means  of  securing  good  government,  economy  in  public  expenditures, 
and  the  due  and  proper  preservation  and  protection  of  the  rights  and 
liberties  of  the  people. 

3.  We  hail  as  an  advance  sign  of  the  return  to  the  principles  upon 
which  the  prosperity  of  the  country  can  alone  be  achieved  the  dis- 
position of  the  people  in  other  States,  as  expressed  in  the  recent  elec- 
tions, to  return  to  the  time-honored  doctrine  of  bimetalism  and  to 
the  use  of  both  gold  and  silver  as  the  standard  money  metals  of  the 
country,  and  to  a  system  of  just  and  fair  taxation,  opposed  to  trusts 
and  monopolies,  and  to  the  principles  contained  in  the  last  National 
Democratic  platform,  adopted  at  Chicago  in  1896. 

4.  We  denounce  the  hypocrisy  and  false  pretense  of  the  Republican 

irThe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas    News, 


396  Platforms  of  Political 

party,  which  gave  the  promise  of  restoring  prosperity  as  a  means  1;3 
deceive  the  voters  of  the  country  and  to  further  fasten  on  the  indus- 
tries of  the  people  of  America  all  the  calamities  of  the  single  gold 
standard  and  excessive  and  unjust  taxation. 

5.  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting  that  the  Democratic  State 
executive   committee,  as  now  composed,  shall  recommend  a  primary 
election  to  be  held  throughout  this  State  on  some  day  hereafter  to  be 
named  by  said  committee  in  1898,  wherever  practicable,  for  the  selection 
of  the  nominees  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  for  the  settlement  of 
such  issues  as  there  may  be  serious  conflict  over  within  the  party,  the 
details  of  the  recommendation  to  be  made  by  said  committee,  to  be 
hereafter  formulated  and  adopted,  it  being  the  purpose  of  this  resolu- 
tion to  reaffirm  as  a  principle  of  Democratic  faith  the  relegating  to  the 
body  of  the  Democracy  the  right  and  power  of  making  their  voice  the 
voice  of  the  Democratic  party,  expressed  in  a  free  and  untrammelled 
manner,  which  experience  has  proven  may  be  best  done  in  a  primary 
election. 

6.  We  recommend  that  the  Democratic  State  executive  committee, 
as  soon  as  in  its  judgment  may  be  deemed  advisable,  issue  an  address 
to  the  voters  of  Texas,  setting  forth  the  record  of  the  Democratic  party 
of  the  State  as  to  the  fulfillment  of  its  pledges. 

| 

Committee  on  Address:  R.  M.  Johnston,  H.  P.  Brelsford,  Lee 
J.  Rountree,  A.  B.  Watkins,  John  H.  Cullom,  the  Chairman. 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE   CONVENTION,   1898 

AUSTIN,  July  27  and  28 

The  convention  was  attended  by  1,200  to  1,500  members  of 
the  party.  The  ill  effects  of  attempts  at  fusion  in  1896  had 
converted  nearly  all  to  a  middle-of-the-road  policy. 

Officers:  Chairman,  Joe  Eagle,  of  Harris.  Secretary,  N.  P. 
Hbux,  of  Limestone. 

Nominees  for  'State  Offices:  Governor,  Barnett  Gibbs,  of  Dal- 
las; Lieutenant-Governor,  E.  W.  Kirkpatrick,  of  Collin;  At- 
torney-General, J.  H.  Davis,  of  Hopkins;  Comptroller,  E.  P. 
Alsbury,  of  Harris;  Treasurer,  J.  B.  Barry,  of  Bosque;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  H.  L.  Bentley,  of  Taylor; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  V.  A.  Collins,  of  Van 
Zandt;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Joe  Farley,  of  Dallas;  Supreme 
Court,  T.  J.  McMinn,  of  Bexar;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals, 
George  T.  Todd,  of  Marion. 


Parties  in  Texas  <>97 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  E.  P.  Alsbury,  2.  S.  R.  Whitley,  chairman,  3.  H.  D. 
Wood,  4.  G.  W.  Edmonds,  5.  S.  J.  Hampton,  6.  Harry  Tracey, 
7.  G.  B.  Harris,  8.  J.  L.  L.  JVIcCall,  9.  S.  G.  Granberry,  secretary. 
10.  C.  K.  Walter,  11.  J.  M.  King,  12.  J.  H.  Foster,  13.  A.  K 
Bentley. 

PLATFORM1 

Preamble 

We,  the  People's  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  renew 
our  allegiance  to  the  undying  principles  of  the  People's  party  as 
enunciated  at  Omaha  and  St.  Louis.  We  congratulate  the  President 
of  the  United  States  on  the  efficient  and  successful  prosecution  of  the 
war  between  Spain  and  the  United  States.  With  the  most  profound 
feeling  of  kindredship  and  National  loyalty,  devoid  of  all  sectionalism, 
we  most  heartily  embrace  this  opportunity  of  declaring  our  soldiers 
and  sailors  the  bravest,  the  most  loyal,  gallant,  and  efficient  of  the 
world. 

1.  We    demand    the    speedy    construction    and    operation    of    the 
Nicaragua  canal  hy  the  government  of  the  United  States  alone. 

2.  We  demand  that  no  government  bonds  shall  be  issued  in  time 
of  war  or  peace. 

3.  The  war  between  the  United  States  and  Spain  was  at  its  incep- 
tion declared  and  understood  to  be  in  the  interest  of  humanity,  and 
not  for  conquest.     We  cordially  indorse  this  sentiment,  and  demand 
that  the  war  shall  be  vigorously  prosecuted  to  a  successful' termina- 
tion on  these  lines  and  in  this  spirit,  and  we  now  and  here  pledge  to 
the  President  and  his  administration  our  cooperation  to  that  end. 

4.  We   indorse   the   Omaha   agreement   of   June   17,    1898,   and   we 
further  indorse  the  action  of  our  National  committeemen  at  said  con- 
ference. 

Arraignment  of  the  Democratic  Party 

We  arraign  the  State  Democracy  for  its  maladministration  of  the 
State  government  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century.  Its  platform 
promises  are  now  a  list  of  its  past  failures.  Pledged  to  reduce  the 
number  of  district  judges,  it  has  increased  them.  Pledged  to  protect 
the  interest  of  shippers,  it  has  levied  a  tribute  of  "all  the  traffic  will 
bear,"  and  when  violations  of  its  laws  are  discovered  it  has  com- 
promised with  the  corporations  for  a  pittance  to  the  people  and  an 
equal  or  greater  sum  to  its  political  henchmen.  Pledged  to  donate 

irrhe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Statesman, 
July  28  and  29,  1898. 


398  Platforms  of  Political 

50,000  acres  of  public  lands  to  the  colored  race  for  educational  pur- 
poses, it  had  no  public  lands  then,  nor  has  it  any  now.  Pledged  to 
honest  elections,  it  holds  office  by  Harrison  County  methods  and  the 
illegal  Mexican  vote  of  the  border.  Pledged  to  carry  out  the  constitu- 
tional provisions  requiring  six  months'  public  free  school  in  the  year, 
they  have  signally  failed  to  do  this,  except  in  a  few  localities,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  for  several  years,  under  the  Jester  amend- 
ment, one  per  cent  of  the  permanent  school  fund  had  been  annually 
transferred  to  the  available  fund,  and  also  that  $1,200,000  of  local 
funds  have  been  used  in  one  year  to  supplement  the  State  and  county 
funds.  Pledged  to  economize,  it  has  persistently  increased  tne  taxes 
of  the  people.  Pledged  to  reserve  the  public  domain  for  actual  set- 
tlers, it  has  donated  the  people's  heritage  to  railroads  and  nonresident 
aliens,  individual  and  corporate.  Pledged  to  reduce  official  fees  and 
salaries,  it  enacted  a  law  that  many  of  its  own  partisans  will  not  de- 
fend. Pledged  to  economize  in  the  expenditures  of  government,  It 
filibustered  against  an  appropriation  bill  that  would  have  saved  to  the 
taxpayers  half  a  million  dollars.  Pledged  to  prevent  discrimination 
against  any  kind  of  lawful  money,  it  has  defeated  a  bill  prohibiting 
gold  contracts.  Pledged  to  free  silver,  it  has  selected  for  nomination 
candidates  for  governor  and  lieutenant-governor  who  have  been  de- 
clared by  their  own  henchmen  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  gold  ring 
of  the  party,  and  in  league  with  the  corporations  of  the  Slate.  To  the 
end  that  Texas  may  escape  the  evils  herein  enumerated,  we  appeal  to 
all  good  citizens  to  unite  with  us  in  the  great  struggle  we  are  now 
making  for  State  reforms,  which  it  is  possible  to  secure  in  the  near 
future. 

State  Platform 

1.  We  declare  the   railroad  commission  has  utterly  failed  to  per- 
form its  plain  duty  to  the  people  of  Texas  in  persistently  refusing  to 
properly  exert  its  lawful  powers  in  securing  reasonable  freight  rates. 
While  recognizing  a  railroad  commission  as  tentative,  and  asserting 
that  government  ownership  is  the  final  solution  of  the  problem,  we 
yet   declare   that  a   railroad   commission   can   and   should   materially 
reduce  freight  rates  in  Texas.     Therefore,  we  demand  the  construction 
and  operation  by  the  State  of  Texas  of  a  relief  railroad  from  Red 
River  to  the  Gulf. 

2.  We  demand  the  speedy  enactment  of  laws  establishing  a  people's 
government   under   the   system    of   direct   legislation,   known   as    the 
Initiative,  referendum,  and  imperative  mandate. 

3.  We  are  opposed  to  increasing  our  interest  bearing  bonded  debt 
without  a  direct  vote  of  the  people — State,  county,  or  municipal. 

4.  We  demand  the  reduction  of  fees  and  salaries  of  all  officials  to 
correspond  with  labor  and  its  products. 

5.  We  demand  an  economical  State  administration,  and  a  reduction 


Parties  in  Texas  399 

of  expenses  to  the  lowest  limit  consistent  with  efficient  public  service. 

6.  We  demand  an  efficient  free  school  system,  commensurate  at  all 
times  with  the  growth  and  development  of  the  State,  and  that  text- 
books be  furnished  public  school  pupils  by  the  State  at  actual  cost; 
and  we  further  demand  that  where  the  law  provides  that  scholastic 
trustees  shall  be  appointed  to  take  the  census,  that  white  trustees  shall 
be  appointed  to  take  the  census  of  white  children  and  colored  trustees 
shall  be  appointed  to  take  the  census  of  colored  children,  to  the  end 
that  each  race  may  have  the  more  complete  managment  of  its  own 
school  affairs. 

7.  We  demand  that  no  citizen  of  Texas  be  disfranchised  in  local 
elections  because  he  is  not  a  freeholder,  and  we  demand  purity  at  the 
ballot  box,  a  free  ballot,  and  a  fair  count. 

8.  We  demand  that  any  officer — sheriff  and  constable  excepted — who 
accepts  and  uses  railroad  passes  shall  be  removed  from  office. 

9.  We  denounce  the  cumbrous  judicial  system  of  this  State,  consist- 
ing as  It  does  of  seven  appellate  courts,  whose  decisions  conflict,  entail- 
ing on  the  State  the  expense  of  seven  appellate  courts  without  the 
virtue  of  one. 

10.  We  condemn  the  mismanagement  of  the  State  Confederate  Home 
and  we  denounce  the  use  of  it  and  the  appropriations  made  to  the 
same,  by  high  officials  for  campaign  purposes  in  the  interest  of  cliques 
and  rings,  but  favor  the  maintenance  of  the  Home  in  the  interest  of 
the   disabled  Confederate   soldiers,   only  granting  them   the   right   to 
remain  at  home  with  their  families  on  a  pension  per  month  not  to 
exceed  the  cost  to  comfortably  maintain  them  in  the  State  home. 

11.  We  demand  that  a  constitutional  amendment  be  submitted  to 
the  people  of  Texas  to  repeal  the  Jester  amendment,  which  amend- 
ment now  provides  that  one  per  cent  of  the  permanent  school  fund 
may  be  transferred  annually  to  the  available  fund;   and  demand  that 
the  legislature  provide  sufficient  and  safe  investment  for  all  the  per- 
manent school  fund  at  not  less  than  four  per  cent  per  annum. 

12.  We  denounce  the  occupation  tax  laws  enacted  by  the  twenty- 
fifth  legislature  and  demand  their  repeal. 

'Additional  Resolutions 

"[13]  Resolved,  that  we  oppose  the  present  lease  system,  that  places 
the  settlement  of  a  part  of  our  public  domain  beyond  the  reach  of 
settlers  by  making  the  leases  on  all  the  land  west  of  the  certain  line 
absolute.  We  demand  the  abolition  of  said  lease  line,  and  that  all  the 
public  free  school  land  be  sold  to  actual  settlers  only,  in  quantities 
not  to  exceed  four  sections  to  any  purchaser,  and  that  all  leases  be 
made  subject  to  sale. 

[14]     That  we  congratulate  the  Populists  of  Texas  upon  the  valiant 
and  patriotic  stand  taken  by  them  upon  the  amendments  as  submitted 


400  Platforms  of  Political 

and  supported  by  the  State  machine  Democracy  last  year,  discriminat 
ing  in  favor  of  and  against  classes  of  our  citizens. 

[15]  WHEREAS,  legislation  is  and  always  has  been  pronouncedly  in 
favor  of  capital  and  against  labor,  and 

WHEREAS,  collections  of  earnings  are  and  have  been  more  expensive 
than  wage  earners  could  afford;  now,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we  favor  the  enactment  of  a  statute  by  the  next  legis- 
lature which  will  provide  that  in  case  a  plaintiff  suing  for  earnings 
shall  prevail  there  shall  be  taxed  up  as  a  part  of  the  judgment  ob- 
tained: first,  attorney's  fees,  second,  pay  for  all  time  lost  in  attending 
trial  at  the  rate  the  plaintiff  was  earning  at  the  time  of  employment; 
third,  interest  on  his  demand  from  the  time  of  his  discharge  to  the 
date  of  judgment,  and,  in  case  it  shall  appear  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
court  and  jury  that  vexatious  delays  have  been  obtained,  exemplary 
damages  in  any  sum  not  greater  than  double  the  amount  sued  for. 
Such  statute  to  be  drawn  so  as  to  avoid  the  objection  of  class  legisla- 
tion, and  so  that  the  defendant  may  recover  for  attorney's  fees,  time 
lost,  and  damages  should  he  establish  to  the  satisfaction  of  court  and 
Jury  that  the  suit  was  maliciously  brought. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  S.  Bradley,  of  McLennan, 
chairman;  State  at  large,  E.  P.  Alsbury,  of  Harris,  Henry  F. 
Jones,  of  Comanche. 

DEMOCRATIC   STATE    CONVENTION,    1898 

GALVESTON,  August  2-4 

A  meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee  was  held  at  Dal- 
las, February  22,  1898,  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  a  place  of 
meeting  and  adopting  a  test  to  be  used  in  the  primary  election. 
The  resolution  adopted  at  Waco  regarding  bids  from  cities  for 
the  State  convention  was  rescinded,  and  Galveston  was  selected 
as  the  convention  city.  The  test,  selected  after  much  debate, 
was  won  by  the  radicals ;  it  excluded  all  Democrats  from  voting 
in  the  primary  election  who  did  not  vote  for  the  nominees  of 
the  Chicago  and  Fort  Worth  conventions  of  1896.  The  holding 
of  primary  elections  on  July  9,  for  the  nomination  of  candi- 
dates for  State  office  and  selection  of  delegates  to  the  State  con- 
vention, was  strongly  urged,  but  it  was  left  optional  with  the 
county  executive  committees  whether  they  would  hold  primary 
elections  or  primary  conventions.  As  the  primary  election  set- 


Parties  in  Texas  4.01 

tied  most  of  the  contests,  the  subject  of  chief  interest  in  the 
convention  was  the  policy  to  be  pursued  in  dealing  with  the 
territory  acquired  in  the  war  with  Spain. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  James  B.  Wells,  of  Cam- 
eron; permanent,  J.  W,  Blake,  of  Limestone.  Secretary  pro 
tempore,  A.  F.  Brigance,  of  Grimes;  permanent,  James  Hays 
Quarles,  of  McLennan. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Joseph  D.  Savers, 
of  Bastrop;  Lieutenant-Governor,  James  N.  Browning,  of  Pot- 
ter; Attorney-General,  Thomas  S.  Smith,  of  Hill;  Comptroller, 
R.  W.  Finley,  of  Smith;  Treasurer,  John  W.  Bobbins,  of  Wil- 
barger;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  George  W. 
Finger,  of  Tarrant;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  J. 
S.  Kendall,  of  Fanniii;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Allison  May- 
field,  of  Grayson;  Supreme  Court,  Thomas  J.  Brown,  of  Gray- 
son;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  M.  M.  Brooks,  of  Hunt. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, H.  F.  O'Neal,  of  Cass;  2.  James  Clark,  of  Red  River;  3. 
J.  L.  Carpenter,  of  Fannin ;  4.  J.  W.  Bailey,  of  Oooke :  5.  J.  R. 
Gough,  of  Collin;  6.  Edward  Gray,  of  Dallas;  7.  Horace 
Chilton,  of  Smith;  8.  R,  T.  Milner,  of  Rusk,  secretary;  9.  blank; 
10.  M.  M.  Crane,  of  Johnson;  11.  T.  S.  Henderson,  of  Milam; 
12.  A.  J.  Harper,  of  Limestone;  13.  T.  M.  Campbell,  of  Ander- 
son, chairman;  14.  S.  B.  Cooper,  of  Tyler;  15.  M.  S.  Cooper, 
of  -  -;  16.  E.  P.  Hamblen,  of  Harris;  17.  G.  C.  Davis 

and  N.  M.  Vogelsang;  18.  Jonathan  Lane,  of  Fayette:  19.  H. 
M.  Garwood,  of  Bastrop ;  20.  T.  W.  Gregory,  of  Travis;  21. 
A.  B.  Storey,  of  Caldwell ;  22.  R.  A.  Pleasants,  of  De  Witt ;  23. 
J.  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron;  24.  J.  F.  Onion,  of  Bexar;  25.  W.  W. 
Gatewood,  of  -  -;  26.  G.  W.  Goodwin,  of  Brown;  27. 

A.  Mathis,  of  Cory  ell;  28.  T.  H.  Connor,  of  Eastlaud:  29.  H. 
H.  Wallace,  of  Potter;  30.  W.  P.  McLean,  of  Tarrant;  31.  F. 
F.  Hill,  of  Denton. 

PLATFORM1 

Be  it  resolved  by  the  Democrats  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled: 
1.     That  we  indorse  in  every  particular  the  platform  adopted  by  the 

xThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  News, 
August  3-5,  1898. 

26 — 328 


402  Platforms  of  Political 

National  Democratic  convention  at  Chicago  in  1896,  but  we  especially 
commend  and  approve  the  declarations  in  favor  of  an  income  tax, 
against  the  power  of  banks  to  issue  money,  for  a  tariff  for  revenue 
that  will  operate  without  discrimination  against  classes  or  sections, 
and  for  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  gold  and  silver  at  the  ratio 
of  16  to  1,  with  full  legal  tender  qualities  and  without  reference  to 
the  action  of  other  governments. 

2.  We  denounce  the  Republican  party  for  the  passage  of  the  Dingley 
tariff  bill,  which  places  the  burden  of  tariff  taxation  upon  those  least 
able  to  bear  it  and  which  has  resulted  in  a  great  deficit  of  revenue. 

3.  We  declare  that  the  present  war  excitement  can  not  and  shall 
not  obscure  the  money  question,  upon  which  the  fight  in  1900  will  be 
chiefly  made,  and  that  interest  now  being  taken  in  the  2,000,000  people 
of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  must  not  detract  from  the  vital  interest  of 
the  75,000,000  of  our  own  people. 

4.  That  while  we  recognize  the  necessity  of  a  war  tax,  we  denounce 
the   revenue   bill  passed  by  the  Republican   party   for   the   gross   in- 
equalities therein,  both  in  the  tax  imposed  and  the  exemptions  made. 

5.  That  we  congratulate  the  country  upon  the  skill  and  intrepidity 
of  the  American  soldiers  and  sailors  in  the  present  war,  which  we  de- 
clare to  have  been  forced  upon  us  by  the  conduct  of  Spain. 

6.  The  National   Democratic  party  will  give  the  President  of  the 
United  States  its  full  support  in   all  measures  necessary  to  conduct 
this  war  to  an  early  and  successful  end. 

7.  That  we  favor  the  generous  development  of  the  American  navy 
to  whatever  extent  it  may  be  necessary  to  protect  our  commrece  on 
every  sea  and  our  citizens  in  every  land. 

8.  That  we   favor  the  construction  and  control  of  the  Nicaragua 
canal  by  the  United  States. 

9.  That  we  favor  the  carrying  out  of  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the 
resolutions  under  which  we  intervened  in  Cuba,  and  we  insist  that 
the  Cubans  shall  be  permitted  to  establish  an  independent  government 
of  their  own;   but,  in  the  event  that  the  people  of  that  island  shall 
hereafter  desire  to  be  annexed  to  this  country  and  the  terms  of  annexa- 
tion can  be  satisfactorily  arranged  between  the  two  governments,  we 
will  welcome  Cuba  as  a  part  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States. 

10.  We  favor  the  acquisition  of  Porto  Rico  and  all  other  Spanish 
possessions  in  the  western  hemisphere. 

11.  That  we  reaffirm  our  faith  in  the  Monroe  doctrine  and  oppose 
the  annexation   or  continued   retention  of  the   Philippine  Islands   or 
any  territory  upon  the  Eastern  Hemisphere. 

12.  We  approve  the  action  of  the  Democrats  in  Congress  in  engraft- 
ing upon  the  bill  providing  for  the  present  army  that  the  increase 
thereof  be  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  this  war,  and  we  declare  against 
any  increase  in  the  standing  army  of  the  United  States. 

13.  That  we  indorse  the  action  of  the  Chicago  convention  in  the 


Parties  in  Texas  403 

nomination  of  William  J.  Bryan  for  President,  approve  the  campaign 
he  made,  and  pledge  him  our  support  for  renomination  in  1900. 

14.  We  indorse  and  commend  the  administration  of  Governor  Cul- 
berson  and  his  associates  as  being  economical,  wise,  and  patriotic. 

15.  That  whereas  the  Democratic  party  can  justly  claim  that  from 
its  organization  it  has  been  the  stanch  and  consistent  friend  of  the 
working  classes,  therefore,  we  declare  it  to  be  a  correct  principle  that 
all  public  work  (including  the  public  -printing)  should  be  done  within 
the  confines  of  the  State,  other  things  being  equal,  whenever  possible. 

16.  We  indorse  the  fee  bill  and  textbook  bill  passed  by  the  last 
legislature. 

17.  We  indorse  the  railroad  commission  law  and  the  administration 
thereof;  and  in  this  connection  we  demand  that  the  legislature  make 
all  needful  appropriations  to  enable  the  commission  to  employ  such 
experts  as  the  commission  may  deem  necessary  to  enable  it  to  examine 
into  the  traffic  affairs  of  the  railroad  companies  in  this  State.     And 
we  further  favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  making  it  the  duty  of  the 
commission  to  keep  such  experts  continuously  employed  in  this  work, 
to  the  end  that  discriminations  by  railroad  companies  against  persons 
and  places  be  entirely  prevented. 

18.  We  indorse  the  able,  honest,  and  economical  method  in  which 
Attorney-General  Crane  has  managed  the  buisness  of  his  high  office. 

19.  We  favor  the  appointment  by  the  twenty-sixth  legislature  of  a 
committee  to  consist  of  the  governor,  comptroller,  and  State  revenue 
agent,   whose   duty   it  will  be   to  diligently   inquire   into   our  State's 
financial  system,  including  the  method  of  levying  and  collecting  taxes, 
and  the  system  of  accounting  of  the  government  officials;    said  com- 
mittee to  formulate  such  measures  of  reform  looking  to  a  fair  and 
equitable  distribution  of  the   burdens  of  government  and  to  a  more 
economical  and  expeditious  collection  of  taxes,  and  at  the  same  time 
provide  all  proper  and  necessary  safeguards  for  checking  the  receiving 
and  disbursing  officers  charged  with  the  duty  of  handling  State  funds; 
the  said  committee  to  report  to  the  legislature,  making  such  recom- 
mendations as  may  be  deemed  wise  and  practicable. 

20.  We  recognize  the  necessity  of  the  development  of  our  educa- 
tional   system;    we,   therefore,   declare  that  all   legislative  assistance 
necessary  will  be  given  to  bring  the  system  to  the  highest  possible 
degree  of  efficiency  consistent  with  our  financial  conditions,  and  in 
order  to  accomplish  this  purpose  we  demand  that  the  law,  allowing 
the   appropriation   of  any  part  of  the  permanent  school  fund  to  be 
transferred  to  the  available  school  fund,  shall  be  repealed. 

21.  Feeling  a  just  pride  in  the  increasing  usefulness  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Texas,  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  and  other 
educational  institutions,  we  favor  such  appropriations  by  the  legisla- 
ture as  may  promote  their  efficiency  and  advancement. 

22.  We  favor  the  greatest  possible  assistance  to  the  eleemosynary 


404  Platforms  of  Political 

institutions  of  the  State  consistent  with  its  financial  condition,  and 
especially  favor  that  the  State  care  for  all  its  insane,  idiots,  and 
epileptics. 

23.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  statute  prohibiting  all  railroad 
companies  from  giving  free  passes  or  free  transportation  to  any  person 
not  in  the  employ  of  the  said  companies. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[24]  We  favor  the  holding  of  primaries  for  State  officers,  whether 
by  convention  or  primary  election,  on  one  and  the  same  day. 

[25]  We  denounce  mobocracy  and  whitecapism,  and  we  demand 
that  all  persons  of  whatever  race,  creed,  or  condition  shall  be  equally 
protected  by  our  laws  in  the  enjoyment  of  life,  liberty,  and  the  pur- 
suit of  happiness. 

MINORITY   REPORT 

For  myself  and  eight  others,  as  a  substitute  for  Sections  9  and  10, 
I  submit  the  following: 

We  believe  that  a  colonial  policy  is  contrary  to  the  theory  of  this 
government,  and  we  are  opposed  to  the  acquisition  of  any  territory 
inhabited  by  a  people  who  are  incapable  of  self-government,  because 
we  hold  the  right  of  local  self-government  to  be  the  basic  principle 
of  our  Republic. 

We  are  opposed  also  to  the  acquisition  of  any  territory,  the  govern- 
ment or  control  of  which  will  necessitate  an  increase  in  the  standing 
army  of  the  United  States. 

We  reaffirm  the   declaration   of  Thomas  Jefferson  that  all  govern- 
ments derive  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed,  and 
we  are  opposed  to  the  establishment  of  any  government  anywhere  by 
the  United  States  without  the  consent  of  the  people  to  be  governed. 
J.  W.   BAILEY,  H.  H.  WALLACE, 

J.   B.  WELLS,  F.  P.  HILL, 

R.  T.  MILNER,  S.  B.  COOPER, 

J.  L.  CARPENTER,  HARRY   H.   O'NEIL. 

J.  R.  GOUGH, 

The  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  vote  of  721  to  334. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Charles  K.  Bell,  of  Tarrant, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  Sam  H.  Smelzer,  of  Bowie; 
2.  H.  E.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  3.  J.  M.  Terry,  of  Fannin;  4. 
I.  M.  Standif er,  of  Grayson ;  5.  W.  T.  Beverley,  of  Collin ;  6. 
Jot  Gunter,  of  Dallas ;  7.  Gus  F.  Taylor,  of  Smith ;  8.  John  T. 


Parties  in  Texas  405 

McLemore,  of  Shelby;  9.  Richard  Mays,  of  Navarro;  10.  J.  S. 
Davis,  of  Ellis ;  11.  J.  J.  Swann,  of  Falls ;  12.  John  W.  Doremus, 
of  Brazos;  13.  John  B.  Peyton,  of  Trinity;  14.  R.  A.  McRey- 
nolds,  of  Jefferson ;  15.  B.  H.  Powell,  of  Walker ;  16.  John  M. 
Moore,  of  Fort  Bend;  17.  John  Lovejoy,  of  Galveston;  18.  John 
S.  McGregor,  of  Colorado;  19.  Ben  S.  Rogers,  of  Washington; 
20.  Dayton  Moses,  of  Burnet;  21.  J.  L.  Ellison,  of  Caldwell; 
22.  D.  C.  Stone,  of  Bee;  23.  Robert  J.  Kleberg,  of  Nueces;  24. 
Frank  H.  Bushick,  of  Bexar;  25.  James  M.  Goggan,  of  Maverick; 
26.  C.  H.  Willingham,  of  Runnels;  27.  J.  Hall  Bowman,  of  Bell; 
28.  H.  C.  Ford,  of  Nolan;  29.  W.  B.  Plemmons,  of  Potter;  30. 
William  Capps,  of  Tarrant;  31.  J.  T.  Buckaloo,  of  Wise. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1898 

FORT  WORTH,  August  16-18 

The  attendance  was  large,  and  remarkable  for  the  fact  that 
more  than  half  the  delegates  were  white.  It  marked  the  reunion 
of  the  "Reform"  and  "Regular"  factions.  The  principal  con- 
test was  waged  over  the  question  of  a  State  ticket. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  temper e,  Henry  C.  Ferguson,  of 
Fort  Bend;  permanent,  R.  E.  H'annay,  of  Waller.  Secretary, 
D.  C.  Kolp,  of  Wichita. 

Committee  on  Platform,  and  Resolutions:  '1st  Congressional 
district,  S.  E.  Tracy,  of  Harris,  secretary;  2.  Theodore  Miller, 
of  Cherokee;  3.  Dr.  Keys,  of  Hunt;  4.  A.  H.  O'Neal,  of  Hunt; 
5.  Cecil  Lyon,  of  Grayson;  6.  W.  E.  King,  of  Dallas;  7.  A.  H. 
Caldwell,  of  Brazos;  8.  C.  C.  Drake,  of  Tarrant;  9.  E.  P.  Wilmot, 
of  Travis;  10.  M.  C.  McLemore,  of  Galveston;  11.  J.  0.  Luby, 
of  Duval;  12.  Henry  Terrell,  of  Bexar;  13.  P.  B.  Hunt,  of 
Young. 

PLATFORM1 

Be  it  resolved  by  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled: 
[1]     That  we  tender  unreservedly  our  congratulations  to  the  Ameri- 
can  people   on   the   able,   impartial,   and   patriotic   conduct   of   public 
affairs  by  the  National  administration. 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  17-19,  1898. 


406  Platforms  of  Political 

[2]  We  congratulate  the  country  in  the  renewed  confidence  it  has 
inspired  on  the  restoration  of  natural  conditions  in  our  daily  life  and 
resulting  prosperity  of  unexampled  proportions. 

[3]  That  we  reaffirm  our  allegiance  to  the  principles  laid  down 
by  the  St.  Louis  platform  in  1896,  and  we  particularly  announce  that 
we  are  unreservedly  for  sound  money. 

[4]  We  heartily  indorse  the  action  and  course  of  President  McKinley 
and  the  administration  since  their  inauguration.  They  ha~ve  inspired 
universal  confidence,  restored  normal  conditions  in  American  indus- 
trial life,  and  developed  an  industrial  prosperity  of  unexampled 
proportions. 

[5]  We  indorse  the  actions  and  career  of  the  Hon.  R.  B.  Hawley 
in  Congress  as  being  wise,  conservative,  and  patriotic,  and  commend 
him  to  the  electors  of  the  tenth  district  for  reelection. 

[6]  We  congratulate  our  brave  soldiers  and  sailors  who  have  so 
nobly  upheld  the  honor  of  our  country  and  inspired  in  the  hearts 
of  an  oppressed  people  the  spirit  of  liberty  and  independence,  and  we 
commend  them  to  the  tender  care  and  reverence  of  our  Nation  forever. 

[7]  We  favor  the  immediate  construction  of  the  Nicaragua  canal 
and  insist  that  it  should  be  owned  and  controlled  by  the  United  States. 

[8]  We  indorse  and  approve  the  following  acts  of  Congress,  passed 
at  the  instance  and  by  the  votes  of  the  Republicans:  The  arbitration 
bill,  by  which  it  is  sought  to  settle  disputes  between  employers  and 
employes;  the  war  revenue  bill,  and  especially  the  inheritance  tax 
which  has  been  placed  upon  the  statutes  of  the  United  States  for  all 
time,  and  we  commend  it  to  our  State  government  as  a  measure  fair 
and  impartial,  just  and  necessary.  We  especially  call  attention  to 
the  eight-hour  law  passed  by  Congress,  applying  to  labor  employed  on 
all  government  work,  and  we  recommend  that  its  terms  be  followed 
by  legislation  in  Texas. 

[9]  We  favor  an  increase  in  our  army  and  navy  to  the  extent  that 
circumstances  and  conditions  require  to  establish  and  carry  into  effect 
permanently  the  plans  and  policies  of  our  administration,  with  refer- 
ence to  the  annexation  of  Porto  Rico  and  other  Spanish  possessions, 
and  to  establish  and  guarantee  a  stable  government  in  the  island  of 
Cuba. 

[10]  We  approve  with  satisfaction  the  terms  upon  which  peace  will 
be  entered  into  between  Spain  and  the  United  States,  as  set  forth  in 
the  President's  note  and  protocol,  and  we  congratulate  him  and  the 
administration  upon  their  conduct  of  and  successful  termination  of 
the  war. 

[11]  We  approve  the  annexation  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  as  being 
wise  and  tending  to  increase  our  commerce  and  trade,  providing  a 
safe,  convenient,  and  sufficient  naval  base  and  coaling  station,  and  add- 
ing much  to  the  wealth  and  resources  of  our  country.  We  insist  that 
the  annexation  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  is  within  the  spirit  and  letter 


Parties  in  Texas  407 

i 

of  the  Constitution  and  an  evidence  of  a  determination  on  the  part  of 
our  administration  to  carry  into  effect  the  Monroe  doctrine. 

[12]  We  deride  the  platform  of  the  Democratic  State  convention  of 
Texas  for  its  vagaries,  inequalities,  and  inconsistencies: 

(1)  It  professed  to  speak  as  the  friend  of  labor,  yet  rejected  the 
honest  plea  of  labor  to  be  employed  in  the  production  of  State  docu- 
ments and  other  necessities  of  the  State;  and  we  insist  that  all  State 
work,  printing,  and  other  undertakings  where  mechanical  labor  is  re- 
quired, be  done  by  Texas  labor. 

(2)  It  adopted  a  platform  favoring  territorial  expansion,  favoring 
the  maintenance  of  the  obligations  undertaken  by  this  government  to 
establish  and  maintain  a  stable  and  orderly  government  in  Cuba,  the 
acquisition  of  Porto  Rico  with  800,000  alien  people,  and  in  the  same 
breath  declaring  their  fixed  opposition  to  the  smallest  increase  in  the 
United  States  army,  through  which  alone  at  this  time  can  these  pledges 
be  fulfilled. 

(3)  They  rejected  the  policy  of  Bailey,  with  respect  to  territorial 
acquisition,  yet  they  indorsed  him  for  speaker  of  the  House,  where  he 
could  authoritatively  defeat  the  plans  and  purposes  for  which  they  de- 
clared.    They  repudiated  the  purpose  and  policy  outlined  by  Bryan  in 
every  line  he  has  written  on  territorial  expansion,  yet  they  indorsed 
him  for  President,  where,  vested  with  authority,  he  would  inevitably 
defeat  every  plan,  purpose,  and  policy  to  which  the  Democracy  of  this 
State  stands  committed. 

[13]  We  have  looked  with  regret  at  the  narrow  spirit  of  partisan- 
ship displayed  by  the  Democratic  State  administration  of  Texas  during 
the  late  war  in  its  appointments  to  the  military  service,  in  such  marked 
contrast  to  the  broad  statesmanship  of  William  McKinley  in  his  ap- 
pointment of  Wheeler,  Fitzhugh  Lee,  Butler,  and  others  to  the  highest 
places  within  the  military  establishment. 

[14]  We  heartily  indorse  the  proposed  deep  water  improvements  in 
Texas,  recommended  by  the  board  of  United  States  engineers,  which 
will  make  Texas  the  pathway  to  Europe  and  countries  reached  by  the 
Nicaragua  canal,  for  the  products  of  the  Mississippi  valley  and  of  the 
great  northwest,  the  completion  of  which,  with  the  miles  of  natural 
wharves,  will  afford  cheap  and  unlimited  terminal  facilities,  give  com- 
petition and  freedom  from  control  of  monopolies,  and  great  saving  to 
the  producer  in  the  cost  of  reaching  the  markets  of  the  world. 

[15]  The  workings  of  the  State  railroad  commission  under  Demo- 
cratic rule  have  operated  against  the  interests  of  Texas  and  in  favor 
of  producers  outside  of  the  State.  The  discriminations  in  rates  and 
the  unjust  rulings  have  occasioned  great  loss  to  individuals  and  com- 
munities. 

[16]  We  demand  a  constitutional  amendment  that  will  give  to  cities 
and  towns  exclusive  and  original  jurisdiction  in  criminal  matters  with- 
in their  limits. 


408  Platforms  of  Political 

[17]  To  encourage  the  stock  and  wool  industries  of  this  State,  we 
demand  that  a  scalp  law  be  passed  by  our  legislature  that  will  cause 
the  extermination  of  all  wild  animals  that  prey  upon  the  large  herds 
or  destroy  the  grass  on  the  prairies  of  the  State. 

[18]  We  commend  to  the  people  of  Texas  the  adoption  of  the  con- 
stitutional amendment  providing  for  pensions  to  the  ex-Confederate 
residents  of  Texas. 

[19]  We  condemn  the  Democratic  mismanagement  of  the  available 
school  fund,  and  strenuously  oppose  the  resolution  adopted  by  the 
Galveston  convention,  recommending  the  repeal  of  the  law  authorizing 
the  expenditure  of  one  per  cent  of  the  permanent  school  fund  for 
present  educational  purposes.  We  believe  the  repeal  of  that  law  would 
be  an  unjust  discrimination  against  the  children  of  this  generation  and 
leave  open  to  speculators  that  which  rightfully  belongs  to  the  children 
of  the  State. 

[20]  We  deprecate  the  fact  that  under  the  present  regime  the  school 
teachers  of  Texas  are  unable  to  collect  their  pay  as  earned,  but  are 
forced  to  accept  in  lieu  thereof  time  warrants,  subject  to  heavy  dis- 
count, and  we  favor  such  legislation  as  will  not  only  remedy  this  defect 
but  provide  the  most  liberal  support  of  our  State  free  school  system,  a 
system  ever  conducive  to  a  high  standard  of  citizenship. 

[21]     We  denounce  the  present  fee  bill  and  demand  its  repeal. 

[22]  We  demand  for  all  persons  within  our  borders  the  equal  pro- 
tection of  the  laws,  and  denounce  mob  law  and  anarchy  in  all  forms. 

[23]  We  believe  that  the  efforts  of  the  Republican  party  of  Texas 
at  the  coming  election  should  be  confined  to  the  election  of  representa- 
tives to  Congress,  and  we,  therefore,  recommend  that  no  State  ticket 
be  placed  in  the  field  this  year,  leaving  to  the  respective  counties  and 
senatorial  districts  the  option  of  placing  representatives  in  the  field  in 
said  counties  and  senatorial  districts  as  may  seem  best  to  the  interests 
of  such  organizations. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[24]  WHEREAS,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  Texas  borders  for  1,200 
miles  on  a  foreign  nation,  and  the  further  reason  that  the  government 
has  one  of  the  best  equipped  military  headquarters  and  posts  in  the 
country  located  at  San  Antonio;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we  urge  upon  the  administration  the  early  restoration 
of  the  military  department  of  Texas. 

[25]  That  in  making  up  the  quota  of  volunteers  who  are  to  be 
retained  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  for  the  occupation  and 
defense,  the  President  is  hereby  requested  to  retain  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States,  for  the  term  of  their  enlistment,  the  proper  propor- 
tion of  Texas  volunteers  already  in  the  service. 

[26]     That  we  demand  that  a  liberal  appropriation  should  be  made 


Parties  in  Texas  409 

for  the  maintenance  and  support  of  the  State  volunteer  guard,  and  de- 
nounce the  failure  of  the  Democratic  administration  for  neglecting 
that  organization  and  by  such  omission  tending  to  destroy  rather  than 
increase  the  efficiency  of  the  volunteer  guard. 

State  Executive  Committee:  E.  H.  R.  Green,  of  Kaufman, 
chairman;  1st  to  4th  Congressional  districts,  blank;  5.  Cecil  A. 
Lyon,  of  Grayson;  6.  Dr.  B.  R.  Bluitt,  of  Dallas;  7.  blank;  8. 
C.  C.  Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  9.  blank;  10.  Harry  Beck,  of  Hill; 
11.  Charles  A.  Boynton,  of  McLennan;  12.  blank;  13.  George 
W.  Burkitt,  of  Anderson;  14.  J.  C.  Frazier,  of  Jasper;  15.  and 
16.  blank ;  17.  Webster  Wilson,  of  Galveston ;  18.  J.  G.  Shermack, 
of  Fayette;  19.  W.  E.  Dwyer,  of  Washington;  20.  Dr.  E.  P. 
Wilmot,  of  Travis;  21.  Frank  Maynard,  of  Caldwell;  22.  blank; 
23.  J.  W.  Durst,  of  Nueces;  24.  blank;  25.  Joseph  Tweedy,  of 
Tom  Green;  26.  W.  B.  McCain,  of  Erath;  27.  blank;  28.  John 
H.  Morrow,  of  Taylor;  29.  blank;  30.  John  B.  Hawley,  of  Tar- 
rant;  31.  John  B.  Schmitz,  of  Denton. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,   1898 
DALLAS,  August  22 

Less  than  one  dozen  delegates  attended  this  meeting. 

Officers:  Chairman,  B.  P.  Bailey,  of  Harris.  Secretary,  E. 
A.  Wingo,  of  Van  Zandt. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  B.  P.  Bailey,  E. 
C.  Heath,  D.  H.  Hancock. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  begs  to 
call  to  the  attention  of  the  people  the  following: 

1.  The  existence  of  the  army  canteen,  through  which  the  soldiers 
that  our  country  has  raised  for  her  defense  are  debauched,  and  their 
training  and  efficiency  impaired.     For  this  both  the  Democratic  and 
Republican  parties  are  equally  responsible. 

2.  While  the  public  mind  is  so  occupied  with  other  matters — money, 
expansion,  and  the  questions  growing  out  of  the  war — the  liquor  ques- 
tion is  lost  to  view,  the  position  most  desired  by  that  element,  for  then 

1(The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  23,  1898. 


410  Platforms  of  Political 

it  can  quietly  dominate  the  conventions  of  the  old  parties  and  nominate 
friendly  candidates  for  the  highest  positions  within  the  gift  of  the 
people.  While  the  public  mind  seems  to  be  stirred  more  than  usual 
on  what  it  terms  Republicanism,  and  Democratism,  we  congratulate 
ourselves  that  we  stand  for  the  most  important  of  all  National  reforms, 
the  paramount  issue,  the  outlawing  of  the  liquor  traffic,  not  only  in 
precincts,  counties,  and  States,  but  also  in  the  Nation  as  a  whole. 

[Preamble  same  as  that  of  1892.] 

[One  plank  only  was  included  in  the  platform;  it  is  identical  with 
plank  1  of  the  platform  of  1894.] 

Additional  Resolution 

WHEREAS,  there  exists  an  official  order  from  the  War  Department  of 
the  United  States,  granting  military  companies  and  regiments  the 
privilege  of  establishing  booths,  more  familiarly  called  "army  canteens," 
where  intoxicating  liquors  are  sold  to  the  soldiers; 

WHEREAS,  we,  the  Prohibitionists  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
deprecate  the  fact  that  our  heroic  soldiers  are  daily  being  tempted  by 
this  evil  and  that  our  government  is  sanctioning  such  an  evil  by 
permitting  such  an  order  to  exist;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we  hereby  petition  our  Christian  President  and  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  United  States  forces,  William  McKinley,  to  strike 
from  the  record  such  an  order  that  is  daily  teaching  our  boys  the  path 
of  ruin,  and  that  he  no  longer  permit  the  presence  of  the  army  canteen 
among  our  victorious  sons  in  the  army  camps. 

Committee  to  Consider  the  Advisability  of  a  State  Ticket: 
J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  Dallas;  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rockwall;  D.  H.  Han- 
cock, of  Collin;  E.  A.  Wingo,  of  Van  Zandt.  This  committee, 
on  October  4,  selected  following  state  ticket:  Governor,  B.  P. 
Bailey,  of  Harris;  Lieutenant-Governor,  D.  H.  Hancock,  of 
Collin. 

State  Executive  Committee:  B.  P.  Bailey,  of  Harris,  chair- 
man. 

SOCIALIST  LABOR  STATE  TICKET,   1898 

The  Socialist  Labor  party  placed  a  State  ticket  in  the  field 
for  the  first  time  in  Texas  in  1898 :  Governor,  H.  G.  Royal,  of 
Lampasas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Edmund  Bellinger,  of  Bexar. 
N'o  record  of  a  State  convention  has  been  found. 


Parties  in  Texas  431 

REPUBLICAN   STATE    CONVENTION,    1900 

WACO,  March  6  and  7 

The  convention  opened  with  a  contest  between  William  M. 
McDonald  and  Henry  C.  Ferguson  for  the  temporary  chairman- 
ship. The  two  negroes  were  political  rivals.  The  State  execu- 
tive committee  nominated  McDonald.  There  was  so  much  con- 
fusion during  the  roll  call  that  each  side  claimed  the  election. 
Chairman  Green  declared  McDonald  elected.  After  perfecting 
temporary  organization  the  convention  adjourned. 

The  Ferguson  supporters  held  a  caucus  and,  when  the  con- 
vention re-assembled  next  morning,  announced  that  he  had  been 
elected  temporary  chairman.  Amid  much  confusion,  McDonald 
announced  the  usual  committees,  some  one  moved  to  adjourn, 
and  the  convention  was  declared  adjourned  until  one  o'clock. 
The  Ferguson  faction,  however,  continued  in  session  The  Mc- 
Donald supporters  were  obliged  to  postpone  the  closing  session 
from  1  to  7  o'clock,  as  they  could  not  get  possession  of  the  hall. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  William  M.  McDonald,  of 
Kaufman;  permanent,  J.  G.  Lowden,  of  Taylor.  Secretary  pro 
tempore,  D.  C.  Kolp,  of  Wichita;  permanent,  Dr.  J.  M.  Mose- 
ley,  of  Grayson. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  E.  H. 
R.  Green,  R.  B.  Hawley,  William  M.  McDonald,  M.  M.  Rogers. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Edwin  H.  Terrell,  of 
Bexar,  and  W.  H.  Love,  of  Collin. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  Alex  White,  of 
Grimes;  William  McZeal,  of  Orange;  E.  D.  Baptist,  of  Gass: 
E.  J.  E.  Pearson,  of  Upshur;  J.  T.  Harris,  of  Cooke;  B.  R. 
Bluitt,  of  Dallas ;  A.  H.  Caldwell,  of  Brazos,  chairman ;  W.  H. 
Catts,  of  Hood;  A.  L.  Maynard,  of  Caldwell;  A.  Barber,  of 
Galveston;  Theo.  Baughman,  of  Victoria;  Dr.  Fred  Terrell,  of 
Bexar;  W.  B.  Worsham,  of  Clay. 


412  Platforms  of  Political 


PLATFORM1 

t 

Be  it  resolved  by  the  Republicans  of  the  State  of  Texas,  in  convention 
assembled: 

1.  That  we  point  with  pride  to  the  wise  and  patriotic  administra- 
tion of  our  distinguished  President,  William  McKinley,  in  its  conduct 
of  the  late  war  with  Spain,  in  the  settlement  of  the  results  of  that  war, 
set  forth  in  the  treaty  of  peace,  and  in  the  various  public  questions 
which  have  required  solution. 

2.  We  approve  of  the  broad  statesmanship  and  the  eminent  patriot- 
ism shown  in  the  annexation  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  Puerto  Rico,  and 
the  Philippines,  and  feel  confident  that  the  course  pursued  by  the  ad- 
ministration in  all  of  our  great  questions  will  be  confirmed  by  the  people 
at  the  polls  next  November. 

3.  We  most  cordially   indorse  the  financial  legislation  now  being 
carried   through   Congress   by  the   Republican   party,   and   hail    it   as 
settling  for  many  years  to  come  the  grave  financial  questions,  which 
have  so  troubled  and  vexed  the  commercial  life  of  the  country. 

4.  We  most  cordially  indorse  the  public  services  and  party  manage- 
ment of  the  Hon.  E.  H.  R.  Green,  as  chairman  of  the  State  executive 
committee,  and  the  eminent  course  and  public  services  of  the  Hon.  R. 
B.  Hawley,  as  the  Republican  member  of  Congress  in  this  State. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[5]  A  resolution  favoring  an  appropriation  to  secure  navigation  of 
the  Brazos. 

[6]  Another  resolution  denounced  the  dominant  faction  of  the  De- 
mocracy and  advocated  a  coalition  with,  all  who  desire  to  compass  the 
defeat  of  that  faction,  and  called  for  a  State  conference  to  discuss  this 
combination. 

FERGUSON-BURNS  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION,  1900 

WACO,  March  7 

Maintaining  that  Ferguson  had  been  elected  temporary  chair- 
man, his  supporters  continued  the  proceedings  after  the  Mc- 
Donald faction  had  adjourned  and  quit  the  hall.  Precaution 
was  taken  to  guard  against  interference,  and  Ferguson  put  all 
on  notice  that  the  meeting  would  n'ot  adjourn  until  it  had 

1PThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News  of 
March  7  and  8,  1900. 


Parties  in  Texas  413 

finished  its  business  and  that  no  other  convention  would  mett 
in  the  hall  while  theirs  was  in  session. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  temper e,  Henry  C.  Ferguson,  of  Fort 
Bend;  permanent,  Waller  T.  Burns,  of  Harris.  Secretary,  D. 
C.  Kolp,  of  Wichita. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  R.  B. 
Hawley,  C.  M.  Ferguson,  E.  H.  R.  Green,  George  B.  Jackson. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Paul  Fricke,  of  Wash- 
ington, and  Wilbur  F.  Crawford,  of  Milam. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  F.  Wilkinson,  of 
Bowie ;  Theo.  Miller,  of  Cherokee ;  C.  C.  Flanagan,  of  Hender- 
son; -  —Harris,  of  Hopkins;  J.  H.  Stewart,  of  Denton; 
George  Malone,  of  Ellis;  Ben  F.  Wallace,  of  Milam;  Hiram 
McGar,  of  Tarrant ;  J.  H.  Hughes,  of  Washington ;  A.  J.  Rosen- 
thai,  of  Galveston,  chairman;  A.  H.  Roland,  of  Goliad;  T.  S. 
Brockenbrough,  of  Brewster;  J.  E.  Lutz,  of  Wilbarger. 

PLATFORM1 

Resolved,  1.  That  we,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  State  convention 
assembled,  express  our  abiding  faith  and  confidence  in  the  Republican 
party  of  this  Nation;  that  we  hereby  renew  our  pledges  of  fealty  to 
our  party,  and  specially  indorse  the  platform  adopted  at  St.  Louis  in 
1896. 

2.  That  we  hereby  indorse  every  act  of  our  National  administration, 
and  express  our  confidence  in  the  conservatism  and  wise  statesmanship 
of  our  admirable  President,  William  McKinley,  who  has  restored  con- 
fidence and  established  for  our  country  prosperity,  and  who  has  car- 
ried to  a  successful  end  the  war  with  Spain,  hoisted  the  banner  of 
liberty  beyond  the  seas,  and  gained  for  our  flag  the  respect  and  ad- 
miration of  the  nations  of  the  world,  and  that  we  will  uphold  the  hands 
of  our  President  and  will  assist  him  in  peace  or  war,  so  that  our  flag 
where  once  planted  shall  never  be  lowered. 

3.  That  we  admire  the  valor  of  our  soldiers  and  sailors,  and  demand 
for  them  at  the  hands  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  proper 
recognition  and  generous  reward  for  their  gallant  patriotism. 

4.  That  we  hail  with  pleasure  the  efforts  of  our  National  legislators 
who  are  now  laboring  to  bring  about  the  establishment  of  the  Nicaragua 
canal,  which  will  place  us  in  closer  communication  with  our  colonies, 
and   together  with   our  territorial   possessions   will   expand  our  com- 

aThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Nevo»t 
March  8,  1900. 


414  Platforms  of  Political 

merce  and  carry  the  influence  of  our  gallant  navy  to  the  iai  East. 

5.  That  in  the  Hon.  R.  B.  Hawley  we  recognize  the  true  type  of 
American    citizenship,   and   a   representative   of  the   people;    that   we 
indorse  his  efforts  on  behalf  of  our  country  in  general,  and  the  entire 
State  of  Texas  in  particular;  that  we  admire  his  talents  and  demand 
of  the  Republicans  of  the   tenth  district  to  return  him  to  Congress 
again  and  again  till  called  to  higher  honors. 

6.  That  we  demand  the  appointment  of  a  commission  which  shall 
prescribe  rules   for  the  government  and  guidance  of  our  party  and 
State  executive  committee  in  order  to  purify  the  party  of  the  corrupt- 
ing influences  which  now  prevail. 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY   STATE   CONVENTION,   1900 

FORT  WORTH,  May  4 

It  had  been  the  policy  of  the  People's  party  since  its  organ- 
ization to  elect  delegates  to  the  National  convention  by  congres- 
sional districts.  This  course  was  pursued  also  in  1900,  but, 
on  account  of  a  split  in  the  National  executive  committee,  two 
National  conventions  had  been  called :  one  at  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D., 
and  another  by  the  middle-of-the-roaders  at  Cincinnati.  At  a 
meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee,  March  24,  it  was 
resolved  to  hold  a  State  convention  "for  the  purpose  of  elect- 
ing two  delegates  from  the  State  at  large  to  the  next  National 
convention  of  the  People's  party,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of 
instructing  all  the  delegates  from  this  State  to  the  next  National 
convention."  The  attendance  at  the  State  convention  was  be- 
tween 300  and  400  delegates.  The  middle-of-the-roaders  con- 
trolled the  convention.  The  three  National  committeemen  from 
Texas,  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee, and  a  few  of  the  delegates  bolted  the  convention,  and 
declared  that  they  would  go  to  Sioux  Falls. 

Officers:  Chairman,  J.  M.  Mallett,  of  Johnson.  Secretary, 
S.  A.  Bryant,  of  Eastland. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  Sam 
Evans,  of  Tarrant,  and  J.  M.  Mallett,  of  Johnson. 


Parties  in  Texas  415 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  recognize  the  convention  called  to  meet  in 
Cincinnati  01  May  9  proximo  as  the  only  regular  and  authorized  Popu- 
list National  convention,  and  we  hereby  instruct  our  delegates  to  attend 
said  Cincinnati  convention. 

2.  That,  while  we  are  unalterably  opposed  to  fusion  or  union  with 
either  of  the  two  old  parties  or  any  affiliating  organization  of  either 
of  them,  we  heartily  approve  of  a  union  of  all  reformers  of  whatever 
name  under  one  banner  with  our  leaders,  provided  such  union  be 
effected  without  the  surrender  of  any  of  the  principles  of  the  Omaha 
demands. 

[3]  That  all  the  delegates  to  the  Populist  National  convention  be 
Instructed  to  vote  for  no  man  for  President  or  Vice-President  who  is 
not  a  straight  Populist. 

[4]  WHEREAS,  we  regard  the  war  in  South  Africa  as  being  waged 
against  sister  republics  for  the  purpose  of  subjugating  conquest,  and 
plunder  on  the  part  of  the  British;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we  extend  to  the  Transvaal  and  the  Orange  Free  State 
our  heartfelt  sympathy  in  their  heroic  and  unparalleled  efforts  in  the 
defense  of  their  homes  and  maintenance  of  their  independence. 

! 
DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1900 

AUSTIN,  June  20  and  21 

The  proceedings  of  this  convention  were  harmonious;  the 
minority  report  of  the  platform  committee  was  the  only  subject 
to  occasion  debate.  The  platform  was  a  reversal  of  that  of  1898 
upon  the  subject  of  territorial  expansion. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  George  A.  Garden,  of  Dal- 
las; permanent,  K.  L.  Henry,  of  McLennan.  Secretary  pro 
tempore,  James  Hays  Quarles,  of  Tarrant;  permanent,  0.  J. 
Logan,  of  Johnson. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  T.  H. 
Ball,  of  Walker;  James  Swayne,  of  Tarrant;  S.  B.  Cooper,  of 
Orange;  J.  W.  Blake,  of  Grayson;  D.  W.  Odell,  of  Johnson; 
Jonathan  Lane,  of  Fayette;  E.  B.  Perkins,  of  Dallas;  Winbourne 
Pierce,  of  Bell;  1st  Congressional  district,  H.  B.  Rice,  of  Har- 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Southern  Mercury, 
May  10,  1900.  There  was  no  committee  on  platform.  Resolutions  adopted 
were  offered  from  the  floor. 


416  Platforms  of  Political 

ris,  and  Fred  B.  Johnston,  of  Grimes;  2.  Lee  Blanchette,  of 
Jefferson,  and  C.  C.  Wiggins,  -of  Cherokee;  3.  John  M.  Duncan, 
of  Smith,  and  R.  G.  Andrews,  of  Wood;  4.  S.  H.  Smclser,  of 
Bowie,  and  J.  H.  Deiismore,  of  Hopkins;  5.  I.  M.  Standifer, 
of  Grayson,  and  W.  S.  Jamison,  of  Montague;  6.  W.  E.  Spell, 
of  Hill,  and  Ed  Gray,  of  Dallas;  7.  George  R.  Taylor,  -of  Brazos, 
and  Sam  Scott,  of  McLennan;  8.  H.  C,  Shropshire,  of  Parker, 
and  William  Capps,  of  Tarrant;  9.  E.  P.  Curry,  of  Washington, 
and  John  W.  Hornsby,  of  Travis;  10.  W.  L.  Moody,  Sr.,  of 
Galveston,  and  John  M,  Moore,  of  Fort  Bend ;  11.  A.  B.  David- 
son, of  De  Witt,  and  John  N.  Garner,  of  Uvalde ;  12.  John  See- 
horn,  of  Bexar,  and  John  M.  Goggin,  of  Maverick;  13.  0.  W.  T. 
Maxwell,  of  Eastland,  and  A.  F.  Fires,  of  Childress. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Ned  B.  Morris,  of  Hen- 
derson, and  R.  W.  Hall,  of  Wilbarger ;  1st  Congressional  district, 
W.  R.  Boyd,  of  Freestone,  2.  Jasper  Collins,  of  Panola;  3.  B. 
Q.  Evans,  of  Hunt;  4.  Jake  Hodges,  of  Lamar;  5.  Rosser  Thomas, 
of  Fannin;  6.  Richard  Mays,  of  Navarro;  7.  John  L.  Wortham' 
of  Limestone;  8.  John  H.  Cox,  of  Mills;  9.  Dan  S.  Chessher, 
of  Williamson;  10.*  Jacob  F.  Wolters,  of  Fayette;  11.  0.  A. 
McCracken,  of  Wilson;  12.  James  Flack,  of  Llano;  13.  W.  D. 
Bell,  of  Hardeman. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, R.  R.  Lockett,  2.  Gus  Shaw,  3.  Rosser  Thomas.  4.  J.  W. 
Bailey,  5.  W.  Y.  Carver,  6.  J.  E.  Cockrell,  7.  R.  N.  Stafford,  8 
R,  T.  Milner,  9.  B.  H.  Johnson,  10.  Nelson  Phillips,  11.  D.  H. 
Hardy,  12.  T.  M.  Taylor,  13.  John  B.  Peyton,  14.  W.  W.  Dies, 
15.  George  T.  Garvin,  16.  W.  H.  Bailey,  17.  James  G.  Barbee, 
18.  I.  E.  Clark,  19.  W.  B.  Garrett,  20.  W.  M.  Brown,  21.  George 
F.  Burges,  22.  A.  J.  Bell,  23.  R.  J.  Kleberg,  24.  L.  J.  Burch. 
25.  G.  H.  Boynton,  26.  John  C.  Randolph,  27.  T.  P.  Hamilton, 
28.  W.  P.  Sebastian,  29.  Harry  Mason,  30.  W.  A.  Hanger,  31.  J. 
T.  Baltorff. 

PLATFORM1 

Resolved,  that  the  delegates  elected  by  this  convention  to  the  Demo- 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  Statesman, 
June  21  and  22,  1900. 


Parties  in  Texas  417 

cratic  National  convention  to  be  held  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  July  4.,  1900, 
be  instructed  to  vote  as  a  unit: 

1.  For  the  nomination  of  William  J.  Bryan  as  our  candidate  for 
President  of  the  United  States. 

2.  For  the  readoption  of  the  platform  adopted  by  the.  Democratic 
National  convention  at  Chicago  in  1896,  with  amendments  emphasizing 
our   hostility   to    all   trusts    and    combinations    in   restraint    of   trade, 
pledging  our  party  to  uphold  and  defend  the  doctrine  that  all  govern- 
ments derive  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed,  op- 
posing all  efforts  to  establish  or  maintain  colonial  possessions,  renew- 
ing our  allegiance  to  the  Monroe  doctrine,  demanding  the  speedy  ful- 
fillment of  our  pledge  to  Cuba,  and  demanding  for  the  people  of  the 
Philippine  Islands  the  same  treatment  as  was  promised  to  the  Cubans. 

3.  For  a  declaration  in   favor  of  a  constitutional  amendment  pro- 
viding for  the  election  of  United  States  senators  by  direct  vote  of  the 
qualified  electors  of  the  several  States. 

4.  For  a  resolution  expressing  the  cordial  sympathy  of  the  United 
States   with   the   Transvaal   Republic   in   its   heroic  struggle   for  self- 
preservation. 

5.  Favorable   to   the   construction,   ownership,   and   control   of   the 
Nicaragua  canal  by  the  United  States  government. 

6.  We  favor  a  generous  development  of  the  American  navy  to  an 
extent  that  will  protect  our  commerce  on   every  sea  and  our  people 
in  every  land. 

MINORITY   BEPORT 

Amend  majority  report  in  section  2  by  striking  out  all  of  the  words 
in  said  section  after  the  words  "colonial  possessions,"  and  substitute 
in  lieu  thereof  the  following: 

4.  We  favor  a  territorial  government  for  Puerto  Rico. 

5.  We  favor  carrying  out  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  congressional 
resolution  under  which  we  intervened  in  behalf  of  Cuba,  and  we  insist 
that  the  people  of  the  island  of  Cuba  are  and  of  right  ought  to  be  free 
and  independent,  and  we  demand  that  the  authorities  of  the  United 
States   forthwith  deliver   said   island  and  the  government  thereof  to 
the  people  of  Cuba  and  withdraw  therefrom.     But  if,  after  the  island 
and  government  shall  have  been  so  delivered  to  its  people,  they  should 
voluntarily  express  a  desire  for  annexation   to  this  country,  and  the 
terms  can  be  agreed  upon  between  both  governments,  then  we  favor 
such  annexation. 

6.  We  reaffirm  our  adherence  to  the  Monroe  doctrine,  and  hence  we 
favor  independence  for  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  we  favor  a  stable, 
independent  government  for  these  islands  under  a  guarantee  of  pro- 
tection from  the  United  States  until  such  stable  government  be  estab- 
lished. 

7.  Favorable  to  the  building  of  the  Nicaragua  canal. 
The  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  vote  of  707  to  165. 

27—328 


418  Platforms  of  Political 

SOCIAL  DEMOCRATIC  STATE   CONVENTION,   1900 
DALLAS,  July  4 

About  seventy-five  delegates  attended  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  S.  J.  Hampton,  of  Fannin.  Secretary, 
E.  G.  Cloar,  of  Bexar. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Eugene  Pillod,  of  Dal- 
las, and  F.  J.  Miller,  of  Jefferson;  1st  Congressional  district, 
E.  H.  Duescher,  2.  J.  E.  Kariaziewicz,  3.  Dr.  W.  H.  Smith,  4. 
H.  B.  Cochran,  5.  T.  Giddens,  6.  John  Kerrigan,  7.  W.  C. 
Moore,  8.  Alfred  Hammond,  9.  H.  M.  Hallinger,  10.  L.  Brown- 
son,  11.  G.  G.  Morris,  12.  William  Tullos,  13.  W.  Roper. 

Nominees  for  State  Officers:  Governor,  L.  L.  Rhodes,  of  Van 
Zaiidt;  Lieutenant-Governor,  G.  H.  Shoaf,  of  Bexar;  Attorney- 
General,  blank;  Comptroller,  W.  A.  Mitchell,  of  Kaufman; 
Treasurer,  W.  E.  Marshall,  of  Fannin;  Commissioner  of  the 
General  Land  Office,  Dr.  Charles  A.  Otterbein,  of  Parker;  Su- 
perintendent of  Public  Instruction,  J.  E.  Gibson,  of  Wood; 
Railroad  Commissioner,  Dr.  G.  B.  Harris,  of  McLennan. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  W.  E.  Farmer, 
Karl  Feige,  F.  J.  Miller. 

PLATFORM    AND    ADDRESS1 

The  Social  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  in  State  convention  as- 
sembled, indorses  the  principles  of  international  socialism,  and  re- 
affirms the  National  platform  adopted  by  the  Indianapolis  convention. 

We  indorse  the  nomination  of  Eugene  V.  Debs  and  Job  Harriman 
by  that  convention  for  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States. 

We  hold  that  the  doctrine  of  international  socialism — the  collective 
ownership  of  the  means  of  production  and  distribution — is  the  only 
solution  of  the  economic  problem. 

The  Socialists  of  Texas  call  special  attention  to  the  conditions  exist- 
ing at  this  time  as  they  relate  to  the  production  of  the  things  neces- 
sary to  the  lives  and  happiness  of  the  people,  and  would  direct  the 
attention  of  those  who  produce,  whether  in  the  factory  or  on  the  farm, 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Neivs, 
July  5,  1900. 


Parties  in  Texas  419 

to  the  fact  that  the  amount  which  they  retain  of  their  labor  products 
is  growing  less  from  year  to  year. 

The  means  by  which  this  is  accomplished  in  the  factory  and  work 
shop  is  through  the  introduction  of  improved  labor-saving  machinery 
and  by  the  labor  of  women  and  children,  and  upon  the  farm  by  means 
of  the  control  of  the  allied  interests  by  the  capitalist  class  through 
private  ownership  of  the  means  whereby  the  farmer  reaches  the  mar- 
ket and  exchanges  the  results  of  his  labor  for  the  things  produced  by. 
the  labor  of  others  that  are  necessary  to  himself  and  his  family. 

We  realize  that  the  railroads  are  the  modern  highways  of  travel 
and  trade  and  that  the  things  necessary  to  life  are  no  longer  the 
product  of  the  spinning  wheel  and  the  hand  loom  in  the  home,  and 
that  by  reason  of  the  private  ownership  of  the  railroads  and  machinery 
of  production  the  working  people  on  the  farm  are  rendered  as  depend- 
ent as  the  wage  workers  of  the  city  even  though  he  may  own  his  farm 
and  agricultural  implements. 

When  all  is  summed  up,  we  find  the  capitalist  class  so  control  as 
to  permit  the  worker  who  produces  wealth  to  retain  only  so  much  of 
what  he  produces  in  the  form  of  wages  as  will  enable  him  to  renew  his 
strength  to  work  again. 

The  attempt  made  by  the  ruling  party  in  Texas  to  regulate  the 
grasping  avariciousness  of  the  capitalists,  who  hold  control  of  the 
necessities  of  life  which  the  people  of  our  State  must  have,  by  means 
of  anti-trust  and  other  suppressive  laws,  have  been  justly  made  the 
subject  of  ridicule  and  contempt  by  all  students  of  economics,  and 
the  work  of  the  last  Texas  legislature  in  this  direction  will  go  down 
Into  history  as  a  singular  exemplification  of  the  insufficiency  and 
inutility  of  even  the  most  drastic  anti-trust  legislation. 

Immediate  Demands 

1.  The  enactment  of  a  law  prohibiting  the  employment  of  children 
under  sixteen  years  of  age  in  factories,  mines,  or  at  any  employment 
that  precludes  the  fullest  opportunity  for  acquiring  an  education,  and 
which  shall  provide  for  assistance,  when  necessary,  from  the  public 
funds,  to  furnish  food,  clothing,  books,  and  supplies,  without  inflicting 
the  stigma  of  pauperism. 

2.  The  enactment  of  a  statute  prohibiting  the  employment  of  women 
and  children  in  all  unhealthful  occupations. 

3.  A  law  for  the  rigid  inspection  of  factories,  mines,  and  workshops 
with  reference  to  the  safety  and  health  of  the  workers. 

4.  That  a  legal  workday  shall  not  exceed  eight  hours. 

5.  We    demand    the    establishment   of    the   system    known    as    the 
Initiative  and  referendum  and  imperative  mandate. 


420  Platforms  of  Political 

Additional  Resolutions 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  favor  the  union  of  all  Socialists  who  subscribe 
to  the  international  program  in  working  for  the  advancement  of  the 
common  cause. 

2.  That  Texas   Socialists  refuse  to  become  entangled  in  any  fac- 
tional disagreements  over  nonessentials. 

3.  That  for  the  good  of  the  Socialist  cause  in  Texas  we  will  only 
recognize  the  State  executive  committee  as  supreme  authority,  until 
such  time  as  in  our  judgment  we  will  be  justified  in  uniting  with  tffe 
National   organization.     Provided,   such   organizations  as   are   already 
organized  shall  not  be  required  to  give  up  their  charters  to  the  Na- 
tional organization,  and  the  executive  board  shall  have  power  to  grant 
charters  to  local  branches  to  be  hereafter  organized. 

4.  That   class   conscious   unity   is   absolutely   essential   to   the    de- 
velopment of  the  Socialist  movement. 

5.  That  we  are  unalterably  opposed  to  fusion  in  any  form  with  any 
capitalist  or  middle  class  political  party. 

6.  That  it  is  the  sentiment  of  the  Social  Democracy  of  Texas  that 
all  crafts  of  labor  should  be  organized,  and  that  for  the  furtherance  of 
the  amelioration  and  final  emancipation  of  labor  we  earnestly  invite 
the  cooperation  and  support  of  the  labor  organizations  of  Texas. 

State  Executive  Committee:  W.  E.  Farmer,  of  Fanmn,  chair- 
man; T.  Giddens,  of  Grayson;  S.  J.  Hampton,  of  Fannin;  Dan 
Bruce,  of  Parker;  Karl  Feige,  of  Johnson;  Charles  Trotter,  of 
Dallas. 

SOCIALIST  LABOR  STATE  CONVENTION,  1900 

SAN  ANTONIO,  July  22 

The  State  convention  of  the  Socialist  Labor  party  was  held 
in  San  Antonio,  July  22,  1900.  It  was  attended  by  about  thirty 
local  Socialists,  while  outside  members  of  the  party  were  rep- 
resented by  proxies.  There  was  no  noise  or  general  publicity 
about  the  holding  of  this  convention,  and  not  until  the  26th  of 
July  did  the  Express  know  that  a  convention  had  been  held. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  B.  Webb,  and  S. 
Silvermann. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  G.  H.  Royal,  of  Lam* 
pasas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Edmund  Bellinger,  of  Bexar. 


Parties  in  Texas  421 


ADDRESS1 

Recognizing  the  fact  that  much  misapprehension  exists  in  the  public 
mind  concerning  Socialism,  largely  due  to  the  machinations  of  a  pre- 
tended "Socialist"  organization  that,  as  the  residuary  legatee  of  moribund 
Populism,  has  become  an  asylum  for  labor  fakirs  and  fleecers,  economic 
Imbeciles,  intellectual  eunuchs,  and  traitors  expelled  from  the  Socialist 
Labor  party,  we  issue  this  note  of  warning  to  the  wage  workers  of 
Texas,  in  the  hope  that  it  will  arrest  the  attention  of  those  who  really 
desire  to  know  the  truth. 

Organized  by  fakirs,  for  the  benefit  of  fakirs,  the  Social  Democratic 
party  can  never  have  any  other  status  in  the  political  world  than 
that  of  an  auxiliary,  ever  ready  to  furnish  capitalist  parties  with 
trained  fakirs  to  mislead  the  workers  and  betray  the  cause  of  labor. 
Finally,  this  bogus  "Socialist"  concern,  like  a  house  built  of  rotten 
timber  on  a  quicksand  foundation,  will  tumble  and  fall  to  pieces.  It 
will,  perhaps,  serve  as  a  "good  enough  Morgan"  until  the  fall  election 
is  over,  and  then  it  will  go  into  quarantine  until  capitalist  exigency 
and  fakir  necessity  demand  its  resurrection  as  a  brand  new  "labor" 
party.  It  affects  certain  phrases  stolen  from  the  literature  of  the 
Socialist  Labor  party,  and  by  this  means  it  has  no  doubt  enticed  a  few 
honest  men  into  its  ranks,  but  these  will  desert  it  when  its  true 
character  becomes  more  fully  developed. 

Middle-aged  men  can  call  to  mind  dozens  of  these  "labor"  parties 
that,  starting  off  with  a  great  flourish  of  trumpets,  have  had  a  mush- 
room growth  and  then  disappeared,  swallowed  up  by  the  capitalist 
parties. 

The  reason  for  this  apparently  contradictory  phenomena  in  the 
political  field  is  not  far  to  seek.  These  various  attempts  had  no  solid 
foundation;  in  a  word,  they  have  been  based  upon  ignorance.  They 
ignored  the  class  struggle.  They  accepted  as  truth  the  false  philosophy 
that  "capital  and  labor  are  friends,"  and  are  only  prevented  from  fall- 
ing upon  each  others'  necks  like  long  separated  brothers  by  the  per- 
sistent Socialist  agitators. 

In  contrast  with  this  dismal  record  of  folly  and  treason,  ignorance 
and  superstitution,  we  invite  the  attention  of  all  wage  workers,  organ- 
ized and  unorganized,  to  the  unshaken  solidarity  of  the  class  conscious 
Socialist  Labor  party.  Organized  ten  years  ago,  it  has  never  sought 
rapid  growth  by  catering  to  this  or  that  interest.  Its  platform  states 
with  precision  the  causes  of  the  ills  that  crush  the  wage  workers,  and 
with  equal  clearness  it  points  out  the  remedy.  Moreover,  understand- 
ing clearly  that  its  revolutionary  program  can  never  be  crystalized 
into  law,  except  through  the  conquest  of  the  public  powers,  and  that 
to  accomplish  this  a  highly  disciplined  party  is  necessary;  and  so 
thoroughly  is  that  party  guarded  at  every  point  by  its  uncompromising 

lrThis  Address  is  copied  from  the  San  Antonio  Express,  July  27,  1900. 


422  Platforms  of  Political 

tactics  that  from  its  inception  to  the  present  day  it  has  withstood 
every  assault  from  without,  while  with  equal  vigor  it  has  crushed  every 
attempt  at  treason  within  its  own  ranks.  A  striking  illustration  of 
this  occurred  at  the  National  headquarters  in  New  York  City  last  July. 
A  conspiracy  of  crafty  fakirs  and  traitors,  covering  several  cities, 
instigated  and  backed  by  Tammany,  attempted  to  depose  our  National 
executive  committee,  and  by  burglarious  methods  sought  to  capture  the 
party  machinery,  including  our  official  organ,  The  People.  But  the 
conspirators  had  reckoned  without  their  host.  Instead  of  being  met 
with  the  feeble  protest  of  milksop  reformers,  they  ran  up  against  the 
knock  down  arguments  of  militant  Socialists.  Our  National  officers 
demonstrated  that  they  were  the  right  men  in  the  right  places  by  the 
extraordinary  energy  with  which  they  administered  the  uncompromis- 
ing tactics  of  the  party.  Throughout  the  country  whereever  treason 
reared  its  head,  it  was  promptly  throttled.  Traitors  were  expelled  and 
sections  were  suspended  and  reorganized,  and  the  loyal  membership 
throughout  the  Nation  enthusiastically  endorsed  this  prompt  and  vig- 
orous display  of  integrity  and  courage  by  the  National  executive  com- 
mittee. There  was  no  parleying  with  fakirs,  no  concessions  to  traitors, 
and  the  party  is  all  the  stronger  today  by  reason  of  this  effective 
house-cleaning.  And  in  the  future,  if  fakers  and  traitors  sneak 
into  the  party  and  attempt  to  disrupt  it,  the  same  fate  will  overtak-e 
them  that  befell  the  Kangaroos.  There  are  no  factions  in  the  party 
now,  and  none  will  be  tol-erated  in  the  future. 

In  its  principles  and  tactics  the  Socialist  Labor  party  is  wholly  differ- 
ent from  all  other  political  organizations,  and  one  of  its  chief  merits 
is  that  it  has  the  courage  to  be  unpopular.  It  proclaims  its  mission  in 
no  uncertain  language.  Everywhere  it  declares  its  purpose  to  over- 
throw the  capitalist  system  and  substitute  therefor  the  cooperative 
commonwealth.  It  will  make  no  compromise  with  capitalist  parties 
or  their  middle  class  adjuncts.  It  will  steer  clear  of  even  the  semblance 
of  affiliation  with  the  various  bogus  "Socialist"  and  "labor"  parties. 
It  disdains  the  arts  of  the  demagogue.  It  does  not  feed  the  workers  on 
taffy,  but  dares  to  tell  them  that  they  are  slaves;  that,  while  th-eir 
labor  power  is  a  marketable  commodity  like  grain  and  pork,  and  sub- 
ject to  the  same  iron  laws  of  supply  and  demand,  their  boast  of  being 
"free  and  independent  Americans"  is  claptrap  and  a  soul  blistering 
lie.  It  tells  them,  moreover,  that  they  will  remain  slaves,  subject  to 
ever  increasing  misery,  unless  they  have  the  courage  to  enlighten  their 
minds  and  dispel  the  ignorance  and  superstition  with  which  they  have 
been  stuffed  by  tire  economic  statisticians  and  sweatshop  theologians 
in  the  service  of  the  capitalist  class. 

The  Socialist  Labor  party  seeks  to  educate  the  workers,  confident 
that  when  they  once  clearly  understand  what  their  rights  are,  they 
will  soon  find  the  proper  method  to  attain  those  rights.  That  method — 
and  it  is  the  only  one  now — is  the  class  conscious  ballot  of  the  Socialist 
Labor  party. 


Parties  in  Texas  423 

It  must  be  apparent  to  the  dullest  mind  that  th,e  workers  of  the 
Nation,  constituting  a  vast  majority  of  the  population,  united  under 
the  banner  of  the  Socialist  Labor  party,  will  form  an  irresistible 
power  under  whose  class  conscious  blows  the  entire  capitalist  system 
will  soon  be  ground  to  powder,  thus,  for  the  first  time  in  American 
history,  making  wage  slaves  absolute  masters  of  themselves,  with  full 
right  to  enjoy  all  the  wealth  they  create,  without  yielding  up  three- 
fourths  of  it,  as  is  now  the  case,  to  a  felonious  class  that  revels  in 
splendor  and  luxury  on  the  surplus  values  stolen  from  labor. 

Animated  by  the  spirit  of  the  class  struggle,  which  thrills  every 
fiber  of  its  being,  the  Socialist  Labor  party,  ever  true  to  its  high 
mission,  and  distinguished  for  its  courage  and  capacity  and  integrity, 
as  demonstrated  throughout  its  history,  feels  that  it  is  justly  entitled 
to  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  wage  working  class  wherever  dis- 
persed. So  to  quote  the  last  paragraph  in  our  National  platform: 

We,  therefore,  call  upon  the  wage  workers  of  the  United  State,  and 
upon  all  other  honest  citizens,  to  organize  under  the  banner  of  the 
Socialist  Labor  party  into  a  class-conscious  body,  aware  of  its  rights, 
and  determined  to  conquer  them  by  taking  possession  of  the  public 
powers;  so  that,  held  together  by  an  indomitable  spirit  of  solidarity, 
under  the  most  trying  conditions  of  the  present  class  struggle,  we  may, 
put  a  summary  end  to  that  barbarous  struggle  by  the  abolition  of 
classes,  the  restoration  of  the  land,  and  of  all  the  means  of  production, 
transportation,  and  distribution  to  the  people  as  a  collective  body,  and 
the  substitution  of  the  cooperative  commonwealth  for  the  present  state 
of  planless  production,  industrial  war,  and  social  disorder,  a  common- 
wealth in  which  every  worker  shall  have  the  free  exercise  and  full 
benefit  of  his  faculties,  multiplied  by  all  modern  factors  of  civilization. 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1900 
WACO,  July  24  and  25 

The  attendance  was  large;  the  delegates  belonged  to  the 
middle-of-the-road  wing.  The  absence  of  many  of  the  former 
leaders  was  commented  upon. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tern-pore,  C.  M.  Cureton,  of  Bosque; 
permanent,  Milton  Park,  of  Dallas.  Secretary  pro  tcmpore, 
J.  M.  Adams,  of  Comanche;  permanent,  W.  A.  Binyon,  of  Hood. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  James  K.  Allen,  of  Fay- 
ette,  and  Milton  Park,  of  Dallas;  1st  Congressional  district,. B. 
P.  Alsbiiry.  2.  Sam  B.  Maupin,  3.  A.  F.  Henning,  4.  D.  M.  Reedy, 
5.  L.  B.  Lefteller,  6.  J.  D.  Griffin,  7.  R.  H.  Little,  8.  S.  M. 
Woolsey,  9.  J.  E.  Greer,  10.  M.  W.  Frazier,  11.  J.  E.  Luse,  12. 
J.  P.  Gilbert,  13.  W.  A.  Binyon. 


424  Platforms  of  Political 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:1  Governor,  Jerome  C.  Kearby,  of 
Dallas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Clarence  Nugent,  of  Erath;  At- 
torney-General, John  G.  Nix,  of  Hunt;  Comptroller,  J  .S. 
Teague,  of  Grimes;  Treasurer,  Part,  B.  Clark,  of  Red  River; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  S.  C.  Granberry,  of 
Travis;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Reddin  Andrews, 
of  Bell;  Railroad  Commissioner, —  — ;  Court  of  Criminal 

Appeals,  George  T.  Todd,  of  Marion. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  C.  M.  Cureton,  of 
Bosque;  0.  F.  Dornblazer,  of  Hill;  George  B.  Long,  of  Fort 
Bend;  C.  K.  Walter,  of  Gonzales;  Clarence  Nugent,  of  Erath; 
Jesse  Adams,  of  Coleman;  Owens  Miller,  of  Coryell;  J.  W. 
Biard,  of  Lamar;  G.  B.  Harris,  of  McLennan;  Milton  Park,  of 
Dallas;  J.  S.  Teague,  of  Grimes;  J.  M.  Marshall,  of  Bell. 

PLATFORM2 

We,  the  People's  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  renew 
our  allegiance  to  the  undying  principles  enunciated  in  the  National 
platform  adopted  by  the  convention  held  at  Omaha  in  1892,  and  in 
Cincinnati  in  1900;  and  we  congratulate  the  advocates  of  reform  upon 
the  rapid  growth  of  economic  sentiment,  and  upon  the  interest  mani- 
fested among  the  masses  in  favor  of  placing  our  government  in  the 
hands  of  the  people,  to  whom  it  rightfully  belongs. 

Arraignment  of  the  Democratic  Party 

We  arraign  the  State  Democracy  for  its  maladministration  of  the 
State  government  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century;  its  platform 
promises  are  now  a  list  of  its  past  failures.  Pledged  to  reduce  the 
number  of  district  judges,  it  has  augmented  them.  Pledged  to  protect 
the  interest  of  shippers,  it  has  levied  a  tribute  of  "all  the  traffic  will 
bear,"  and  when  violations  of  law  have  been  discovered  it  has  com- 
promised with  corporations  for  a  pittance  to  the  people  and  in  equal 
or  greater  share  to  its  political  henchmen.  Pledged  to  carry  out  the 
constitutional  provisions  requiring  six  months'  public  free  school  each 
year,  it  has  signally  failed,  except  in  a  few  instances,  notwithstanding 

aAt  a  meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee,  held  at  San  Antonio, 
September  19,  1900,  following  changes  were  made  in  the  State  ticket  of  the 
People's  party :  Governor,  T.  J.  McMinn,  of  Bexar ;  Treasurer,  H.  J. 
McCuistian,  of  Lamar ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  V.  A.  Collins, 
of  Van  Zandt ;  Supreme  Court,  George  D.  Green,  of  Johnson. 

2The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Newt  and 
Southern  Mercury. 


Parties  in  Texas  425 

the  fact  that  under  the  "Jester  amendment"  one  per  cent  of  the  perma- 
nent school  fund  has  been  annually  transferred  to  the  available  fund, 
Pledged  to  a  reduction  of  taxation,  they  have,  with  few  exceptions, 
levied  a  "tax  on  every  form  of  human  endurance."  Pledged  to  reserve 
the  public  domain  for  actual  settlers,  it  has  donated  the  people's  herit- 
age to  railroads  and  nonresident  aliens,  individual  and  corporate. 
Pledged  to  reduce  official  fees  and  salaries,  it  has  enacted  a  law  that 
many  of  its  partisans  will  not  defend.  Pledged  to  prevent  a  discrimina- 
tion against  any  kind  of  lawful  money,  it  has  defeated  a  bill  prohibiting 
"gold  contracts."  Pledged  to  free  silver  and  the  overthrow  of  Cleve- 
land's financial  policy  in  1896,  its  delegations  in  the  National  conven- 
tion at  Kansas  City  opposed  a  specific  declaration  for  the  free  and 
unlimited  coinage  of  gold  and  silver  at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1,  and 
opposed  the  nomination  of  Charles  A.  Towne,  the  logical  candidate  of 
the  Bryan  Democracy  for  Vice-President,  and  selected  in  his  stead  a 
relic  of  the  Cleveland  administration,  one  Adlai  E.  Stevenson.  Pledged 
to  the  suppression  of  crime  and  the  enforcement  of  the  statutes  of  the 
State,  they  have  in  violation  of  law  permitted  the  sheriffs  throughout 
the  State  to  appoint  an  unlimited  number  of  deputies.  Pledged  to  a 
free  ballot  and  a  fair  count,  they  persist  in  "Harrison  County"  methods 
in  the  country,  while  the  ward  heeler  is  assisted  in  the  prostitution  of 
the  ballot  by  the  so-called  Australian  ballot  system.  Pledged  to  an 
economical  administration  of  the  State  government,  they  have  squand- 
ered $60,000  of  the  people's  money  in  a  specially  called  session  of  the 
legislature  which  resulted  in  no  benefit  whatever  to  the  taxpayers  of 
the  State. 

State  Platform 

1.  We  demand  the  submission  of  an  amendment  to  the  State  con- 
stitution  providing  for  a  people's   government  under  the   system   of 
direct   legislation   known   as   the   initiative  and   referendum   and   the 
imperative  mandate. 

2.  We  demand  the  abolition  of  the  Railroad  Commission,  as  past 
experience  has  proven  it  to  be  a  delusion  and  a  fraud,  a  useless  burden 
upon  the  commercial  and  industrial  interests  of  the  people,  and  in  lieu 
thereof  we  recommend  State  ownership  and  operation  of  transporta- 
tion to  such  extent  as  may  be  necessary  to  regulate  freight  rates. 

3.  We    favor    the    construction,    ownership,    and    operation    of    the 
Nicaragua  canal  by  the  United  States  government. 

4.  We  demand  an  efficient  system  of  public  free  schools  through- 
out, and  that  the  scholastic  age  be  from  six  to  .twenty-one  years,  and 
that  all  books  used  in  the  public  schools  be  furnished  by  the  State 
at  cost. 

5.  We  denounce  the  cumbrous  judicial  system  of  Texas,  and  demand 
that  the  expense  of  our  courts  be  reduced,  and  that  a  fair,  speedy,  and 
impartial  trial  be  given  litigants. 


426  Platforms  of  Political 

6.  We  denounce  the  cowardly  action  of  the  Democratic  legislature 
in  ignoring  the  demands  of  the  railway  employes  in  Texas,  prohibiting 
the  running  of  double-headers. 

7.  We   demand   that  Article   4896,   of  the  Revised   Statutes   of   the 
State  of  Texas,  be  so  amended  as  to  make  it  a  penal  offense,  punish- 
able by  a  fin-e  not  exceeding  $500,  for  any  sheriff  to  appoint  a  greater 
number  of  deputies  than  is  provided  for  in  said  article. 

8.  To  aid  in  an  equitable  distribution  of  the  burdens  of  taxation, 
we  favor   a   law  requiring  that  all   evidences  of  indebtedness   in   the 
shape  of  notes  in  existence  on  the  first  day  of  January  of  each  year, 
whether  secured  or  unsecured,  be  rendered  for  taxes  according  to  their 
value  before  such  note  or  evidence  of  debt  shall  be  collectible  in  the 
courts  of  the  State,  and  that  for  all  notes  secured  by  property  the  note 
shall  serve  as  a  discount  on  its  taxable  valuation  to  the  extent  of  the 
secured  indebtedness. 

9.  We  demand  such  a  change  in  our  present  State     law  as  will 
correct  the  abuses  of  the  fee  system. 

10.  We  demand  the  enactment  of  a  libel  law  fair  and  just  to  the 
press  and  to  the  public. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[11]  We  favor  the  cotton  mills  in  the  cotton  fields  of  Texas  and 
further  favor  the  establishment  of  industrial  schools  in  order  to  edu- 
cate our  children  so  that  they  may  operate  same  without  the  importa- 
tion of  foreign  labor. 

[12]  Resolved,  that  the  People's  party  of  Texas  is  not  alone  the 
friend  of  the  producer,  but  is  -equally  the  friend  of  the  manufacturer 
and  the  business  man,  and  that  its  object  is  to  develop  the  industries 
of  Texas  to  a  point  commensurate  with  her  natural  advantage  and 
wealth,  and  to  do  this  the  People's  party  invites  all  laborers,  pro- 
ducers, manufacturers,  and  business  men  to  join  in  an  effort  to  make 
Texas  the  industrial  empire  of  the  United  States. 

[13]  We  as  Populists  are  opposed  to  all  occupation  taxes  as  a  prin- 
ciple in  government. 

[14]  A  resolution  was  adopted  favoring  the  appropriation  of  money 
by  Congress  for  Brazos  and  Trinity  river  improvement. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Henry  F.  Jones,  of  Comanche, 
chairman;  State  ajf,  large,  C.  M.  Cureton,  of  Bosque,  and  W.  P. 
Blake,  of  Donley. 


Parties  in  Texas  427 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1900 

« 

WACO,  August  8-10 

"The  most  acrimonious  and  bitter  fight  in  the  history  of  the 
Democratic  party  since  the  day  when  Richard  Coke  dethroned 
Edmund  J.  Davis"  is  the  way  one  observer  characterized  the 
proceedings  of  the  Waco  convention.  It  was  all  brought  about 
by  the  criminations  and  recriminations  growing  out  of  the  re- 
admission  of  the  Waters-Pierce  Oil  Company  in  May  last,  and 
by  an  attempt  by  the  majority  of  the  platform  committee  to 
smother  the  "Hogg"  amendments. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Marshall  Hicks,  of  Bexar; 
permanent,  Robert  E.  Prince,  of  Navarro;  Secretary  pro  tem- 
pore,  James  Hays  Quarles,  of  Tarrant ;  permanent,  Mark  Logan, 
of  Hamilton. 

Xominess  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Joseph  D.  Bayers,  of 
Bastrop;  Lieutenant-Governor,  J.  N.  Browning,  of  Pctfter;  At- 
torney-General, Thomas  S.  Smith,  of  Hill;  Comptroller,  R.  M. 
Love,  of  Limestone ;  Treasurer,  John  W.  Robbins,  of  Wilbarger ; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Charles  H.  Rogan, 
of  Brown ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  J.  S.  Kendall, 
of  Fannin ;  Railroad  Commissioner,  L.  J.  Storey,  of  Guadalupe ; 
Supreme  Court,  R.  R.  Gaines,  of  Lamar;  F.  A.  Williams,  of 
Houston;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  J.  N.  Henderson  of 
Brazos. 

Committee  on  Platform-  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, John  J.  King,  of  Bowie ;  2.  E.  S.  Chambers,  of  Red  River ; 
3.  Travis  Henderson,  of  Lamar;  4.  Cecil  Smith,  of  Grayson, 
chairman;  5.  L.  A.  Clark;  6.  Barry  Miller,  of  Dallas;  7.  John 
M.  Duncan,  of  Smith;  8.  T.  S.  Caven,  of  Harrison,  secretary; 
9.  Lee  Walker;  10.  D.  W.  Odell,  of  Johnson;  11.  F.  M.  Boyles, 
of  Falls;  12.  W.  E.  Doyle,  of  Limestone;  13.  John  B.  Peyton, 
of  Trinity;  14. '  S.  B.  Cooper;  15.  T.  H.  Ball,  of  Walker;  16. 
S.  R.  Ferryman,  of  Harris;  17.  Lewis  R.  Bryan,  of  Brazoria; 
18.  W.  S.  Robson,  of  Fayette;  19.  W.  C.  Henderson;  20.  R.  E. 
Brooks,  of  Travis;  21.  T.  H.  Spooner;  22.  R.  W.  Hudson,  of 
Frio;  23.  J.  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron;  24.  P.  J.  Lewis,  of  Bexar; 


428  Platforms  of  Political 

25.  W.  A.  Wright,  of  Tom  Green;  26.  John  J.  Cox,  of  Mills; 
27.  George  F.  Perry;  28.  George  W.  Smith,  of  Mitchell;  29. 
Edgar  Scurry,  of  Wichita;  30.  W.  J.  Bailey,  of  Tarrant;  31. 
W.  S.  Jameson,  of  Montague. 

PLATFORM1 

Recognizing  that  the  American  people  are  now  confronted  by  issues, 
the  decision  of  which  will  mark  an  era  in  the  life  of  our  Republic, 
the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  desires  to  emphasize 
its  indorsement  of  the  platform  of  the  party  set  forth  by  the  Kansas 
City  convention  as  being  wise,  patriotic,  and  expedient,  and  as  pre- 
senting a  righteous  solution  of  the  great  questions  involved,  and 
invites  the  cooperation  of  all  classes  of  our  citizenship  in  maintaining 
the  fundamental  principles  of  government  as  announced  therein. 

2.  We  congratulate  our  people  upon  the  nomination  by  our  party 
of  a  man  for  President  whose  splendid  statesmanship  knows  no  section 
and  whose  lofty  patriotism  has  elevated  American  manhood,  and  we 
pledge  to  the  Democracy  of  the  Nation  fifteen  electoral  votes  for  Wil- 
liam J.  Bryan  and  Adlai  E.  Stevenson.     We  especially  commend  the 
manner  of  their  selection   as  voicing  the  spontaneous  will  of  a  free 
people,  uncontrolled  by  the  whip  of  a  party  boss  and  uninfluenced  by 
party  greed. 

3.  Believing  that  United  States  senators  ought  to  be  elected  by  a 
direct  vote  of  the  people,  we  instruct  our  delegation  in  Congress  to 
work  for  the  submission  of  a  constitutional  amendment  having  this 
end  in  view. 

4.  Recognizing  that  Texas  is  the  natural  gateway  for  the  commerce 
of  the  Trans-Mississippi  States,  we  commend  our  senators  and  mem- 
bers  of  Congress  for  their   earnest  efforts  toward  obtaining  Federal 
aid  in  deepening  our  harbors  and  improving  our  waterways,  and  we 
urge  them  to  use  all  honorable  means  to  further  these  enterprises. 

5.  In  the  confident  expectation   that  the   ownership,   construction, 
and  control  of  the  Nicaragua  canal  by  the  United  States  government 
would  be  of  great,  substantial,  and  permanent  benefit,  not  only  to  the 
entire  country,  but  to  Texas  especially,  our  senators  and  representa- 
tives in  Congress  are  requested  to  give  their  earnest  and  active  sup- 
port to  such  legislation  as  will  accomplish  the  purpose. 

6.  We  indorse  and  commend  the  administration  of  Governor  Sayers 
as  being  wise,  patriotic,  and  economical;  and  we  especially  approve  of 
the  enlargement  and  the  maintenance  of  the  State  eleemosynary  insti- 
tutions, putting  them  in  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency  and  enabling 
them  to  properly  and   promptly  meet  every  demand;    the  successful 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News,  H out- 
ton  Post,  and  San  Antonio  Express. 


Parties  in  Texas  429 

management  of  the  penal  establishments;  the  reduction  of  taxation 
to  the  lowest  rate  of  any  State  in  the  Union  save  one;  the  energetic 
enforcement  of  the  criminal  laws,  giving  protection  to  life  and  prop- 
erty without  regard  to  race  or  condition;  the  making  of  needed  reforms 
in  the  method  of  purchasing  supplies  for  the  State  institutions;  the 
inhibition  upon  counties,  cities,  and  towns  to  issue  bonds  without 
authority  from  a  direct  vote  of  the  people,  and  the  requirement  upon 
the  treasurers  of  counties,  cities,  and  towns  to  make  annual  reports 
of  all  bonded  indebtedness  and  of  the  disposition  of  the  sinking  funds; 
the  honest  effort  to  equalize  taxation;  the  enactment  of  a  law  making 
rebating  and  discrimination  by  railroads  a  felony,  thereby  stopping 
the  pernicious  practice  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  any  American 
commonwealth;  the  quieting  of  land  titles  and  providing  for  the  issu- 
ance of  patents  to  homestead  locations  and  preemptions;  the  settle- 
ment of  the  deficiency  due  the  permanent  school  fund,  and  the  large 
increase  in  the  available  fund  through  the  recoveries  of  moneys  due  for 
past  illegal  occupancy  of  the  school  lands,  and  also  through  the  lease 
of  additional  lands;  the  present  cash  balance  in  the  treasury  for  gen- 
eral revenue  purposes  of  $1,215,000,  notwithstanding  the  heavy  and 
much  needed  appropriations  by  the  twenty-sixth  legislature  for  the 
betterment  of  the  eleemosynary  institutions  and  of  the  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  College,  and  for  the  construction  of  an  epileptic 
asylum,  and  for  the  payment  of  ex-Confederate  pensions;  the  enact- 
ment and  enforcement  of  an  anti-trust  law;  the  building  of  cotton 
factories,  resulting  in  the  incorporation  within  the  present  year  of  ten 
companies,  having  a  total  capital  stock  of  $950,000,  which  means  an 
uplifting  of  the  price  of  this  commodity  and  the  general  improvement 
of  the  condition  of  the  agricultural  and  laboring  population;  the  en- 
couragement given  to  every  form  of  industrial  enterprise,  evidenced 
by  the  inauguration  of  enterprises  of  many  kinds,  the  construction 
of  146  miles  of  railroad  during  the  first  half  of  the  present  year,  and 
the  general  development  of  our  commerical  institutions. 

7.  Recognizing  the  existence  of  gross  inequalities  in  our  present 
tax  system,  we  favor  such  legislation  as  will  equalize  taxation  without 
increasing  its  burdens,  and  also  secure  the  complete  rendition  for  taxa- 
tion of  all  property  of  whatsoever  description,  except  such  as  may  be 
exempted  by  the  constitution,  and  the  prompt  and  certain  payment  of 
all  taxes  imposed  thereon,  to  the  end  that  every  individual  and  every 
interest  may  be  compelled  to  contribute  in  just  proportion  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  government. 

8.  The  educational  system   of  our  State,  conceived  by  the  fathers 
of  the  Republic  and  fostered  by  Democratic  statesmen,  has  become  the 
just   pride    of   our    people,   and   we   pledge   our   continued    efforts    to 
strengthen  and  maintain   it  in  all  its  branches  and  to  keep  it  clear 
from  partisan  politics.     To  this  end  we  favor  the  submission  by  the 
legislature  of  a  constitutional  amendment  looking  to  the  election  of 
school  trustees,   and   appointment  of  the  members   of  the  governing 


430  Platforms  of  Political 

boards  of  the  higher  institutions  of  learning  for  a  term  of  six  years, 
as  contemplated  by  the  law  and  practiced  by  each  administration  until 
declared  unconstitutional  by  a  recent  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

9.  Feeling  a  just  pride  in  the  increased  usefulness  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Texas,  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  and  its  branch, 
th-e  Prairie  View  Normal,  and  other  educational  institutions,  we  favor 
such  liberal   appropriations  by  the   legislature   for-  their  support  and 
maintenance  as  will  secure  their  greater  efficiency  and  advancement. 

10.  Believing  that  the  free  pass  system  is  hurtful  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  masses,  we  demand  that  the  Democratic  members   of  the 
next   legislature   enact    a   law   prohibiting   railways    from   giving   free 
transportation,  except  to  sheriffs,  constables,  marshals,  and  their  depu- 
ties,   or    persons    in    the   employ   of   a   railroad   and   their   immediate 
families.     We  furthed   demand  a  reduction  in  passenger  fares   corre- 
sponding to  any  increase  in  passenger  earnings  by  reason  of  the  dis- 
continuance of  the  free  pass  system.     (Rejected;  see  Minority  Report.) 

11.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  prohibiting  the  operation  of 
double-header  trains;  that  is,  two  or  more  locomotive  engines  on  one 
train,  over  any  line  of  railway  in  this  State  except  on  divisions  where 
heavy  grades  necessitate  the  use  of  two  or  more   locomotives  to  handle 
a  reasonable  number  of  cars. 

12.  We  demand  that  the  next  legislature  pass  a  law  whereby  the 
hiring  of  any  person   to  work  or  electioneer  in  the  interest  of  any 
candidate    seeking   a   nomination    at   any   primary    election    held   by 
authority  of  any  poltical  party  shall  be  absolutely  prohibited,  and  that 
suc"h  a  law  require  that  each  candidate  at  a  primary  election  file  with 
some  proper  officer,  within  a  given  time  after  such  primary,  an  item- 
ized statement  on  oath,  showing  a  complete  account  of  all  his  expenses 
connected   with   his  candidacy,  and   that  a  violation  of  such  law  be 
punished  by  such  penalty  as  will  secure  the  enforcement  thereof. 

IS.  We  renew  our  indorsement  of  the  principles  of  reform  in  official 
fees,  but  recommend  such  changes  in  the  present  law  as  will  correct 
any  inequalities  of  compensation  for  service  that  experience  may  dem- 
onstrate to  be  necessary,  a  reasonable  maximum  to  be  fixed  where  not 
now  provided. 

14.  We  favor  the  establishment  by  the  State  of  an  industrial  school 
for  girls. 

15.  We  demand  a  law  limiting  the  hours  of  daily  service  of  laborers, 
workmen,   and  mechanics   employed   upon   public  works   of,   or  work 
done  for  the  State  of  Texas  to  eight  hours  a  day. 

16.  We  favor  a  law  creating  a  State  board  of  arbitration  or  con- 
ciliation, vested  with  power  to  settle  differences  between  corporations 
and  their  employes. 

17.  We  recommend  the  enactment  of  a  law  defining  civil  libel  that 
will  be  fair  and  just  both  to  the  public  and  the  press. 

18.  We  pledge  to   the  people  an  honest,  economical,   and   efficient 
administration  of  the  public  service  in  all  of  its  branches. 


Parties  in  Texas  431 

Additional  Resolutions 

[16]  WHEREAS,  there  is  great  difficulty  in  determining  as  to  the 
liability  for  expenses  incurred  in  quarantine  regulations  instituted  for 
the  control  of  contagious  diseases,  therefore,  we  recommend  that  the 
next  legislature  pass  a  law  more  fully  denning  the  duties  and  liabilities 
of  municipal  and  county  governments  relative  thereto. 

[17]  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  favors  uniform  primary  elec- 
tions and  conventions  as  the  best  method  of  securing  a  fair  and  un- 
biased expression  from  Democratic  voters  in  the  selection  of  candidates 
for  State  offices.  The  State  executive  committee  is  hereby  directed  to 
order  primary  elections  or  conventions,  as  the  several  counties  may 
elect,  to  be  held  upon  the  same  day  throughout  the  State,  for  the 
selection  of  candidates  for  State  offices,  and  provide  that  the  vote  of  no 
county  shall  be  received  or  counted  in  determining  the  result  of  such 
primary  election  or  convention  where  the  election  or  convention  has 
not  been  held  in  such  county  upon  the  day  ordered  by  the  executive 
committee. 

[18]  That  the  Democratic  party  is  ualterably  opposed  to  the  use 
of  money  by  corporations  in  either  primary  or  general  elections  or  to 
their  contribution  of  funds  for  such  purpose  and  demand  the  enact- 
ment of  such  a  stringent  law  as  will  absolutely  prohibit  their  use  of 
money  or  contribution  of  funds  to  such  purpose. 

[19]  WHEREAS,  the  Colorado  river  traverses  the  State  of  Texas  for 
a  distance  of  over  500  miles  and  if  the  rafts,  logs,  and  other  obstruc- 
tions were  removed,  would  become  navigable  at  least  100  miles  from  its 
mouth  and  such  improvement  if  made  would  open  up  a  section  of 
country  50  by  100  miles  in  extent  near  its  mouth,  which  is  adapted  to 
the  raising  of  cotton  and  sugar  cane,  but  is  now  by  reason  of  obstruc- 
tions laid  waste;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  our  representatives  in  Congress  from  this  State  use 
their  best  endeavors  to  secure  an  appropriation  for  the  purpose  of 
removing  said  obstructions  and  having  the  river  made  navigable,  if 
found  to  be  feasible. 

[20]  We  favor  the  creation  of  a  State  board  of  health  and  provision 
for  the  collection  of  the  vital  statistics  of  the  State  as  provided  for  by 
the  constitution;  Article  16,  Section  32,  and  the  enactment  of  laws 
to  distribute  the  expenses  of  enforcement  equally  between  the  State, 
counties,  and  municipalities. 

MINORITY  REPORT 

Mr.  Hudson  offered  the  following  minority  report  to  take  the  place 
of  plank  10  of  the  majority  report: 

We  ask  that  the  constitutional  amendment  to  define  and  to  prevent 
insolvent  corporations  from  doing  business  in  this  State,  to  prevent 
the  use  of  corporate  funds  in  politics,  and  to  suppress  the  free  pass 


432  Platforms  of  Political 

system  over  the  railways,  as  presented  and  discussed  by  J.  S.  Hogg 
before  the  public  recently,  shall  be  submitted  by  the  next  legislature 
to  the  people  for  their  action  thereon. 

The  minority  report  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  561  *£  to  401  % . 

State  Executive  Committee:  James  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron, 
chairman ;  1st  Senatorial  district,  A.  C.  Oliver,  of  Cass ;  2.  H. 
E.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  3.  A.  P.  Dohoney,  of  Lamar;  4.  H. 
L.  Stuart,  of  Cooke;  5.  "W.  Y.  Carver,  of  Collin;  6.  Joseph  E. 
Cockrell,  of  Dallas;  7.  John  S.  Spinks,  of  Van  Zandt;  8.  W.  E. 
Ross,  of  Panola;  9.  James  R.  Young,  of  Kaufman;  10.  W.  C. 
Morrow,  of  Hill;  11.  John  H.  Bickett,  of  Milam;  12.  W.  T. 
Bartholomew,  of  Robertson;  13.  W.  B.  O'Quinn,  of  Angelina; 
14.  J.  C.  Harris,  of  Nacogdoches;  15.  W.  L.  Dean,  of  Madison; 
16.  J.  M.  Moore,  of  Fort  Bend;  17.  A.  P.  Norman,  of  Galves<ton; 
18.  C.  F.  Lehman,  of  Lavaca;  19.  D.  C.  Giddings,  of  Washing- 
ton; 20.  Dayton  Moses,  of  Burnet;  21.  Thomas  H.  Spooner,  of 
Gonzales;  22.  A.  J.  Bell,  of  Karnes;  23.  E.  A.  Stevens,  of 
Aransas;  24.  Frank  H.  Bushick,  of  Bexar;  25.  John  N.  Garner, 
of  Uvalde;  26.  Eugene  Moore,  of  Erath;  27.  A.  Matthews,  of 
Coryell;  28.  J.  L.  Stephens,  of  Taylor;  29.  W.  T.  Andrews,  of 
Throckmorton ;  30.  George  W.  Armstrong,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Ster- 
ling P.  Strong,  of  Montague. 

PROHIBITION  STATE   CONVENTION,  1900 

DALLAS,  September  14 

This  was  the  largest  and  most  enthusiastic  Prohibition  con- 
vention held  in  Texas  since  1886.  About  100  delegates  at- 
tended. 

Offiicers:  Chairmain,  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rockwall;  Secretary, 
E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  E.  C.  Heath,  and  D. 
H.  Hancock. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  H.  G.  Damon,  of  Na- 
varro;  Lieutenant-Governor,  J.  G.  Adams,  of  —  — . 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  B.  Cranfill, 
A.  M.  Ragland,  chairman,  Bradford  Hancock,  and  the  Chair- 
man. 


Parties  in  Texas  433 

PLATFORM1 

The  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  declare 
the  following  platform  of  principles: 

We  declare  everlasting  enmity  to  the  licensed  liquor  traffic  as  the 
enemy  of  God  and  man.  We  demand  the  prohibition  of  the  manu- 
facture, importation,  or  sale  of  alcohol  in  every  form,  because  its  use 
as  a  beverage  has  brought  greater  woe  to  the  human  family  than  war, 
famine,  and  pestilence  combined;  because  it  is  the  prolific  mother  of 
more  crimes  than  all  other  agencies  combined;  because  it  corrupts 
the  ballot  box,  thwarts  justice,  and  overthrows  the  majesty  of  the  law, 
nullifying  by  its  power  the  expressed  will  of  the  Nation  as  voiced  by 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States  in  the  anti-canteen  law. 

We  declare  it  to  be  our  sober  judgment  that  a  party  pledged  to  the 
overthrow  of  the  liquor  traffic  is  entitled  to  the  support  of  every  truly 
patriotic  citizen,  and  we  invite  them,  regardless  of  previous  party 
affiliations,  to  join  with  us  in  the  redemption  of  our  great  Nation 
from  a  despotism  more  galling  than  any  other  known  to  the  civilized 
world.  A  party  brave  enough  to  undertake  so  great  a  work  is  wise 
enough  to  administer  the  government  and  deal  fairly  with  every 
problem  of  finance  or  statecraft  that  may  arise. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1900 

(Convention  Hall) 
SAX  ANTONIO,  September  18 

At  a  meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee  on  August  1, 
it  was  resolved  that  the  McDonald-Lowden  convention  held  at 
Waco  in  March  last,  be  recognized  as  the  regular  Republican 
State  Convention,  and  that  all  members  of  the  State  executive 
committee  who  participated  in  the  Ferguson-Burns  convention 
be  expelled  and  their  places  filled  by  the  chairman.  The  result 
was  two  Republican  State  conventions  at  San  Anttonio  in  Sep- 
tember. When  the  National  Republican  committee  recognized 
the  Hawley  convention,  the  ticket  and  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee nominated  by  this  convention  quit  the  field. 

Officers:  Chairman,  R.  L.  Smith,  of  Colorado.  Secretary, 
P.  F.  Dennis,  of  Harrison. 

xThe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas 
September  15,  1900. 

28—328 


434  Platforms  of  Political 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  George  "W.  Burke tV, 
of  Anderson;  Lieutenant-Governor,  G.  G.  Clifford,  oi:  Bexar; 
Attorney-General,  F.  B.  Stanley,  of  Tarrant;  Comptroller, 
George  Ziegler,  of  Colorado ;  Treasurer,  J.  G.  Lowden,  of  Taylor ; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  G.  Hornberger,  of 
Travis ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  G.  C.  MeAndrcws, 
of  Lampasas;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Morgan  Jones,  of  Tar- 
rant. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, W.  M.  Gill,  2.  blank,  3.  R.  L.  Kelley,  4.  W.  F.  Smeltzer, 
5.  H.  Waggoner,  6.  A.  J.  McCauley,  7.  J.  A.  Boyd,  8.  J.  A. 
Hamilton,  9.  W.  M.  McDonald,  10.  John  Abney,  11.  R.  II.  Kings- 
bury,  12.  J.  R.  Blaine,  13.  II.  L.  Price,  14.  William  McVeal, 
15.  Alex  White,  16.  C.  N.  Love,  17.  W.  H.  Wilson,  18.  William 
Hunter,'  19.  E.  White,  20.  L.  B.  Kinchion,  21.  G.  W.  Stewart, 
22.  0.  F.  Pridgion,  23.  T.  T.  Brewster,  24.  E.  H.  Terrell,  chair- 
man, 25.  and  26.  blank,  27.  W.  H.  Webber,  28.  D.  G.  Hunt,  29. 
C.  W.  Baird,  30.  W.  Z.  Manchester,  31.  J.  L.  Gaston. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The  Republicans  of  the  State  of  Texas  express  their  profound 
gratification  that  the  National  Republican  convention,  with  much 
enthusiasm  and  entire  unanimity,  named  as  our  candidate  for  the 
presidency  the  distinguished  statesman  who  now  fills  that  honored 
position,  William  McKinley,  of  Ohio,  and  that  the  same  convention, 
responding  to  a  demand  from  the  people,  which  was  practically  unani- 
mous, placed  on  the  ticket  with  him  as  our  candidate  for  Vice-President 
the  distinguished  Governor,  Theodore  Roosevelt,  of  New  York.  The 
platform  of  principles,  adopted  at  Philadelphia,  has  our  most  hearty 
and  enthusiastic  support  and  we  rejoice  with  all  other  patriotic  Ameri- 
cans to  see  the  widespread  and  growing  prosperity  of  our  country  in 
all  industrial,  agricultural,  and  commercial  lines;  the  wise  and  states- 
manlike conduct  of  domestic  affairs;  the  able,  satisfactory,  and  highly 
successful  management  of  our  financial  interests,  and  increasing  com- 
mercial welfare;  and  the  lofty  and  influential  position  occupied  by  the 
United  States  in  the  determination  and  settlement  of  the  great  inter- 
national questions  and  issues  now  confronting  the  civilized  world  for 
solution.  The  Republicans  of  this  State  feel  proud,  indeed,  that  this 
prosperous  and  exalted  condition  of  our  country  is  to  be  attributed 

1FThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  San  Antonio 
Express.,  September  19,  1900. 


Parties  in  Texas  135 

largely  to  the  wise  and  effective  legislation  adopted  by  a  Republican 
administration  of  one  of  the  ablest  presidents,  advised  by  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  cabinets,  and  sustained  by  one  of  the  most  patriotic 
legislative  bodies  that  this  country  has  ever  seen. 

2.  We  congratulate  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  that  during  the 
past  four  years,  under  the  able  personal  direction  of  Hon.  E.  H.  R. 
Green,  as  State  chairman,  the  interests  of  our  party  have  been  wisely 
guarded,  and  that  it  has  grown  and  developed  under  his  management 
and   its   organization    throughout   the   entire   State,    extending  •  to    the 
frontier  counties,  placed  upon  a  most  successful  and  satisfactory  basis. 
We   cordially  approve    and    indorse    the    admirable    address    of    State 
Chairman  Green  at  the  August  meeting  of  the   State  executive  com- 
mittee, wherein  he  recommended  a  number  of  important  changes,  hav- 
ing as  an  object  the  correcting  of  the  gross  abuse  of  the  use  of  proxies 
in  State  conventions,  limitations  upon  the  far-reaching  power  of  tem- 
porary  chairmen,  and   the   discouragement  of  and  the    discipline   for 
defeated  minorities  deserting  conventions  after  defeat  and  participat- 
ing in  riotous,  disgraceful,  and  illegal  bolting  conventions.     We,  there- 
fore,  most  cordially  indorse  the  entire  action  of  the  State  executive 
committee  in  carrying  out  Chairman  Green's  suggestions,  and  especially 
do   we  indorse  the  drastic  action  of  the  committee  with  reference  to 
certain  of  its  members  who  had  proved  disloyal  to  the  regular  organi- 
zation of  the  State.     We  commend  most  heartily  Mr.  Green's  adminis- 
tration of  party  affairs  and  express  the  hope  that  he  may  yet  be  in- 
duced to  reconsider  his  announced  purpose  not  to  be  a  candidate  for 
reelection  and  consent  to  accept  another  term  as  State  chairman. 

3.  The   Republicans   of  Texas  profoundly   deplore  the   efforts  now 
being  made  by  the  Democratic  party  throughout  the  Southern  States 
to  disfranchise  colored  voters  who  have  for  many  years  exercised  the 
sacred  right  of  suffrage.     The  Democratic  candidate  for  the  presidency 
has  been  of  late  profoundly  solicitous  for  protecting  the  right  of  self- 
government  on  the  part  of  the  native  races  inhabiting  our  colonial 
possessions  in  the  Philippines,  and  yet,  at  the  same  time,  he  looks  on 
without  a  word  of  protest  at  the  efforts  being  made  by  his  own  party 
in  a  number  of  Southern  States  to  deprive  of  that  right  a  large  number 
of  their  fellow-citizens  who  have  exercised  it  for  many  years.    We  trust 
that  a  Republican  Congress  will,  under  the  legislation  to  be  brought 
about  under  the  new  apportionment  when  the  census  has  been  com- 
pleted, remedy  this  great  wrong  through  the  means  provided  by  the 
constitutional  amendments. 

4.  We  believe  that  this  convention  should  place  a  State  ticket  in 
the  field  for  the  approaching  campaign.     Wedded  to  the  principles  of 
our  great  party,  we  should  nominate  a  ticket  of  strong  men  for  all  the 
State  offices  to  be  voted  for,  who  will  present  those  principles  to  the 
people  of  the  State.    We  know  that  there  are  many  citizens  throughout 
the  State,  who  have  in  the  past  cooperated  with  other  political  parties, 
who  are  today  in  full  sympathy  with  the  principles  of  the  Republican 


436  Platforms  of  Political 

party,  and  we  believe  they  should  have  an  opportunity  of  supporting  at 
the  polls  for  the  State  offices  candidates  who  stand  upon  the  bread 
National  platform,  adopted  at  Philadelphia.  Our  own  Republicans 
demand  that  we  place  a  ticket  in  the  field,  and  we  trust  that  this 
convention  will  comply  with  what  our  political  situation  in  the  State 
requires  and  nominate  a  State  ticket. 

5.  The  two  electors  at  large,  nominated  by  the   State   convention 
which  met  at  Waco  last  spring  and  which  was  presided  over  by  William 
McDonald,  as  temporary   chairman,  and  J.  G.  Lowden,  as  permanent 
chairman,  as  well  as  the  thirteen  district  electors  who  were  nominated 
by  their  respective  district  conventions,  called  under  the  regular  Repub- 
lican organization  of  this  State,  are  hereby  declared  to  be  the  regular 
Republican  electoral  ticket,  to  be  voted  for  at  the  November  election 
as  electors  for  President  and  Vice-President. 

6.  The   Republicans  here  assembled,    representing  as    they   do   the 
regular  State  Republican  convention  of  Texas,  called  under  the  regular 
State  executive  committee,  do  hereby  cordially  extend  to  all  Republi- 
cans throughout  the  State,  regardless  of  past  differences  on  questions 
of  party  organization,  and  especially  ignoring  all  differences  on  ques- 
tions that  have  grown  up  within  the  past  few  months,  a  cordial  invi- 
tation to  join  with  those  supporting  the  regular  organization  of  the 
party  in  conducting  its  work  in  the  future  and  in  spreading  by  all 
means  possible  the  principles  of  our  great  party  throughout  the  State. 

7.  The   members   of   this   convention  share  with   all   other  people 
of  the  State  in  the  deep  sorrow  which  overwhelms  all  over  the  terrible 
calamity  which  has   befallen   Galveston   and  other  coast   towns,   and 
such  has  been  our  profound  sympathy  in  this  awful  loss  of  life  and 
destruction  of  property  that  had  it  not  been  absolutely  necessary  to 
carry  out  the  program  as  to  the  date  for  the  holding  of  this  convention 
we  should  have  postponed  it  to  a  more  auspicious  time. 

While  profoundly  sympathizing  with  the  survivors  who  have  lost 
their  relatives,  friends,  and  property,  we  trust  and  hope  that  the  citi- 
zens of  that  afflicted  region  will  take  heart  and  begin  anew,  and  that 
by  their  energetic  efforts  Galveston  may  rise  again  and  the  coast  gen- 
erally recover  its  former  prosperity. 

8.  We  declare  that  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  in  its  expressed 
opposition  to  capital  as  a  factor  in  the  development  of  the  State,  does 
not  represent  the  enterprising  and  progressive  disposition  of  its  in- 
habitants, and  that  Texas  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  fact  that  her 
resources  are  so  varied  and  her  soil  so  fertile  that  she  has  prospered 
in  spite  of  the  Democratic  party.     The  Republican  party  is  in  favor 
of  the  "open  door"  policy  for  capital  and  investments  and  willing  to 
cooperate  with  all  the   efforts  of  all  her   citizenship  to  "turn  Texas 
loose." 

[9]  We  favor  the  upbuilding  and  promition  of  manufacturing  es- 
tablishments of  all  kinds  and  pledge  ourselves  to  legitimate  legislation 
looking  to  the  encouragement  of  such  ventures. 


Parties  in  Texas  437 

[10]  We  call  the  attention  of  the  people  of  Texas  to  the  efforts  of 
the  Democratic  administration  to  foist  the  iniquitous  Sayers'  tax  bill 
upon  the  State,  an  inquisitorial  scheme  to  place  additional  burdens 
upon  the  tax  payers  and  add  to  the  accumulation  of  money  in  a  State 
Treasury,  now  plethoric  with  a  fund  of  many  millions.  The  Demo- 
cratic party  at  Waco  indorsed  the  present  State  administration  and  all 
its  acts,  the  tax  bill  included. 

[11]  The  Republican  party  of  Texas  pledges  the  people  of  Texas  to 
so  utilize  the  school  fund  as  to  insure  to  every  child  within  the  scholastic 
age  within  its  borders  six  months  attendance  at  the  free  schools. 

[12]  We  charge  that  in  the  Democratic  convention  which  met  at 
Waco  the  public  statement  was  made  that  some  of  its  highest  National 
and  State  candidates  and  officials  had  "been  seen"  by  the  Waters-Pierce 
Oil  Company  and  that  the  result  of  this  "inspection"  of  State  officials 
was  the  rehabilitation  of  this  company  and  a  grant  to  do  business  in 
this  State,  after  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  had  declared 
it  a  trust  and  forfeited  its  charter.  That  a  resolution,  denouncing  this 
conduct,  was  smothered  in  the  committee  on  resolutions  and  pigeon- 
holed, thereby  withholding  from  the  people  a  full  knowledge  of  the 
facts  with  reference  to  the  misconduct  of  its  sworn  officers  and  trusted 
officials. 

[13]  We  declare  that  the  twenty-six  years  of  uninterrupted  pos- 
session of  the  machinery  of  the  State  government  has  caused  the 
Democratic  party  to  reach  a  stage  when  they  are  careless  and  reckless 
in  the  discharge  of  official  duty  and  that  they  are  becoming  more  and 
more,  year  by  year,  forgetful  and  neglectful  of  the  obligation  that  they 
owe  to  the  people  as  public  servants.  We  think  a  change  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  State  affairs  absolutely  necessary  and  bound  to  result 
in-  good  to  all  the  people. 

We  invite  the  earnest  cooperation  of  thinking  men  of  all  the  parties 
to  place  the  reins  of  State  government*  in  new  and  vigorous  hands,  to 
the  end  that  the  people  may  have  a  look  at  the  ledgers  and  journals 
so  long  kept  by  the  Democratic  party. 

State  Executive  Committee:  E.  H.  R.  Green,  of  Kaufman, 
chairman ;  1st  Senatorial  district,  blank ;  2.  blank ;  3.  T.  W.  Tur- 
pin,  of  Lamar;  4.  L.  W.  Clark,  of  Cooke;  5.  W.  H.  Love,  of 
Collin;  6.  A.  J.  McCauley,  of  Dallas;  7.  W.  L.  Dickson,  of 
Upshur;  8.  P.  F.  Dennis,  of  Harrison;  9.  W.  M.  McDonald,  of 
Kaufman;  10.  Harry  Beck,  of  Hill;  11.  G.  M.  Pattori,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; 12.  R.  D.  Daniels,  of  Freestone;  13.  G.  W.  Burkett, 
of  Anderson;  14.  J.  C.  Frasier,  of  Jasper;  15,  A.  W.  White,  of 
Grimes;  16.  J.  R.  Hogan,  of  Austin;  17.  R.  W.  Harbert;  18. 
blank;  19.  H.  D.  Winn,  of  Washington;  20.  E.  P.  Wilmot,  of 
Travis;  21.  A.  L.  Maynard,  of  Caldwell;  22.  F.  R.  Williams,  of 


438  Platforms  of  Political 

Victoria;  23.  D.  N.  Leather,  of  Nueces;  24.  E.  H.  Terrell,  of 
Bexar;  25.  blank;  26..  H.  H.  Andrews,  of  Erath;  27.  Harry 
Harris,  of  Coryell;  28.  D.  G.  Hunt;  29.  D.  C.  Kolp,  of  Wichita; 
30.  F.  B.  Stanley,  of  Tarrant;  31.  blank. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,  1900 

(Grand  Opera  House) 
SAN  ANTONIO,  September  18  and  19 

The  action  of  the  State  executive  committee  in  expelling  the 
bolters  from  the  Waco  convention  brought  matters  to  a  head.  A 
Hawley  campaign  committee  was  appointed,  and  at  a  meeting 
at  Austin,  August  21,  organization  was  extended  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  congressional  and  senatorial  committees  for  the  purpose 
of  waging  an  anti-Green  campaign  in  every  part  of  the  State. 
A  telegram  from  Congressman  Hawley,  who  was  also  National 
Republican  committeeman,  was  received  at  the  opening  of  the 
convention  in  which  he  said,  "The  convention  assembled  repre- 
sents tthe  great  heart  and  purpose  of  Republicans  throughout  all 
Texas."  About  a  month  later  the  National  Republican  com- 
mittee recognized  the  Hawley  convention.  On  October  18,  the 
State  executive  committee  reshaped  the  State  ticket  as  set  forth 
below. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  temporc,  C.  M.  Ferguson,  of  Lamar; 
permanent,  Walter  T.  Burns,  of  Harris.  Secretary,  pro  tempore, 
Joseph  Tweedy,  of  Tom  Green;  permanent,  C.  L.  Humber,  of 
Brazos. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  R.  E.  Hannay,  of  Wal- 
ler; Lieutenant-Governor,  John  B.  Schmitz,  of  Denton;  Attor- 
ney-General, J.  McCormick,  of  Dallas;  Comptroller,  Joseph 
Tweedy,  of  Tom  Green ;  Treasurer,  C.  K.  McDowell,  of  Dickens ; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  C.  G.  Brewster,  of 
Webb;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  David  J.  Abner, 
Jr.,  of  Guadalupe;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Charles  B.  Peck,  of 
Harris;  Supreme  Court,  J.  M.  McCormick,  of  Dallas,  and  F. 
B.  Stanley,  of  Tarrant;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  Charles  A. 
Boynton,  of  McLennan. 


Parties  in  Texas  439 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Paul  Fricke,  and  Wil- 
bur F.  Crawford;  1st  Congressional  district,  H.  F.  McGregor, 
2.  William  R.  Roberts,  3.  H.  C.  Manning,  4.  Robert  A.  Oaldwell, 
5.  Henry  E.  Taylor,  6.  C.  W.  Starling,  7.  Alex  G.  Armstrong,  8. 
William  Henry  Christian,  9.  Carl  Beck,  10.  Harry  A.  Griffin, 
11.  William  Westhoff,  12.  Thomas  S.  Brockenbrow,  13.  William 
B.  Worsham. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, W.  E.  Singleton,  2.  H.  F.  Pierce,  3.  J.  C.  Gibbons,  4.  A. 
Acheson,  5.  J.  W.  George,  6.  AY.  H.  Atwell,  chairman,  7.  B.  F. 
White,  8.  C.  C.  Flanagan,  9.  S.  W.  Younger,  10.  A.  M.  Morrison, 
11.  J.  H.  Childs,  12.  M.  M.  Hayiies,  13.  Theodore  Miller, 
14.  E.  B.  Mentz,  15.  U.  W.  Allen,  16.  Charles  B.  Peck,  17.  J.  R. 
Gleed,  18.  J.  S.  Shurmack,  19.  J.  C.  Cain,  20.  T.  L.  Wren,  21. 
J.  D.  Leonard,  22,  0.  S.  York,  23.  J.  0.  Luby,  24.  J.  S.  F.  Kerr, 
25.  J.  A.  Smith,  26.  C.  0.  Harris,  27.  T.  J.  Darling,  28.  blank, 
29.  Capt.  Kindred,  30.  J.  S.  Carter,  31.  J.  B.  Schmitz. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  Believing  that  the  majority  of  the  people  of  Texas  are  honest 
in  thought,  ready  to  give  justice,  and  willing  that  worthy  accomplish- 
ments should  be  applauded,  we  here  and  now  make  public  recognition 
of  the  glorious  stewardship  of  President  William  McKinley.  His 
matchless  American  policy  has  been  an  honorable,  reliable  guard  to 
the  interests  of  his  countrymen,  whether  they  were  at  home  or  in 
foreign  lands.  In  common  with  the  other  millions  of  beneficiaries,  we 
pledge  to  him  and  Theodore  Roosevelt  our  united  support  to  the  end 
that  the  first  four  years  of  the  new  century  may  bring  as  many  bless- 
ings to  the  people  as  did  the  last  four  years  of  the  old. 

We  remind  the  voters  of  Texas  that  the  Republican  party  both 
promises  and  performs.  In  1896  business  was  stagnant,  depression 
had  walked  unchallenged  through  commercial,  agricultural,  and  manu- 
facturing interests.  The  people  were  bowed  down  with  sorrow  and 
broken  obligations.  The  cry  for  relief  was  heard  by  the  Republican 
party  and  they  shouted  in  answer  that  Hope  heralded  the  dawning 
of  a  bright  day,  that  if  the  party  of  Lincoln  and  Grant  was  placed  in 
power  labor  would  again  be  healthy,  the  looms  should  sing,  the  wheels 
turn,  smokestacks  resume  their  business,  the  clink  of  gold  be  heard  on 
the  counters  of  trade,  and  products  of  the  soil  bring  good  prices.  The 
people  believed;  they  had  heard,  believed,  and  been  rewarded  many 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  San  Antonio 
Express,  September  19  and  20,  1900. 


440  Platforms  of  Political 

times  before.  The  Republican  party  was  restored  to  power,  and  with 
the  counting  of  the  vote  that  assured  the  change  began  the  building  of 
fires  in  the  furnaces,  the  opening  of  factory  doors,  the  removal  of  the 
"crown  of  thorns  from  the  brow  of  labor,"  the  busy  work  of  multiplied 
capital,  the  payment  of  just,  reasonable,  and  living  prices  for  products 
of  the  field  and  flock,  and  thus  our  hopes  met  with  fruition.  We  are 
not  an  ungrateful  people;  we,  therefore,  exclaim,  "Well  done,  thou 
good  and  faithful  servant;  enter  thou  into  a  second  term." 

[2]  We  commend  the  gold  standard  as  the  correct  solution  of  the 
money  question.  We  commend  a  protective  tariff.  We  commend  an 
open  door  policy  with  nations  that  buy  our  products.  We  commend 
the  policy  which  cares  for  the  soldiers  who  cared  for  their  country. 
We  commend  the.  men  who  protect  United  States  soil  and  the 
United  States  flag,  whether  the  soil  and  flag  be  on  the  Eastern  or 
Western  Hemisphere.  We  commend  our  President  and  those  who 
stood  by  him  in  Congress  for  their  magnificent  conduct  of  the  war 
with  Spain.  We  believe  the  government  was  and  is  right  in  its  dealing 
with  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  the  Philippines.  We  have  no  sympathy 
for  those  who  advocate  the  furling  of  the  flag,  and  who  refuse  to  accept 
the  responsibilities  and  benefits  that  are  the  legitimate  results  of  a 
righteous  war. 

[3]  We  denounce,  as  inimical  to  the  best  interests  of  the  people  of 
the  State  of  Texas,  the  ring  rule  succession  that  has  prevailed  in  the 
Democratic  party  for  the  selection  of  State  officers. 

[4]     We  reaffirm  our  demand  for  a  fair  election  and  an  honest  count, 
,  and  to  this  end  insist  that  the  Australian  or  some  other  system  of 
registration  and  ballot  for  the  voters  be  adopted  for  the  entire  State. 

[5]  In  view  of  the  great  injustice  wrought  to  certain  important 
interests  in  our  State,  notably  the  live  stock  interests,  we  demand  that 
the  railroad  commission  be  removed  from  partisan  politics,  and  that  it 
be  composed  of  representative  members  of  the  leading  parties  of  the 
State. 

[6]  We  denounce  in  unmeasured  terms  the  formation  of  trusts  and 
unlawful  combinations  of  capital  in  restraint  of  trade,  and  we  de- 
precate the  incompetency  of  Democratic  legislators,  out  of  which  has 
grown  the  passage  of  statutes  that  permit  the  reincorporation  of  such 
trusts  as  may  be  the  special  wards  of  Democratic  politicians. 

[7]  We  condemn  the  calling  of  special  sessions  of  the  legislature 
to  remedy  alleged  grievances,  thereby  entailing  upon  the  tax  payers 
additional  burdens  of  taxation. 

[8]  We  commend  to  the  National  government  the  arranging  of 
appropriations  for  the  improvement  of  the  international  waterways  of 
the  State  of  Texas,  and  especially  urge  the  speedy  completion  of  the 
Buffalo  Bayou  and  Port  Arthur  improvements,  in  the  interest  of  com- 
merce. We  also  believe  that  Federal  assistance  should  be  rendered  to 
the  people  of  the  western  portion  of  the  State  in  storing  flood  waters 
for  the  purpose  of  irrigating  their  arid  lands. 


Parties  in  Texas  441 

[9]  We  especially  urge  all  Texas  congressmen  to  vote  and  work  for 
the  early  completion  of  the  Isthmian  Canal. 

[10]  Our  heartfelt  sympathy  is  extended  to  the  grief-stricken  people 
of  Galveston  and  its  adjacent  territory.  The  loss  of  life  and  property 
appalls  us,  but  the  same  strong  hearts  and  hands  that  have  builded  so 
well  we  bid  again  take  cheer,  and  extend  our  assurance  that  the  people 
of  Texas  will  assist  in  replacing  everything  within  their  power. 

[11]  We  earnestly  indorse  the  congressional  and  political  career 
of  the  Hon.  R.  B.  Hawley,  and  applaud  the  good  judgment  of  the  people 
of  his  district  in  electing  him  as  their  representative,  and  trust  that  he 
will  be  returned  to  Congress  to  the  great  benefit  of  his  district  and  the 
State  at  large. 

[12]     We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  just  and  equitable  libel  law. 

[13]  While  we  deplore  all  crime,  we  especially  deprecate  what  is 
known  as  lynch  law,  and  recommend  that  the  punishment  of  all  crim- 
inals be  by  due  and  speedy  operation  of  law. 

[14]  Believing  in  the  preservation  of  party  integrity,  and  that  all 
enactments  of  law  that  ultimately  result  for  the  good  of  the  people 
come  from  thorough  party  organization  and  from  a  respect  for  the 
duly  elected  representatives  of  the  people,  and  further  believing  that 
our  great  commonwealth  has  suffered  because  of  the  outrages  of  which 
we  have  here  complained,  and  that  what  we  now  suggest  would  be 
beneficial  to  all  of  our  people,  we  most  earnestly  invite  the  cooperation 
of  each  and  every  citizen,  irrespective  of  past  political  affiliations,  to 
unite  with  us  in  our  efforts  for  the  grandest  party  in  the  greatest 
State  of  the  mightiest  Nation  of  earth. 

fit  ate  Executive  Committee:  Cecil  A.  .Lyon,  of  Grayson, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  H.  G.  Goree,  of  Cass;  2.  J.  A. 
Hurley,  of  Hopkins;  3.  C.  M.  Ferguson,  of  Lamar;  4.  C.  A. 
Lyon,  of  Grayson;  5.  W.  T.  Roach,  of  Hunt;  6.  blank;  7.  J.  W. 
Wolf  kill,  of  Gregg;  8.  C.  C.  Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  9.  Henry 
Dillman,  of  Navarro;  10.  A.  M.  Morrison,  of  Ellis;  11.  C.  A. 
Boynton,  of  McLennan;  12.  J.  A.  Myers,  of  Brazos;  13.  Theo. 
Miller,  of  Henderson;  14.  Charles  R.  Bone,  of  Jefferson;  15.  U. 
W.  Allen,  of  Walker;  16.  Henry  C.  Ferguson,  of  Harris;  17. 
George  E.  Neviells,  of  Galveston;  18.  M.  V.  Stapleton,  of  Colo- 
rado; 19.  W.  E.  Dwyer,  of  Washington;  20.  T.  L.  Wren,  of 
Travis;  21.  L.  D.  Simmons,  of  Hays;  22.  G.  R.  Townsend,  of 
Victoria;  23.  James  Durst,  of  Nueces;  24.  George  H  Noonan, 
of  Bexar;  25.  Joseph  Tweedy,  of  Tom  Green;  26.  Marshall 
Smith,  of  Brown;  27.  J.  E.  Williams,  of  Hamilton;  28.  D.  G. 
Hunt,  of  Eastland;  2.9  J.  E.  Lutz,  of  Wilbarger;  30.  F.  B. 
Stanley,  of  Tarrant;  31.  George  A.  Knight,  of  Montague. 


442  Platforms  of  Political 

SOCIALIST  STATE   CONVENTION,    1902 
DALLAS,  July  4 

About  forty  delegates  attended  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  W.  E.  Farmer,  of  Fannin.  Secretary, 
Sam  Hampton,  of  Fannin. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  W.  W.  Freeman,  of 
Val  Verde;  Lieutenant-Governor,  A.  F.  Martin,  of  Fannin; 
Attorney-General,  W.  P.  McBride;  Comptroller,  R.  0.  Long- 
worthy,  of  Bexar;  Treasurer,  M.  T.  Bruce,  of  Dallas;  Commis- 
sioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  Dr.  J.  W.  Kuykendall,  of 
Van  Zandt;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  J.  E.  Gibson, 
of  Wood. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  W.  E.  Farmer,  W. 
W.  Freeman,  R.  O.  Longworthy. 

PLATFORM  AND  ADDRESS1 

The  time  has  come  when  the  people  must  choose  between  economic 
slavery  and  industrial  freedom.  If  the  working  class  is  to  be  free,  the 
existing  system  of  capitalism  must  be  abolished  and  the  cooperative 
commonwealth  must  obtain. 

As  Socialists,  we  hold  that  the  basis  of  economic  slavery  is.  the 
private  ownership  of  the  means  of  production  and  distribution,  out  of 
which  grows  the  triune  curse — interest,  profit,  and  rent — which  must 
be  abolished  before  the  working  class  can  enjoy  the  full  result  of  their 
labor. 

In  this  State,  where  once  existed  a  vast  public  domain  which  should 
have  furnished  homes  for  the  working  class,  we  find  two-thirds  of  the 
people  tenants,  while  the  corporations  own  millions  of  acres  of  land, 
presented  to  them  as  a  free  gift  by  the  legislature  of  Texas.  These 
tools  of  the  capitalist  system  now  brazenly  proclaim  that  they  are  the 
friends  of  the  working  class,  while  they  oppose  every  measure  which 
proposes  to  abolish  industrial  slavery. 

While  some  reform  measures  have  been  proposed  and  inaugurated 
by  middle  class  movements,  the  people  have  learned  that  no  advantage 
has  accrued  to  the  working  class  from  such  half-way  measures.  The 
corporations,  trusts,  and  combines  continue  their  course  of  plunder 

lfThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
July  5,  1902. 


Parties  in  Texas  443 

in  defiance  of  the  protests  and  efforts  of  middle  class  movements.  They 
recognize  no  law  that  interferes  with  their  business,  but  go  forward  in 
combining  their  interests  that  their  accumulations  may  be  increased. 

As  Socialists,  we  hold  that  the  social  evils  of  which  the  working  class 
complain  result  from  a  system  of  capitalism  in  which  a  small  per- 
centage of  the  people  own  the  means  of  existence  and  thereby  make  the 
working  class  dependent  on  the  capitalist  class  for  existence. 

We  hold  industrial  slavery  will  continue  under  the  present  system, 
and  the  best  that  can  be  accomplished  by  any  middle  class  movement 
is  a  modification  of  conditions  which  will  be  ephemeral.  Therefore, 
we  proclaim  to  the  working  class  in  Texas  and  the  world  that  Socialism 
is  the  only  solution  of  the  economic  question. 

Since  the  introduction  of  manufacturing  industries  into  Texas,  we 
find  conditions  obtaining  as  bad  as  can  be  found  in  most  countries  of 
Europe,  and  worse  than  are  found  in  the  North  and  East.  With  the 
boasted  friendship  of  the  Democratic  party  for  the  working  class,  there 
is  not  a  law  on  our  statute  books  against  child  labor  and  the  abuse  of 
female  labor  in  the  factories  of  this  State.  Young  children  hardly  out 
of  their  babyhood  are  forced  to  work  ten  and  twelve  hours  a  day  in 
Texas  factories.  Such  a  system  is  not  only  detrimental  to  labor,  but 
is  destructive  to  society  at  large  by  producing  an  uneducated  and 
effeminate  population  which  will  weaken  the  people  mentally  and 
physically.  It  is  a  crime  against  the  helpless,  as  well  as  a  social 
curse. 

There  is  no  State  in  the  American  Union  where  the  working  class 
is  more  poorly  protected  than  in  this  State.  Notwithstanding  the  con- 
ditions in  this  State,  a  large  majority  of  the  working  class  has  con- 
tinually voted  the  capitalistic  Democratic  ticket  under  the  special 
promise  that  laws  would  be  enacted  for  the  protection  of  labor,  while 
conditions  have  steadily  grown  worse. 

The  capitalistic  politicians  can  not  serve  two  masters,  and  as  long 
as  the  working  class  can  be  inveigled  into  voting  for  capitalistic  can- 
didates conditions  will  continue  to  grow  worse  and  the  capitalistic 
system  will  be  strengthened. 

We,  as  Socialists,  recognize  that  there  exists  a  class  struggle  and 
that  the  capitalist  class  control  the  public  powers.  The  government 
is  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  the  capitalist  class  to  further  the 
financial  and  commercial  interests  of  that  class,  and  the  working  class 
Is  foolish  to  suppose  that  industrial  freedom  for  that  class  can  ever 
be  obtained  by  keeping  in  power  the  capitalists,  whose  interest  it  is  to 
rob  the  laborer  of  the  result  of  his  toil. 

If  the  working  class  would  have  a  party  that  represents  that  class, 
such  a  party  must  be  created  and  supported  by  the  working  class.  It 
is  the  mission  of  the  working  class  to  free  itself  from  economic  slavery. 
This  mission  can  only  be  accomplished  through  Socialism  by  the  col- 
lective ownership  of  the  instruments  of  production  and  distribution. 

The  organization  of  the  present  system  of  capitalism  should  be  a 


444  Platforms  of  Political 

lesson  from  which  the  working  class  should  profit.  The  working  class 
should  learn  from  the  past  that  there  is  no  common  interest  between 
the  working  class  and  the  capitalist,  and  see  the  necessity  of  the  social 
revolution  and  vote  for  Socialism. 

The  proposition  of  the  politicians  to  destroy  the  trusts  is  nonsensical, 
as  the  trust  is  only  the  outgrowth  of  the  invention  of  machinery.  The 
age  of  concentration,  of  production,  and  distribution  is  here,  and  the 
working  class  has  the  choice  of  voting  for  Socialism  and  concentrating 
the  means  of  production  and  distribution  in  the  hands  of  the  people,  to 
be  collectively  owned  and  used  for  the  profit  of  all  the  people,  or  to 
have  them  privately  owned  and  accept  economic  slavery  at  the  hands 
of  capitalism. 

Additional  Resolution 

WHEREAS,  The  American  Labor  Union  has  indorsed  the  Socialist 
party  and  proposes  to  support  the  party  in  future;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  Socialist  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
extends  to  the  American  Labor  Union  and  Western  Association  of 
Miners  a  hearty  welcome  into  the  Socialist  party  and  pledge  them  our 
sympathy  and  support  in  this  struggle  against  capitalism. 

We  congratulate  them  on  their  bold  and  fearless  conduct  in  extricat- 
ing themselves  from  the  policy  hitherto  pursued  of  "no  politics  in  trade 
unions,"  by  means  of  which  the  votes  of  the  workers  have  been  divided 
between  the  capitalistic  parties  and  the  workers  themselves  placed  in 
the  position  of  crawling  supplicants  at  the  feet  of  capital,  whereas,  their 
solid  voting  power,  united  with  that  of  the  farming  element,  is  suffi- 
cient of  itself  to  secure  the  capture  of  the  powers  of  government  and 
the  inauguration  of  the  cooperative  commonwealth. 


Executive  Committee:  "W.  E.  Farmer,  chairman,  M. 
T.  Bruce,  E.  B.  Latham,  S.  J.  Hampton,  R.  S.  Price,  John 
Kerrigan. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1902 

DALLAS,  July  4 

About  one  hundred  attended  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  H.  G.  Damon,  of  Navarro.  Secretary, 
R.  E.  Grabel,  of  Dallas. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  George  W.  Carroll,  of 
Jefferson;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Arthur  A.  Everts,  of  Dallas. 


Parties  in  Texas  445 

The  State  executive  committee  was  authorized  to  complete  the 
ticket  if  it  appeared  desirable  to  do  so. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  Rev.  J.  B.  Gam- 
brell,  Hal  White,  E.  H.  Conibear,  Thomas  Brown,  B.  II.  Pharr. 

PLATFORM1 

We  hold  that  righteousness  exalts  a  nation  and  that  sin  degrades 
any  people.  The  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  for 
beverage  purposes  is  a  crime  against  humanity.  It  is  the  mother  of 
all  other  crimes,  and  our  greatest  national  waste  and  weakness.  The 
license  of  this  crime  by  the  government  makes  the  government  a  party 
to  the  crime  and  a  sharer  in  all  the  shame  of  the  business. 

Since  government  in  this  country  is  through  party  and  by  parties, 
the  party  which,  being  in  power,  continues  the  partnership  of  the  gov- 
ernment with  the  saloon  power,  is  a  saloon  party  and  is  of  right 
chargeable  with  the  criminality  of  the  business  allowed  and  fostered 
by  it.  Parties,  like  persons,  must  be  known  by  their  fruits.  The 
fruit  of  the  two  large  poltical  parties  of  this  country  is  the  develop- 
ment of  the  legalized  liquor  business,  the  most  enormous,  the  most 
conscienceless,  the  most  debasing  trust  and  monopoly  known  to  trade. 
And  by  the  license  system  the  government  is  made  the  partner  of 
every  distiller  and  saloon  keeper  in  the  United  States.  We  hold  that 
it  is  immoral  for  the  government  to  license  immoral  institutions,  and 
that  the  party  which  favors  the  license  system  is  immoral,  in  that  it 
favors  immorality.  And  we  hold  that  whoever  by  his  vote  upholds  a, 
saloon  party  makes  himself  a  party  to  its  policies,  shares  its  guilt,  and 
casts  a  tainted  ballot. 

We  hold  that  the  supreme  need  of  American  politics  in  an  enlight- 
ened conscience  in  the  voter  and  a  clean  ballot  in  his  hands;  that,  if 
politics  are  not  lifted  to  the  high  plane  of  principle,  the  National  life 
will  be  constantly  weakened  and  imperilled. 

We  hold  that,  whether  prohibition  prohibits  or  does  not  prohibit,  the 
government  disgraces  itself  by  becoming  the  foster,  parent  of  the  saloon 
business  and  by  sharing  its  profits;  that  its  money  is  blood  money,  and 
it  is  immoral  to  use  it  for  education  or  to  sustain  government.  We, 
therefore,  demand  the  separation  of  the  State  and  the  saloon. 

Government  can  rightly  hold  but  one  position  towards  vice  in  any 
form — that  of  opposition  and  suppression.  If  it  be  true,  as  claimed, 
that  the  whiskey  power  is  now  too  formidable  to  be  controlled  by 
existing  moral  and  political  forces,  then  the  announcement  comes  as  a 
trumpet  call  from  the  God  of  our  fathers,  who  founded  this  govern- 
ment in  their  blood  and  tears,  to  reorganize  all  the  moral  and  political 

aThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
July  5,  1902. 


446  Platforms  of  Political 

forces  and  combine  for  a  death  struggle  with  the  matchless  evil.  As 
the  immortal  Burke  declared,  "When  the  wicked  conspire,  the  good 
must  combine." 

Believing  the  foregoing  principles,  we  lift  high  our  white  flag  of 
peace  and  purity.  We  pledge  our  best  efforts  to  each  other  and  to  our 
fellow-citizens  in  general  to  advance  a  cause  which  means  good  to  all 
and  harm  to  none.  We  invite  the  cooperation  of  all  who  believe  the 
principles  here  set  forth,  and  declare  it  to  be  our  purpose  never  to 
cease  our  efforts  until  this  government  is  separated  from  the  whiskey 
business,  and  the  saloon,  like  all  its  progeny  of  vice,  is  put  under  the 
ban  of  law,  and  there  Is  a  party  in  power  to  see  that  the  law  is  enforced. 

State  Executive  Committee:  E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas,  chair- 
man; Arthur  E.  Everts,  of  Dallas,  H.  W.  Fairbanks,  of  Dallas, 
D.  P.  Williams,  of  Dallas,  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  Dallas,  E.  C.  Heath, 
of  Rockwall,  B.  P.  Bailey,  of  Harris. 

SOCIALIST  LABOR  STATE  TICKET,  1902 

The  proceedings  of  a  State  convention,  if  any  was  held,  have 
not  been  found. 

Candidates  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  G.  H.  Royal,  of 
Lampasas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Word  H.  Mills,  of  Dallas. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1902 

GALVESTON,  July  15  and  16 

At  a  meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee,  February  27, 
it  was  recommended  that  the  county  executive  committees  hold 
primaries  or  conventions  on  June  14.  Some  regarded  this  as 
falling  short  of  the  instructions  of  the  last  State  convention, 
demanding  a  uniform  date  for  primary  elections  or  conventions. 
It  became  the  principal  issue  in  the  contest  for  State  chairman 
before  the  convention.  The  attendance  was  not  large.  There 
was  much  division  over  the  platform. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  George  C.  Pencil eton,  of 
Bell;  permanent,  W.  P.  McLean,  of  Tarrarit.  Secretary,  Mark 
Logan,  of  Coryell. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  S.  W.  T.  Lanham,  of 
Parker;  Lieutenant-Governor,  George  D.  Neal,  of  Grimes;  At- 


Parties  in  Texas  4A1 

torney-General,  C.  K.  Bell,  of  Tarrant ;  Comptroller,  R.  M.  Love, 
of  Limestone ;  Treasurer,  John  W.  Robbins,  of  Wilbargcr ;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  J.  Terrell,  of  Wise; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Arthur  Lefevre,  of  Vic- 
toria; Railroad  Commissioner,  0.  B.  Colquitt,  of  Kaufman; 
Supreme  Court,  F.  A.  Williams,  of  Houston ;  Court  of  Criminal 
Appeals,  W.  L.  Davidson,  of  Williamson. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, R.  R,  Lockett  of  Bowie;  2.  Gus  Shaw,  of  Red  River;  3. 
Tom  C.  Bradley,  of  Fannin;  4.  J.  W.  Blake,  of  Grayson;  5. 
J.  D.  Cottrell,  of  Hunt,  secretary;  6.  Thomas  B.  Love,  of  Dal- 
las; 7.  J.  W.  Fitzgerald;  8.  T.  S.  Cavin;  9.  George  T.  Jester,  of 
Xavarro;  10.  Nelson  Phillips,  of  Hill;  11.  W.  L.  Radney,  of 
McLennan;  12.  A.  C.  Breitz,  of  Brazoria;  13.  T.  M.  Campbell, 
of  Anderson;  14.  R.  A.  Greer,  of  Jefferson;  15.  Thomas  H.  Ball, 
of  Walker;  16.  R.  M.  Johnston,  of  El  Paso;  17.  R.  V.  Davidson, 
of  Galveston;  18.  C.  E.  Lane,  of  Fayette;  19.  D.  C.  Giddings,  of 
Washington;  20.  R.  A.  John,  of  Williamson,  chairman;  21.  J. 
B.  Dibrell,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  A.  B.  Davidson,  of  DeWitt;  23. 
Stanley  Welsh,  of  Nueces;  24.  Walton  Peteet,  of  Bexar;  25.  W. 
W.  Turney,  of  El  Paso;  26.  Eugene  Moore,  of  Erath;  27.  E.  P. 
Curtis,  of  Bell;  28.  A.  L.  Camp,  of  Midland;  29.  H.  H.  Wallace, 
of  Hartley;  30.  M.  A.  Spoonts,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Charles  Soward. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The  Democrats  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  declare  their 
faith  in  the  principles  of  the  party  as  set  forth  in  the  Kansas  City 
platform,   and  we  believe  that  with   Democratic   success   in  1904   the 
dangers  of  imperialism,  centralization,  trusts,  monopolies,  mergers,  and 
other  combines   hurtful   to   our   people,  unjust   taxation    and   kindred 
evils  would  no  longer  confront  our  country. 

2.  We  commend  our  senators  and  representatives  in  Congress  for 
their  efforts  in  behalf  of  tariff  reform,  of  a  canal  connecting  the  waters 
of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans,  the  election  of  United  States  sena- 
tors by  direct  vote  of  the  people,  the  securing  of  appropriations  for 
the  improvement  of  our  harbors  and  waterways,  of  an  additional  Fed- 
eral judicial  district  for  the  southern  district  of  our  State,  the  enlarge- 
ment of  old  and  the  building  of  new,  commodious  public  buildings  for 

1The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the    Galveston  News, 
July  16  and  17,  1902. 


448  Platforms  of  Political 

Federal  purposes,  an  appropriation  of  a  fund  for  the  investigation  and 
extermination  of  the  boll  weevil,  and  we  appreciate  especially  their 
endeavors  in  behalf  of  universal  liberty,  their  antagonism  of  trusts 
and  monopolies,  and  urge  them  to  vigorously  oppose  every  attempt  to 
establish  a  branch  banking  system  and  the  issuance  of  asset  currency, 
which  would  build  up  a  money  trust  of  the  widest  and  most  pernicious 
character. 

3.  Four  years  ago  the  Democracy  of  Texas  promised  to  our  people 
economical  government  wisely  administered.     How  well  this  promise 
has  been  kept  by  Governor  Sayers  and  his  associates  is  now  a  matter 
of  history,  and  the  splendid  condition  of  each  department  and  institu- 
tion throughout  Texas  bears  witness  to  their  patriotism,  ability,  and 
devotion  to  duty.     Taxes  have  been  reduced,  the  terms  of  our  public 
schools  have  been  lengthened,  and  the  work  of  the  several  departments 
has   been   broadened   and   the   eleemosynary    institutions    enlarged    so . 
that  the  jails  are  emptied  of  the  insane  and  room  has  been  made  in 
other  institutions  for  the  care  of  all  those  whom  the  State  has  made  its 
charge.    We  are  justly  proud  that  while  ours  is  the  banner  State,  and 
that  while  our  party  has  been  for  nearly  half  a  century  practically 
without  opposition,  yet  no  form  of  corruption  has  been  fostered  and 
no  stigma   cast   upon   the  character  and   patriotism   of  any  nominee 
made  by  our  State  organization. 

4.  We  favor  proper  legislation  regarding  the  improvement  of  our 
country  roads,   and  we  demand  that  the  legislature  pass  laws  under 
which  a  comprehensive  system  of  public  roads  may  be  had  at  the  small- 
est expense  to  the  people. 

5.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  laws  providing  for  the  employment,  as 
far  as  practicable,  of  short-time  State  convicts  on  the  public  roads  in 
counties  making  suitable  provisions  therefor,  and  the  employment  of 
State  penitentiary  convict  labor  on  work  not  in  competition  with  free 
labor,  as  far  as  practicable,  and  that  such  prisoners  be  employed  in  the 
walls  of  the  penitentiary  and  on  farms  operated  by  the  State  on  its 
own  account. 

6.  We  favor  the  continuance  of  our  present   policy  regarding  our 
eleemosynary  institutions  so  that  the  State  may  continue  to  provide 
for  all  of  the  helpless  wards  of  our  State. 

7.  We  favor  the  substantial  reenactment  by  the  next  legislature  of 
the  present  uniform  textbook  law,  which  will  expire  by  its  own  terms 
in  1903,  with  such  provisions  as  will  prevent  unnecessary  changes  in 
the  textbooks  now  in  the  hands  of  the  children  attending  the  public 
schools. 

8.  Recognizing  public  intelligence  as  the  best  safeguard  of  social 
order,   and  considering  the  present  prosperity  and  increasing  wealth 
of  our  State,  we  make  special  demand  upon  the  twenty-eighth  legisla- 
ture to  deal  generously  with  all  State  educational  institutions,  the  Uni- 
versity, the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  the  Girls'  Industrial 
School,  and  the   several   normal  schools,   including  the  Prairie  View 


Parties  in  Texas  44  i) 

Normal  and  Industrial  School  for  colored  youth,  and  generally  to  pro- 
mote the  cause  of  education  in  Texas  to  the  end  that  its  institutions 
of  learning  may  rank  with  the  best  in  the  land. 

We  commend  the  course  of  the  last  legislature  in  making  adequate 
appropriation  from  the  general  revenue  for  the  maintenance  and  sup- 
port of  the  University,  thereby  enabling  the  board  of  regents  to  utilize 
from  its  available  funds  the  money  required  for  the  erection  of  neces- 
sary buildings  and  purchase  of  grounds. 

We  declare  it  to  be  the  fixed  policy  of  the  Democratic  party  to  take 
our  public  schools  and  other  institutions  of  learning  out  of  politics, 
and  we,  therefore,  reiterate  the  demand  of  the  Democratic  platform  of 
1900  for  the  submission  of  a  constitutional  amendment  making  the 
appointment  of  trustees  of  our  schools,  colleges,  and  University  for 
terms  of  two,  four,  six,  and  eight  years. 

9.  We  request  the  legislature  to  provide  for  the  establishment  of  a 
textile  school  as  a  department  of  industrial  education  in  the  Agricul- 
tural and  Mechanical  College. 

10.  We  favor  a  broad  and  enlightened  policy  toward  capital  and 
corporations  doing  business  within  our  State,  and  toward  those  de- 
siring  to    enter   our    State    for    the    purpose    of    developing   its   great 
natural  resources,  and  for  the  protection  of  such,  as  well  as  for  the 
protection  of  all  our  people  without  regard  to  condition,  we  declare  our 
opposition  to  trusts,  mergers,  and  other  combines  for  the  restriction 
of  trade,  and  demand  that  the  next  legislature  shall   pass  a  law  or 
amend  our  present  laws  so  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  such  corpora- 
tions to  do  business  in  Texas. 

11.  We  favor  the  passage  of  a  well  considered  riparian  law  in  order 
that  the  rice  and  other  great  industries  of  our  State  may  be  fostered 
and  the  rights  of  our  people  along  such  canals  and  waterways  may  be 
properly  safeguarded. 

12.  We  favor  the  submission  of  a  constitutional  amendment  author- 
izing the  charter  of  State  banks  of  discount  and  deposit  under  restric- 
tions and  regulations  for  the  protection  of  stockholders  and  depositors, 
similar  to  those  governing  National  banks. 

13.  We  recommend  that  the  legislature  pass  such  laws  for  the 
protection  of  children  of  tender  years  from  overwork  in  factories 
or  other  places  in  this  State,  where  such  children  may  be  employed, 
as  may  in  its  wisdom  be  deemed  necessary.      (Rejected:      See  Mi- 
nority Report  No.   I.) 

14.  We  most  heartily  indorse  and  approve  the  purpose  and  labors 
of  the  Texas  World's  Fair  Commission,  appointed  by  Governor  Sayers 
to  provide  for  a  proper  and  adequate  display  illustrative  of  the  wonder- 
ful resources  of  Texas  at  the  great  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  to 
be  held  in  St.  Louis  in  1904.     We  believe  that  such  an  exhibit  is  de- 
manded by  the  exigencies  of  the  State  and  will  promote  its  progress 
and  confer  unmeasured  benefits  upon  its  people. 

15.  We  recommend  that  the  legislature  shall  pass  such  laws  as  in 

29 — 328 


450  Platforms  of  Political 

its  judgment  would   prevent  the  evils  of   issuance  of  free  passes  by 
railway  companies. 

16.  While  we  do  not  believe  in  life  tenure  of  office,  yet  we  recognize 
the  value  of  training  and  experience  and  consequently  we  declare  that 
the  dismissal  of  subordinates  without  cause,  especially  to  make  room 
for  relatives  or  political  adherents,  is  detrimental  to  the  public  service 
and  contrary  to  sound  public  policy,  and  recommend  legislation  for  the 
correction  of  such  evils. 

17.  We  demand  the  passage  of  a  law  which  will  regulate  our  pri- 
maries for  the  nomination  of  National,  State,  and  district  officials  so 
that  such  nominations  shall  be  invalid  if  not  held  on  the  same  day  in 
every  county  in  our  State,  and  recommend  all  necessary  amendments 
to  our  present  laws  that  may  be  necessary  to  protect  the  fairness  and 
purity  of  such  primary  elections  or  primary  conventions,  and  proper 
punishment  for  illegal  voting  or  corrupt  practices. 

18.  We   unqualifiedly  advocate  and  declare  for   uniform  primaries 
to  be  held  throughout  the  State  for  the  nomination  of  State  and  district 
officers,  the  counties  to   hold  same  by  primary  elections   or  primary 
conventions,  as  they  prefer,  provided  they  are  held  upon  the  same  day. 
To  secure  this  result  we  hereby  instruct  the  State  Democratic  executive 
•committee  to  call  said  primaries  for  the  next  general  election  upon  the 
second  Saturday  in  July,  A.  D.  1904,  and  in  making  the  call  for  the 
State  convention  following  said  primaries  the  chairman  of  the  State 
executive  committee  shall  in  his  call  state  that  the  delegation  from  any 
county  not  holding  their  primary  on  said  date  will  be  denied  participa- 
tion in  the  organization  of   the  State   convention,  and  the  State  ex- 
ecutive committee  shall  -enforce  this  provision. 

19.  We  indorse  and  applaud  the  action   of  the  last  legislature  in 
remitting  taxes  due  the  State  from  the  county  of  Galveston,  and  favor 
the  further  remission  of  said  taxes  for  an  additional  period  of  fifteen 
years,  to  the  end  that  Texas  may  do  her  part  in  the  upbuilding  of  its 
great  seaport  so  that  our  agricultural,  livestock,  manufacturing,  and 
other  products  may  have  an  outlet  to  the  sea  which  will  save  to  them 
many  millions  of  dollars  annually;  and,  therefore,  that  justice  may  be 
done  a  brave  and  patriotic  people,  we  instruct  the  Democratic  members 
of  the  next  legislature  to  pass  a  law  permitting  the  people  of  Galveston 
to  use  for  filling  and  grading  of  the  city  of  Galveston,  so  far  as  the 
same  may  go,  all  the  State  taxes  of  the  county  of  Galveston  for  an 
additional  period  of  fifteen  years,  except  such  portions  of  said  taxes  as 
may  be  otherwise  appropriated  by  the  constitution. 

20.  We  believe  that  a  platform  pledge  is  a  covenant  with  the  people, 
and,  therefore,  we  declare  it  to  be  the  highest  duty  of  every  Democratic 
nominee  to  earnestly  support  and  to  urge  the  fulfillment  of  each  promise 
eet  forth  herein. 


Parties  in  Texas  <I51 

Additional  Resolutions 

[21]  We  deprecate  the  interference  by  an  educational  or  industrial 
institution  of  the  State  in  any  conflict  that  may  arise  between  capital 
and  labor,  and  the  filling  of  the  places  of  strike  employes  -with  stu- 
dents of  such  institutions  is  condemned. 

[22]  WHEREAS,  the  farming  and  other  interests  of  the  State  of  Texas 
have  suffered  to  a  great  extent  in  past  years  from  a  lack  of  sufficient 
rainfall  at  the  proper  time;  and, 

WHEREAS,  the  lakes,  rivers,  and  other  streams  of  Texas  are  so  dis- 
tributed and  located  that  the  successful  irrigation  of  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  agricultural  sections  of  our  State  can  easily  be  accomplished 
by  storing  the  surplus  water  that  falls  and  distributing  same  through 
a  system  of  canals  and  laterals  when  necessitated  by  drouth,  thereby 
returning  untold  benefits  to  the  State  at  large;  and, 

WHEREAS,  the  commercial,  agricultural,  and  industrial  interests  of 
the  State  demand  that  some  general  system  of  irrigation  be  fostered 
and  furthered;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  the  twenty-eighth  legislature  be  requested  to  appoint 
an  irrigation  commission  to  investigate  the  feasibility  and  probable 
cost  of  a  general  system  for  the  State. 

[23]  Resolved,  1.  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  deeply  regrets  that 
the  time  has  come  when  it  must  lose  from  among  its  active  workers 
that  distinguished  statesman,  patriot,  and  leader,  John  H.  Reagan. 

2.  For  half  a  century  he  has  been  conspicuous  as  one  of  the  boldest, 
wisest,  and  most  faithful  champions  of  Democracy  and  the  rights  of 
the  people.     But  few  men  can  boast  of  a  public  career,  covering  such 
a  long  period  of  time,  so  free  from  blemish  and  yet  so  rich  in  achieve- 
ments.    Prominently  connected  with  the  great  and  stirring  events  of 
1861-65,  being  the  only  surviving  member  of  either  of  the  Civil  War 
cabinets,  he  has  since  then  been  intimately  and  honorably  identified 
with  the  great  public  questions  that  have  come  before  the  American 
people,  and  his  wisdom  has  impressed  itself  upon  much  of  the  legisla- 
tion,  both   State  and  National,  during  this  time.     And   now,   after  a 
long   official  life,  full  of  faithful  service  and  honors,  he  voluntarily 
withdraws  from  active  participation  in  public  affairs. 

3.  That  the  love  of  a  great  people  will  follow  this  venerable  tribune 
to  his  retirement,  and  they  pray  the  choicest  blessings  of  heaven  upon 
him  and  trust  that  his  remaining  years  may  be  as  peaceful  as  his  life 
has  been  honorable  and  useful,  and  that  his  splendid  intellect,  equipped 
by  his  vast  and  varied  public  service  and  private  study,  may  yet  leave 
its  ripest  wisdom  upon  the  historic  page  for  the  use  of  future  genera- 
tions. 

MINORITY    REPORTS 

I 

[13]     We  demand  the  enactment  of  a  law  prohibiting  the  employ- 


452  Platforms  of  Political 

ment  of   children  under  twelve  years  of  age  in  factories   using  ma- 
chinery. 

WALTON  PETEET, 
EUGENE  MOORE, 
E.  P.  CURTIS, 
THOMAS  M.  CAMPBELL, 
THOMAS  BRADLEY. 

Almost  unanimously  adopted  in  place  of  plank  13  of  the  majority 
report. 

II 

We  demand  a  law  limiting  the  hours  of  daily  service  for  laborers, 
workmen,  and  mechanics  employed  upon  works  of,  and  work  done  for 
the  State  of  Texas  to  eight  hours  per  day. 

WALTON  PETEET, 
E.  P.  CURTIS. 
This  report  was  tabled. 

Ill 

J.  B.  Dibrell  and  A.  B.  Davidson  refused  to  give  their  approval  to  the 
plank  favoring  the  formation  of  private  corporations  for  banking  and 
discounting  purposes,  and  asked  that  the  plank  [number  12]  be  stricken 
from  the  platform. 

This  report  was  tabled. 

i 

State  Executive  Committee:  James  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  B.  F.  Sherrill,  of  Marion;  2. 
James  Clark,  of  Red  River;  3.  Rosser  Thomas,  of  Fannin;  4. 
J.  A.  L.  Wolfe,  of  Grayson;  5.  W.  H.  Clendennin,  of  Rains; 
6.  E.  W.  Hawley,  of  Dallas;  7.  Hampson  Gary,  of  Smith;  8. 
E.  B.  Blaylock,  of  Harrison;  9.  A.  B.  Watkins,  of  Henderson; 
10.  D.  W.  Odell,  of  Johnson ;  11.  C.  V.  Burkhead,  of  McLennan ; 
12.  Walter  A.  Keeling,  of  Limestone;  13.  F.  H.  Spain,  of  Hous- 
ton; 14.  A.  B.  Hamilton,  of  Sabine;  15.  Ben  H.  Powell,  Jr.,  of 
Walker;  16.  Frank  Andrews,  of  Harris;  17.  L.  F.  Fishback,  of 
Brazoria;  18.  J.  F.  Wolters,  of  Fayette;  19.  S.  L.  Staples,  of 
Bastrop;  20.  J.  E.  Lucy,  of  Travis;  21.  S.  M.  Nixon,  of  Caldwell; 
22.  J.  W.  Flournoy,  of  Bee ;  23.  Amador  Sanchez,  of  Webb ;  24. 
Perry  J.  Lewis,  of  Bexar;  25.  J.  G.  Griner,  of  Yal  Verde;  26. 
Chester  Harrison,  of  Brown;  27.  P.  S.  Hale,  of  Bosque;  28. 
John  L.  Stephenson,  of  Taylor;  29.  R.  E.  Huff,  of  Wilbarger; 
30.  Q.  T.  Moreland,  of  Tarrant;  31.  F.  F.  Hill,  of  Denton. 


Parties  in  Texas  453 

ALLIED  PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1902 

FORT  WORTH,  August  12 

An  invitation  to  the  various  reform  parties  to  send  delegates 
to  this  convention  had  been  extended.  The  attendance  was  small 
as  compared  with  former  conventions  of  the  People's  party; 
not  over  175  were  present.  The  name  "Allied  People's  Party 
of  Texas"  was  adopted. 

Officers:  Chairman,  J.  M.  Mallett,  of  Johnson.  Secretary, 
Bryan  Barber,  of  Palo  Pinto. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  J.  M.  Mallett,  of  John- 
son; Lieutenant-Governor,  D.  H.  L.  Bonner,  of  Smith;  Attorney- 
General,  T.  J.  McMinn,  of  Bexar ;  Comptroller,  J.  M.  Perdue,  of 
Upshur;  Treasurer,  Buck  Barry,  of  Bosque;  Commissioner  of  the 
General  Land  Office,  S.  C.  Granberry,  of  Travis;  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction,  John  Collier,  of  Callahan ;  Railroad  Com- 
missioner, E.  P.  Alsbury,  of  Harris. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  blank,  2.  blank,  3.  Dr.  G.  W.  Malcom,  of  Henderson; 
4.  Newton  Gresham,  of  Rains;  5.  Buck  Barry,  of  Bosque;  6. 
blank,  7.  Fred  Williams,  of  Milam ;  8.  blank,  9.  W.  H.  Minton, 
of  Gonzales;  10.  blank,  11.  W.  H.  Roper,  of  Cory  ell;  12.  J.  D. 
Griffin,  of  Johnson;  13.  A.  Collins,  of  Denton;  14.  F.  S/Taylor, 
of  Mills;  Stump  Ashby,  and  Sam  Evans,  of  Tarrant;  Milton 
Park,  J.  A.  Parker,  and  J.  F.  Wells,  of  Dallas;  T.  N.  Lawson, 
of  Johnson. 

Delegates  to  Nonpartisan  Convention  at  Waco,  August  25th: 
Newt  Gresham,  of  Rains,  A.  M.  Colwick,  of  Hunt,  J.  W.  Baker, 
of  Scurry. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  We  indorse  and  reaffirm  the  National  platforms  of  our  party 
from  Cincinnati  to  Louisville.  Call  particular  attention  to  our  article 
of  faith — the  initiative  and  referendum  or  majority  rule — as  the  only 
way  in  which  the  people  can  express  themselves  fully  and  freely  upon 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News  and 
Houston  Post,  August  13,  1902. 


454  Platforms  of  Political 

all  political  questions,  and  providing  the  open  door  through  which  all 
other  reforms  may  be  brought  about. 

[2]  We  favor  the  construction  of  a  system  of  State  railways  as  fast 
as  the  idle  labor  of  the  State  can  be  utilized  for  that  purpose,  said  rail- 
ways to  be  operated  by  the  State  in  the  interest  of  the  people,  to  the 
end  that  the  transportation  monopoly  which  handicaps  the  agricultural, 
mechanical,  and  industrial  development  of  our  State  may  be  overcome. 

[3]  A  law  to  prevent  the  use  of  child  labor  in  any  manufacturing 
industry  until  the  child  employed  shall  have  reached  the  age  of  fifteen, 
and  not  then  without  having  completed  the  requirements  of  a  common 
school  education. 

[4]  A  law  providing  for  the  eight-hour  work  day  on  all  public 
works  and  in  occupations  injurious  to  the  health  of  the  workmen. 

[5]  A  law  preventing  the  use  of  double-header  trains  by  railway 
corporations. 

[6]  A  rigid  law  to  prevent  blacklisting  of  employees  by  corpora- 
tions, and  pledge  ourselves  to  the  strict  enforcement  of  such  legisla- 
tion. 

[7]     A  law  providing  for  equitable  arbitration  of  labor  disputes. 

[8]  A  law  to  prohibit  the  use  of  convict  labor  in  competition  with 
free  labor,  and  that  they  be  employed  on  the  State  farms  or  kept 
within  the  walls  of  the  penitentiary. 

[9]  We  favor  changing  the  scholastic  age  of  pupils  in  the  public 
schools  from  the  present  limit  of  from  seven  to  seventeen  years  to 
seven  to  twenty-one  years, 

State  Executive  Committee:  Milton  Park,  of  Dallas,  Chair- 
man; 1st  Congressional  district,  James  W.  Baird,  of  Lamar; 
2.  W.  A.  Skillern,  of  Nacogdoches ;  3.  J.  W.  Perdue,  of  Upshur ; 
4:  S.  M.  Roach,  of  Grayson;  5.  0.  F.  Dornblaser,  of  Hill;  6. 
E.  G.  Sessions,  of  Navarro;  7.  J.  M.  Pettigrew,  of  Leon;  8.  E. 
P.  Alsbury,  of  Harris;  9.  John  L.  Mooney,  of  Gonzales;  10. 
Walter  D.  Lewis,  of  Williamson;  11.  T.  S.  Dearmon,  of  Ham- 
ilton; 12.  F.  M.  Lawson,  of  Johnson;  13.  W.  P.  Blake,  of  Don- 
ley  ;  14.  T.  J.  McMinn,  of  Bexar ;  15.  M.  M.  C.  Frazier,  of 
Dimmit ;  16.  John  W.  Baker,  of  Scurry. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1902 

FORT  WORTH,  September  10  and  11 

The  attendance  was  large,  particularly  that  of  white  delegates. 
There  was  a  three-cornered  contest  between  Hawley,  Lyon,  and 
Green  for  the  State  chairmanship.  The  numerous  contested 


Parties  in  Texas  455 

delegations   delayed  the   opening   of   the   convention   one   day. 

Officers:  Chairman,  pro  tern-pore,  R.  B.  Hawley,  of  Galves- 
ton;  permanent,  E.  H.  R.  Green,  of  Kaufman.  Secretary,  Nat 
Q.  Henderson,  of  Colorado. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  George  W.  Burkett, 
of  Anderson ;  Treasurer,  Walter  Nolte,  of  Guadalupe. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district  L.  J.  Spencer,  of  Bowie;  2.  E.  B.  Mentz,  of  Jefferson; 
3.  Webster  Flanagan,  of  Rusk;  4.  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  of  Grayson; 
5.  A.  J.  McCauley,  of  Dallas;  6.  Rube  Freedman,  of  Navarro; 
7.  R.  B.  Hawley,  of  Galveston;  8.  H.  F.  McGregor,  of  Harris; 
9.  M.  M.  Rogers,  of  Fayette;  10.  E.  P.  Wilmot,  of  Travis;  11. 
T.  J.  Darling,  of  Bell;  12.  C.  A.  Dickson,  of  Johnson;  13.  John 
B.  Schmitz,  of  Denton;  14.  C.  W.  Ogden,  of  Bexar,  chairman- 
15.  J.  J.  Haynes,  of  Webb ;  16.  J.  G.  Lowden,  of  Taylor. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  do  hereby 
declare  and   reaffirm   our  faith  in  the  principles  and  policies  of  our 
party  as  set  forth  in  the  Philadelphia  platform  of  1900. 

2.  We,  at  this  our  first  convention  since  the  unfortunate,  untimely, 
and  unhappy   death  of   our  behoved  and  patriotic  President,  William 
McKinley,  join  in  the  expressions  of  sorrow  for  his  loss  and  mourn 
for  him  who  served  his   country  as   citizen  and   official  so  well  and 
faithfully.     His   character   as   a   man    and   his   conduct   as   our   chief 
executive  won  for  him  the  love,  admiration,  and  respect  of  the  whole 
American  people  and  the  world  at  large.     By  his  death  the  Republican 
party  lost  one  of  its  ablest  leaders   and  counselors   and  the  country 
lost  a  most  patriotic  and  useful  executive. 

3.  We  Heartily  indorse  the  acts  and  policies  of  the  present  adminis- 
tration of  our  National  affairs  under  President  Roosevelt.     We  com- 
mend his  efforts  in  maintaining  the   integrity  of  American  territory 
and  expanding  American  trade,  and  particularly  do  we  indorse  his 
policy  with  respect  to  Cuba  as  a  matter  of  simple  justice  to  her  people 
and  incalculable  benefit  to  both  countries.     Pointing  with  pride   and 
approval  to  the  past  and  looking  with  hope  to  the  future,  and  having 
the  fullest  confidence  in  his  wisdom,  courage,  patriotism,  and  statesman- 
ship, we  most  unqualifiedly  declare  here  and  now  that  Theodore  Roose- 
velt is  the  unanimous  choice  of  the  Republicans  of  Texas  as  our  party 
candidate  for  President  of  the  United  States  in  190*4. 

'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Newsr 
September  11  and  12,  1902. 


456  Platforms  of  Political 

4.  We  believe  in  a  continuation  of  th-e  past  policy  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,   providing  liberal  appropriations  for  internal   improve- 
ments, and  the  broad  and  liberal  spirit  in  which  that  policy  has  been 
applied,    regardl-ess    of    State    lines    or    State    party    affilatons.      We 
congratulate  the  people  of  Texas  upon  the  generous  recognition  given 
to   our   seaports    and   rivers    by   a   Republican    administration   and    a 
Republican    Congress,   which   will   result   in   the    enlargement   of    our 
commercial  relations  with  the  world. 

5.  We  favor  action  by  the  National  and  State  governments  for  the 
protection  of  the  immense  river  valleys  of  the  State  from  destructive 
overflows,  in  accordance  with  established  policies  of  the  party  in  re- 
lation to  internal  improvements. 

6.  The  development  of  the  oil  and  shipping  interests  in  East  Texas 
require  the  establishment  of  a  port  of  entry  adjacent  thereto,  and  we 
favor  the  establishment  of  the  same  by  Congress. 

7.  We  demand  legislation  on  the  subject  of  libel  and  publications  by 
the   press.     We   declare   for   freedom   of   speech  and   publication,   and 
protection  for  the  newspapers  in  this  State. 

8.  We   recommend  that  feature  of  industrial  education  known   as 
manual  training,  and  recommend  that  the  legislature  make  provision 
to  introduce  it  into  the  State  normal  schools,  the  Orphans'  Home,  and 
into  public  free  schools,  as  it  may  deem  expedient. 

9.  We  favor  the   enactment  of   legislation   prohibiting   the  use  of 
child  labor  in  factories  and  like  industrial  institutions. 

[10]  The  Republican  party,  proud  of  its  past  record  as  the  sincere 
and  consistent  friend  of  labor,  hereby  renews  its  declaration  of  faith 
in  the  principle  that  every  man  who  toils  should  receive  an  equitable 
proportion  of  the  wealth  created  by  his  labor.  By  reason  of  the  opera- 
tion of  a  just  and  beneficent  protective  tariff  law,  employers  have  been 
enabled  to  accord  to  labor  wages  liberally  commensurate  with  the 
service  performed.  The  history  of  the  Republican  party  is  a  continua- 
tion of  chapters  of  legislation  enacted  in  the  interest  of  labor,  and  as 
prominent  examples  of  such  legislation  we  refer  to  the  enactment  of 
our  strict  immigration  laws  and  their  consistent  enforcement  under 
the  supervision  of  accredited  representatives  of  organized  labor,  and 
the  enactment  of  humane  legislation  tending  to  the  protection  and 
preservation  of  life  among  workingmen  engaged  in  following  hazardous 
occupations.  We  especially  arraign  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas  for 
the  hypocritical  attitude  assumed  toward  the  cause  of  labor  by  reason 
of  its  contemptuous  neglect  to  reconcile  its  platform  pledges  to  its 
legislative  performances,  and  its  cowardly  evasion  and  repudiation  of 
its  expressed  promises,  holding  that  said  pledges  were  made  for  the 
express  purpose  of  political  expediency  and  with  no  thought  toward 
their  ultimate  fulfillment. 

[11]  We  condemn  the  indifference  of  the  Democratic  party  in  this 
State  in  treating  with  the  question  of  p/rotection  for  railway  employes. 
We  demand  legislation  looking  to  the  employment  of  safety  devices, 


Parties  in  Texas  457 

as  is  required  by  our  National  laws,  and  for  providing  the  greatest 
possible  protection  to  the  life  and  limb  of  employes. 

[12]  We  condemn  the  Democratic  party  for  the  enactment  of  un- 
just legislation,  curtailing  personal  liberty  of  the  citizen  in  the  form 
of  sumptuary  laws,  whereby  the  equal  protection  of  the  law  is  denied 
citizens  of  incorporated  towns  and  the  agitation  and  local  dissensions 
constantly  fomented  and  enmities  -engendered,  destructive  of  the 
peace  of  whole  communities  by  reason  of  the  obnoxious  character 
thereof. 

[13]  We  condemn  as  flagrantly  inefficient  and  vicious  the  Demo- 
cratic administration  of  our  State  penal  institutions,  asylums,  and 
other  State  institutions  as  disclosed  by  the  recent  report  of  the  State 
Investigating  Committee.  We  point  to  the  recent  disclosures,  touching 
the  methods  which  characterize  the  administration  of  our  State  treas- 
ury, as  indisputable  evidence  of  Democratic  incompetency  to  govern. 

[14]  We  further  condemn  the  so-called  Democratic  party  of  the 
State  and  Nation  for  the  advocacy  and  enactment  of  sumptuary  and 
restrictive  laws,  for  its  fancied  and  ineffective  declarations  against 
capital  and  enterprise,  for  its  opposition  to  the  American  flag  in  our 
newly  acquired  lands  and  those  who  maintain  it  there.  Reversing 
their  once  cardinal  virtue  of  expansion,  they  present  a  spectacle  of 
vacillation  and  uncertainty  on  every  vital  question  of  the  day.  In  the 
campaign  of  1896  they  demanded  higher  prices  for  the  products  of  the 
farm  and  the  field  and  the  factory.  In  their  present  campaign  they 
demand  lower  prices  for  every  product  of  labor.  They  invite  every  ism 
and  encourage  every  new  thing  that  will  bring  them  a  vote,  regardless 
of  their  country's  welfare. 

[15]  We  condemn  the  present  use  by  the  State  of  convict  labor  in 
competition  with  our  farmers  and  the  workingmen  in  our  factories. 
We  favor  the  use  of  convict  labor  outside'of  the  walls  of  the  penitentiary 
only  on  public  roads  and  highways  and  especially  urge  their  employ- 
ment in  bettering  and  developing  a  system  of  highways  throughout 
the  State. 

[16]  We  are  opposed  to  the  formation  and  maintenance  of  secret 
political  organizations  intended  to  control  county  government  as  con- 
trary to  the  spirit  of  American  institutions,  and  demand  that  laws  be 
enacted  that  will  prohibit  combinations  for  such  purposes. 

[17]  We  condemn  the  use  of  ranger  forces  of  the  State  for  the 
purpose  of  controlling  or  influencing  elections. 

[18]  In  emphasizing  the  tolerant  and  liberalizing  policies  of  our 
party  we  invite  the  participation  of  every  patriotic  citizen  in  our 
State,  and  make  especially  welcome  those  who,  abandoning  their 
former  party  alignments,  have  contributed  to  our  successes  in  the 
past  and  by  their  counsels  and  support  will  aid  in  the  growth  and 
progress  of  our  party  in  the  future. 

[19]  "The  irrigation  plank  adopted  by  the  Republican  State  con- 
vention has  been  by  some  oversight  omitted  from  the  platform  as 


458  Platforms  of  Political 

published.  In  this  plank  the  convention  strongly  urged  National  legis- 
lation and  appropriations  in  aid  of  irrigation  of  the  arid  lands  of  this 
State." — Charles  W.  Ogden,  Chairman  of  the  Platform  Committee.1 

State  Executive  Committee:  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  of  Gfayson, 
chairman ;  1st  Senatorial  district,  H.  G.  Goree,  of  Cass ;  2.  W. 
P.  Harris,  of  Hopkins;  3.  Dr.  C.  A.  Gray,  of  Bonham;  4.  Frank 
Johnson,  of  Grayson;  5.  S.  H.  Cole,  of  Collin;  6.  A.  J.  Mc- 
Cauley,  of  Dallas;  7.  Warren  Reed,  of  Smith;  8.  H.  0.  Wilson, 
of  Harrison;  9.  Henry  Delhims,  of  Navarro;  10.  J.  J.  Cypert, 
of  Hill;  11.  C.  A.  Boynton,  of  McLennan;  12.  J.  A.  Myers,  of 
Brazos;  13.  Theo.  Miller,  of  Cherokee;  14.  Charles  R.  Bone,  of 
Jefferson;  15.  U.  W.  Allen,  of  Walker;  16.  George  P.  Brown,  of 
Harris;  17.  A.  B.  Trowell,  of  Galveston;  18.  M.  M.  Rodgers,  of 
Fayette;  19.  W.  E.  Dwyer,  of  Washington;  20.  T.  L.  Wren,  of 
Travis;  21.  L.  D.  Simmons,  of  Hays;  22.  Theo.  Baughman,  of 
Victoria;  23.  J.  0.  Luby,  of  Duval;  24.  George  H.  Noonan,  of 
Bexar;  25.  J.  A.  Smith,  of  El  Paso;  26.  Marshall  Smith,  of 
Brown;  27.  Joe  E.  Williams,  of  Hamilton;  28.  Major  Smith,  of 
Haskell;  29.  J.  E.  Lutz,  of  Wilbarger;  30.  Andrew  McCampbell, 
of  Tarrant;  31.  George  A.  Knight,  of  Montague. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1904 
DALLAS,  March  22 

This  was  one  the  most  numerously  attended  Republican  con- 
ventions in  this  State;  over  1,100  delegates  were  present.  "A 
feature  which  was  startling  to  those  who  have  seen  Texas  Repub- 
lican conventions  for  the  past  twenty  years,"  says  the  News 
reporter,  "was  the  scarcity  of  negroes  on  the  floor."  It  looked 
like  a  gathering  of  "Lily-whites."  After  the  preliminaries 
were  disposed  of,  the  sessions  were  marked  by  harmony'  and 
good  order. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Lock  McDaniel,  of  Harris; 
permanent,  Webster  Flanagan,  of  Rusk.  Secretary,  A.  S.  Jack- 
son. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:     State  at  large,  Cecil 

^Dallas  News,  September    13,   1902- 


Parties  in  Texas  459 

A.  Lyon,  of  Grayson,  R.  B.  Hawley,  of  Galveston,  C.  M.  Fergu- 
son, of  Bexar,  H.  H.  Rodgers,  of  Fayette. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  G.  M.  Guest,  of  Lamar;  Theo. 
Miller,  of  Cherokee;  E.  H.  R.  Green,  of  Kaufman,  chairman; 
Frank  Johnson,  of  Grayson;  W.  H.  Atwell,  of  Dallas;  Tyler 
Haswell,  of  Brazos;  A.  J.  Rosenthal,  of  Galveston;  W.  H. 
Broyles,  of  Waller;  J.  G.  Schermack,  of  Fayette;  W.  E.  Dwyer, 
of  Washington;  C.  A.  Boynton,  of  McLennan;  C.  C.  Littleton, 
of  Parker;  R.  E.  Houssels,  of  Childress;  Henry  Terrell,  of 
Bexar;  J.  0.  Seeley,  of  Duval;  J.  B.  Blankenbaker,  of  Jones. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

[1]  We,  your  committee  on  resolutions,  beg  to  advise  and  recom- 
mend as  an  embodyment  of  the  belief  of  Texas  Republicans  a  cordial, 
hearty,  and  earnest  approval  of  the  policies  and  administration  of 
President  Theodore  Roosevelt.  Called  to  the  executive  chair  of  the 
greatest  Nation  on  earth,  he  has  evidenced  and  exemplified  all  that  is 
best  in  American  citizenship.  Standing  for  an  unbroken  continuance 
of  President  McKinley's  policies,  he  has  carried  to  ripe  fruition  the 
work  so  nobly  and  fearlessly  begun  by  his  predecessor. 

Championing  rigid  enforcement  of  the  law  alike  to  individual  and 
corporate  interests,  he  has  endeared  himself  to  the  people,  who  feel 
they  are  safe  in  his  impartial  hands.  Advocating  the  constitutional 
tenets  so  long  contended  for  by  the  Republican  party,  he  has  abolished 
all  lines  and  divisions  between  classes  and  conditions. 

Fearless  in  duty,  he  has  put  into  concrete  form  legislation  for  our 
recently  acquired  territory  and  vouchsafed  to  each  and  all,  whether  in 
the  Occident  or  Orient,  constitutional  liberties  and  rights. 

Alert  to  conditions  and  demands,  he  has  held  our  currency  at  an 
honest  standard,  our  tariff  upon  a  living  basis,  and  has  begun  to  dig 
an  interoceanic  waterway  which  will  permit  the  commerce  of  this 
government  to  declare  its  independence  of  monopoly.  In  consideration 
of  the  great  interests  of  the  Nation,  we  instruct  our  delegates  to  the 
National  Republican  convention  to  vote  for  the  nomination  of  Theodore 
Roosevelt. 

[2]i  That  in  the  death  of  Senator  Hanna,  which  we  most  deeply 
deplore,  we  recogniz-e  the  Nation  has  lost  a  true  friend  and  wise 
counselor  and  the  Republican  party  a  most  able  and  loyal  advocate. 

[3]  That  we  tender  our  thanks  to  the  Hon.  R.  B.  Hawley  for  the 
many  valuable  services  rendered  by  him  'to  our  party,  and  express  our 
regret  at  his  retirement  from  active  leadership.  We  commend  the 
administration  of  Hon.  Cecil  A.  Lyon  as  State  chairman,  and  recom- 

lrrhese  proceedings  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News,  March  23,   1904. 


460  Platforms  of  Political 

mend  his  election  as  National  committeeman  from  the  State  of  Texaa 
to  succeed  the  Hon.  R.  B.  Hawley,  and  instruct  the  delegates  elected 
by  this  convention  to  the  National  convention  to  vote  for  Mr.  Lyon  for 
National  committeeman. 

Additional  Resolution 

[4]  WHEREAS,  at  the  last  session  of  the  State  legislature  of  Texas 
there  was  submitted  to  the  people  a  proposed  amendment  to  the  con- 
stitution of  the  State,  which  proposed  amendment  provides  methods 
for  the  prevention  of  overflows  of  the  rivers  of  the  State,  the  irrigation 
of  our  arid  lands,  and  the  improvement  of  our  roads,  and  which  pro- 
posed amendment  will  be  voted  upon  at  the  next  general  election;  and 

WHEREAS,  there  has  been  organized  an  association  of  representative 
citizens  of  the  State  for  the  purpose  of  presenting  the  merits  of  said 
proposed  amendment  to  the  people  for  their  consideration  and  ap- 
proval; therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
do  heartily  indorse  said  proposed  constitutional  amendment  as  being 
practical,  expedient,  and  of  unmeasurable  value  to  the  agricultural 
interests  and  material  development  of  the  State,  that  we  heartily  ap- 
prove of  the  organized  efforts  to  secure  its  adoption,  and  call  upon  the 
people  of  our  entire  State,  irrespective  of  party,  to  give  the  measure 
their  unstinted  support. 

"BLACK    AND    TAN"    REPUBLIC ATION    CONVENTION, 

1904 

DALLAS,  March  22 

Dissatisfaction  with  the  treatment  accorded  the  negro,  and 
with  the  decision  of  certain  contests,  caused  three  members  of 
the  State  executive  committee  to  bolt  during  the  first  session 
of  the  regular  convention.  The  bolters  immediately  called  a 
convention  of  those  delegates  who  opposed  Cecil  A.  Lyon.  The 
convention  thus  called  was  composed  largely  of  colored  men, 
and  a  few  supporters  of  E.  H.  R.  Green. 

Officers:  Chairman,  A.  J.  McCauley,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
R.  B.  Smith. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  J.  G. 
Lowden,  of  Taylor,  G.  W.  Burkett,  of  Anderson,  J.  W.  McKin- 
ney,  of  Grayson,  A.  J.  McCauley,  of  Dallas. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  George  M.  Patton,  of 
McLennan,  J.  W.  Burke,  of  Travis. 


Parties  in  Texas  101 

RESOLUTIONS1 

George  W.  Elliott,  of  Titus,  read  the  report  of  the  committee  on 
resolutions.  It  indorsed  Roosevelt  and  all  his  policies,  and  recited  a 
number  of  things  which  it  is  said  will  make  his  administration  famous 
and  very  beneficial  to  the  Nation  and  the  world.  McKinley  and  Hanna 
were  also  lauded. 

While  no  names  were  called,  the  party  managers  in  Texas  were 
roundly  scored.  The  report  carried  with  a  whoop,  even  the  clause 
which  read:  "The  Republicans  of  Texas  hereby  declare  that  they 
will  no  longer  permit  the  Federal  officeholders  to  manipulate  Republi- 
can conventions  in  this  State,  nor  corruptly  control  our  party  organi- 
zation." 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1904 
DALLAS,  June  9 

The  attendance  at  this  convention  was  so  small  that  it  was 
little  better  than  a  meeting  of  the  State  execuive  committee. 
It  took  no  other  action  than  to  select  delegates  at  large  to  the 
National  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,.  Milton  Park,  of  Dallas.  Secretary,  J. 
M.  Mallett,  of  Johnson. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  J.  M. 
Mallett,  of  Johnson,  H.  L.  Bentley,  of  Taylor,  Milton  Park,  of 
Dallas,  J.  W.  Baird,  of  Lamar. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1904 

SAN  ANTONIO,  June  21  and  22 

The  convention  was  harmonious. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  R.  C.  Duff,  of  Jefferson; 
permanent,  John  H.  Kirby,  of  Harris.  Secretary  pro  tempore, 
M.  T.  Lively,  of  Dallas;  permanent,  H.  B.  Mock,  of  Hunt. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  John 
H.  Reagan,  C.  A.  Culberson,  J.  W.  Bailey,  J.  B.  Wells,  T.  D. 
Cobbs,  T.  H.  Ball,  Clarence  Ousley,  Howard  Templeton;  1st 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
March  23,  1904-  No  verbatim  report  of  the  resolutions  has  been  found. 


462  Platforms  of  Political 

Congressional  district,  B.  F.  Sherrill,  of  Marion,  and  II.  E. 
Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  2.  George  C.  O'Brien,  of  Jefferson,  and 
E.  B.  Blalock,  of  Harrison;  3.  J.  T.  Adams,  of  Kaufman,  and 
R.  T.  Milner,  of  Rusk;  4.  C.  A.  Smith,  of  Grayson,  and  William 
Bramlett,  of  Fannin;  5.  Charles  Rasbury,  of  Dallas,  and  Rich- 
ard Kimble,  of  Bosque;  6.  R.  H.  Hicks  and  Richard  Mays,  of 
Navarro;  7.  E.  F.  Harris,  of  Galveston,  and  C.  F.  Stevens,  of 
Liberty;  8.  S.  J.  Winston,  of  Fort  Bend,  and  Lee  Frazier,  of 
Montgomery;  9.  A.  Haidusek,  of  Fayette,  and  John  L.  Brown, 
of  Karnes;  10.  T.  W.  Gregory,  of  Travis,  and  D.  C.  Giddings, 
of  Washington;  11.  George  C.  Pendleton,  of  Bell,  and  P.  C. 
Oltorp,  of  Falls ;  12.  William  Capps,  of  Tarrant,  and  J.  Collin 
George,  of  Erath;  13.  R.  E.  Huff,  of  Wichita,  and  E.  V.  Terrell, 
of  Wise;  14.  Clarence  Martin,  of  Gillespie,  and  F.  H.  Bushick, 
of  Bexar;  15.  John  N.  Garner,  of  Uvalde,  and  D.  Odem;  16.  J. 
C.  Murphy,  of  Tom  Green,  and  F.  J.  Beall,  of  El  Paso. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  F.  Wolters,  of  Fay- 
ette, and  Lee  A.  Clark,  of  Hunt;  1st  Congressional  district, 
Fred  S.  Dudley,  2.  George  B.  Terrell,  3.  Ras  Young,  4.  T.  F. 
Mangum,  5.  P.  T.  Ridgell,  6.  C.  S.  Bradley,  7.  John  C.  Fagan, 
8.  J.  G.  Ashford,  9.  W.  L.  Adkins,  10.  A.  B.  Storey,  11.  A.  R. 
Eidson,  12.  John  H.  Hiner,  13.  A.  C.  Owsley,  14.  J.  H.  Stanley, 
15.  R.  J.  Kleberg,  16.  Albert  Stephenson. 

Committee  on  Platform,  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, J.  R.  Wilson,  2.  Y.  M.  Clark,  3.  H.  G.  Evans,  4.  E.  L. 
Beatty,  5.  H.  L.  Carpenter,  6.  Kenneth  Foree,  7.  M.  D.  Carlock, 
8.  R.  T.  Milner,  9.  M.  H.  Gossett,  10.  W.  H.  Sharp,  11.  Tom 
Connally,  secretary,  12.  J.  E.  Butler,  13.  T.  M.  Campbell,  14. 
J.  L.  Little,  15.  J.  M.  King,  16.  William  Masterson,  17.  A.  E. 
Masterson,  18.  Sam  Lowrey,  19.  J.  P.  Price,  20.  J.  D.  Sayers, 
chairman,  21.  George  Burgess,  22.  J.  C.  Burns,  23.  R.  J.  Kle- 
berg, 24.  Clarence  Martin,  25.  W.  D.  Love,  26.  C.  H.  Jenkins, 
27.  J.  J.  Cox,  28.  S.  J.  Isaacs,  29.  M.  B.  Howard,  30  W.  R. 
Parker,  31.  R,  E.  Carswell,  John  H.  Reagan. 


Parties  in  Texas  463 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  congratulates 
our   party    and    country    upon    the    prospect    of    National    Democratic 
success. 

2.  We   declare  our  faith  in,  and  adherence  to,  those  fundamental 
principles   taught   by   Jefferson,   which    have   given   life   to    our  party 
throughout  its  whole  illustrous  history. 

3.  We   repudiate  and  denounce   the  various  arbitrary  acts   of  the 
present    Chief   Executive    of   the   Nation    in    usurping   the   powers    of 
Congress,  violating  sound  international  law,  and  as  tending  to  destroy 
free,  representative,  constitutional  government. 

4.  We  commend  such  course  as  may  tend  to  peace  and  avoid  war, 
and  condemn  militarism  as  destructive  of  the  liberties  of  the  people. 
The  war  spirit  that  has  been  so  pandered  to  by  the  present  Executive 
we  strongly  condemn. 

5.  We  condemn  all  unlawful  combinations  to  control  either  material, 
labor,  or  products,  to  the  destruction  of  competition,  and  demand  the 
rigid  enforcement  of  all  laws  against  such  trusts,  since  "equal  rights 
to  all  and  special  privileges  to  none"  must  be  respected  as  basic  in  our 
political  system. 

6.  We  denounce  the  present  tariff  law,  known  as  the  Dingley  act, 
as  an   abomination   of  legislative   iniquity,   and  as  a  gross   and   con- 
scienceless abuse  of  legislative  power,  for  which  no  sufficient  excuse 
can  be  offered  or  apology  made;   and  we,  therefore,  pledge  ourselves 
to   its'  revision.     We   denounce  the  doctrine  of  protection  a  fraud,  a 
robbery  of  the  many  to  enrich  the  few,  and  favor  a  tariff  for  revenue 
only,  sufficient  to  meet  the  needs  of  an  honest,  efficient,  and  economic 
government,  so  levied  as  not  to  discriminate  against  sections,  but  to 
equalize  the  burdens  of  taxation  to  the  greatest  possible  extent. 

7.  We  favor  as  economical  expenditure  of  the  public  money  as  may 
be  consistent  with  efficiency,  and  we  denounce  the  extravagance  that 
has  so  strongly  characterized  the  present  administration  of  the  Federal 
government  as  altogether  unnecessary,  and  as  tending  to  corrupt  the 
public  conscience. 

8.  We  trust  that  harmony  will  prevail  in  our  National  convention 
at  St.  Louis  on  July  6th,  and  that  patriots  everywhere  will  unite  in 
the  support  of  the  choice  of  that  convention  for  President,  and  ac- 
complish the  overthrow  of  our  present  pernicious  administration,  be- 
lieving, as  we  do,  that  the  reelection  of  the  present  Executive  would 
be  a  menace  to  our  free  institutions,  and  to  the  individual  liberty  of 
the  citizen. 

9.  We  are   opposed   to   asset   currency,   and  to   the  control  of  the 
volume  of  money  by  the  banking  powers. 

aThe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Son    Antonio 
Express,  June  22   and  23,   1904. 


464  Platforms  of  Political 

[The  platform,  as  originally  reported,  did  not  contain  the  plank  re- 
lating to  money.  It  was  inserted  as  the  result  of  a  minority  report, 
the  presentation  of  which  provoked  the  only  controversy  of  moment 
that  took  place  during  the  entire  convention.] 

Additional  Resolutions 

[10]  Resolved,  that  the  delegates  from  the  State  of  Texas  to  the 
National  Democratic  convention,  to  be  held  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis  on 
July  6,  1904,  be  instructed  to  cast  their  vote  for  the  Hon.  Alton  B. 
Parker,  of  New  York,  as  the  Democratic  nominee  for  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  that  the  delegates  vote  as  a  unit  on  all  questions 
coming  before  said  convention. 

[11]  That  we  heartily  indorse  the  course  of  our  able  senators  and 
representatives  in  Congress,  and  we  congratulate  the  State  on  having 
secured  the  services  of  such  able  and  distinguished  men. 

[12]  That  cheaper  and  quicker  transportation  being  one  of  the 
pressing  problems  emphasized  daily  by  our  expanding  domestic  and 
foreign  commerce,  the  rapid  improvement  of  our  ports  and  waterways 
is  one  of  the  best  and  quickest  solutions  thereof,  and  we  declare  that 
adequate  appropriations  therefor  is  the  wisest  economy.  We  can  afford 
retrenchment  in  other  things  rather  than  any  cessation  of  this  great 
necessary  work,  alike  beneficial  to  the  factory,  field,  and  ranch. 

[13]  A  resolution  was  adopted  approving  the  action  of  the  State 
executive  committee  in  providing  a  temporary  roll  of  delegates  for 
use  of  the  convention. 

MINOBITY    REPORTS 
I 

The  following  minority  report  was  presented  by  Jno.  J.  Cox,  of 
Bell,  concurring  with  the  majority  report: 

To  add  the  following  sections: 

The  unexpected  but  fortunate  increase  in  the  quantity  of  gold  has 
rendered  unnecessary  the  further  demand  for  the  free  coinage  of 
silver,  but  the  result,  as  seen  in  the  increased  prosperity  of  the  country, 
has  vindicated  the  quantitative  theory  of  money  as  contended  for  by 
the  Democratic  party. 

We  are  opposed  to  asset  currency,  the  control  of  the  volume  of  money 
by  National  banks  and  the  disturbance  of  our  finances  by  the  recoinage 
of  our  legal  tender  silver  dollars  into  subsidiary  coin  as  threatened 
by  Republican  congressmen. 

[After  some  time  spent  in  debate,  this  minority  report  was  recom- 
mitted, and  the  platform  committee  promptly  reported  in  lieu  thereof 
plank  9  above.] 


Parties  in  Texas  465 

II 

Resolved,  that  the  delegates  from  the  convention  to  the  National 
convention  be  not  instructed. 

C.  H.  JENKINS, 
M.  B.  HOWARD, 
M.  H.  GOSSETT, 
H.  G.  EVANS, 
S.  J.  ISAACS. 

The  minority  report  was  tabled. 

National  Committeeman:     R.  M.  Johnston,  of  Harris. 
DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1904 

HOUSTON,  August  2  and  3 

The  attendance  was  large  and  the  proceedings  harmonious; 
there  was  but  one  roll  call  during  the  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Carlos  Bee,  of  Bexar;  per- 
manent, S.  B.  Cooper,  of  Jefferson.  Secretary  pro  tempore,  A. 
D.  Stephens,  of  Angelina;  permanent,  Bob  Barker,  of  Bexar. 

Nominess  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  S.  W.  T.  Lanham,  of 
Parker;  Lieutenant- Governor,  George  D.  Neal,  of  Grimes;  At- 
torney-General, R.  V.  Davidson,  of  Galveston;  Comptroller, 
R.  M.  Love,  of  Limestone ;  Treasurer,  John  W.  Robbins,  of  Wil- 
barger;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  J.  Terrell, 
of  Wise;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  R.  B.  Cousins, 
of  Limestone;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Allison  Mayfield,  of 
Grayson;  Supreme  Court,  T.  J.  Brown,  of  Grayson;  Court  of 
Criminal  Appeals,  M.  M.  Brooks,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, H.  W.  Vaughan,  2.  M.  G.  Black,  3.  S.  L.  Erwin,  4.  C.  B. 
Ranclell,  of  Grayson;  5.  W.  H.  Clendennin,  of  Rains;  6.  T.  F. 
Nash,  7.  Cone  Johnson,  of  Smith;  8.  R.  B.  Levy,  of  Gregg; 
9.  J.  J.  Faulk,  of  Henderson;  10.  T.  B.  Williams,  of  Ellis;  11. 
Waller  S.  Baker,  of  McLennan ;  12.  W.  L.  Bailey,  of  Robertson ; 
13.  John  H.  Reagan,  of  Anderson,  chairman;  14.  John  T.  Gar- 
rison, of  Nacogdoches;  15.  W.  L.  Dean,  of  Walker;  16.  E.  P. 
Hamblen,  of  Harris;  17.  J.  W.  Gaines,  of  Matagorda;  18.  C.  E. 
Lane,  of  Fayette;  19.  W.  S.  Merchant,  of  Lee:  20.  R.  W.  Finley, 

30—328 


466  Platforms  of  Political, 

of  Travis;  21.  Ed  R.  Kone,  of  Hays;  22.  W.  0.  Murray,  of 
Wilson;  23.  J.  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron;  24.  R.  B.  Green,  of  Rexar; 
25.  A.  J.  Baker,  of  Tom  Green ;  26.  A.  L.  McCartney,  of  Brown ; 
27.  George  C.  Pendleton,  of  Bell;  28.  John  L.  Stephenson,  of 
Taylor;  29.  W.  B.  Ware,  of  Donley;  30.  W.  A.  Hanger,  of 
Tarrant;  31.  R.  E.  Carswell,  of  Wise. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  On  the  eve  of  a  great  battle,  in  which  constitutional  government 
is  at  stake,  we  recall  those  fundamental  principles  preserved  to  the 
people    by    the    Democratic   party,    which   support   the   fabric   of    free 
government:     A   Federal    government   composed   of    sovereign    States, 
which  Federal  government  derives   its  powers  from  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States,  with  local  self-government  reserved  to  the  State 
and  to  the  people  on  all  matters  which  have  not  been  surrendered  to 
the    general    government.     The    Democracy    stands    for    constitutional 
government,  and  for  laws  passed  thereunder,  which  are  no  respecters 
of  persons;    for  law  and  order,  and  for  the  enforcement  of  the  laws 
against  all  alike;  for  the  freedom  of  the  citizen,  and  protection  to  him 
against  all  unlawful  violence  and  interference  from  whatsoever  source; 
for  simplicity  and  economy  in  all  public  affairs,  and  against  all  abuse 
of  power;    for  representative  government  in  which  all  public  officers 
are  the  servants  and  not  the  masters  of  the  people,  and  who  shall  be 
frequently  accountable  to  their  constituents;  for  the  distinction  in  the 
three  great  powers  of  government,  the  legislative,  executive,  and  judicial; 
for  honest  and  equal  taxation  and  a  just  distribution  of  the  burdens  of 
government,  and  for  the  greatest  liberty  of  the  citizen  which  is  con- 
sistent with  the  public  good.     These  are  some  of  the  essentials  of  our 
free  government  for   which   the   Democracy   has   ever   stood  and   for 
which  it  will  continue  to  battle. 

We  indorse,  approve,  and  ratify  the  National  Democratic  platform 
adopted  at  St.  Louis,  and  pledge  our  hearty  support  to  the  action  of 
that  convention,  and  we  invite  the  support  of  all  patriotic  persons  who 
believe  in  the  perpetuation  of  free  government  in  these  United  States. 

The  Democracy  congratulates  itself,  and  the  Democracy  of  the 
Union,  in  this  year  of  Democratic  harmony,  Democratic  hope,  and 
assured  Democratic  victory,  in  presenting  to  the  country  as  its  standard 
bearer  that  profound  jurist  and  statesman,  Alton  B.  Parker,  and  com- 
mend him  to  the  Democracy  and  to  the  country  as  the  exponent  of  a 
government  in  strict  accord  with  and  under  the  sanction  of  the  Con- 
stitution of  our  country. 

2.  We   commend   and   heartily^  indorse   the    administration    of   our 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Houston  Post, 
August  3  and  4,  1904. 


Parties  in  Texas  467 

distinguished  governor,  S.  W.  T.  Lanham,  as  wise,  able,  and  faithful 
to  the  interests  of  the  people,  and  return  the  thanks  of  the  Democracy 
to  our  State  officials  for  their  efficient  services  and  administration  of 
the  affairs  of  the  State,  which  have  been  conducted  without  default, 
corruption,  or  scandal.  It  is  the  proud  boast  of  the  Texas  Democracy 
that  during  more  than  thirty  years  of  control  of  the  State  government 
our  officers  have  invariably  been  faithful  to  their  duties  and  to  the 
rights  of  the  people,  and  that  neither  dishonesty,  corruption,  nor 
scandal  has  existed  in  our  public  service. 

3.  We  will  continue  the  liberal  policy  toward  all  our   educational 
institutions,  to  the  end  that  the  very  best  facilities  shall  be  provided, 
where  the  youth  of  the  State  may  secure  educational  advantages  second 
to  none  at  the  State's  own  institutions.     The  fathers  made  wonderful 
and  unselfish  provision  for  the  education  of  the  youth  of  Texas,  and 
we  pledge  ourselves  to  continue  to  be  faithful  to  this  trust. 

We  commend  the  legislature,  and  many  of  our  city  governments,  for 
the  inauguration  of  industrial  education,  and  the  Democracy  will  con- 
tinue to  foster,  encourage,  and  extend  the  same. 

4.  We  favor  the   continuation  of  the  Democratic  policy  of  making 
ample  provision  for  all  our  eleemosynary  institutions,  so  that  we  ma# 
continue  to  provide  for  all  of  our  helpless  wards  in  institutions  where 
they  may  be  properly  cared  for. 

5.  We  pledge  the  Democracy   of  this  State   to  honest  government, 
economically  and  faithfully  administered,  and  to  the  abolishment  of 
all  unnecessary  offices,  places,  positions,  and  salaries;    and  we  require 
at  the  hands  of  our  legislature  that  they  provide  adequate  revenue  for 
the  expenses  of  the  State  government,  without  deficiencies. 

6.  We  oppose  nepotism  and   demand  the  passage  of  such  laws  by 
the  next  legislature  as  may  be  necessary  to  eliminate  the  same  from 
the  public  service  in  this  State. 

7.  We  indorse  the  Terrell  election  law  as  a  wise  and  efficient  meas- 
ure of  reform,  which  has  greatly  purified  the  ballot  in  this  State,  and 
pledge  our  legislature  to  the  enactment  of  such  amendments  thereto 
as  may  be  found  necessary  from  time  to  time  to  perfect  and  strengthen 
the  same. 

We  call  on  our  executive  committee  to  make,  adopt,  and  enforce 
such  regulations  as  may  be  necessary  to  prevent  confusion  in  the  pri- 
maries and  to  secure  uniformity  wherever  the  same  is  practicable. 

8.  We  believe  that  the  owners  of  all  property,  which  is  not  exempt 
from  taxation  by  the  constitution   of  the  State,  should  be  compelled 
to  contribute  their  just  proportion  toward  defraying  the  expenses  of 
the  government,  and  to  the  accomplishment  of  that  result  we  pledge 
the  Democracy  of  Texas  to  the  enactment  of  such  laws  as  will  secure 
the  just  rendition  of  all  property  for  taxation  and  compel  the  payment 
of   taxes  properly  assessed  against   it,  and  to  the  enactment  of  such 
laws  as  will  secure  the  taxation  of  all  property,  tangible  or  intangible, 
including  the   franchises   and   intangible   assets   or   property  of  those 


468  Platforms  of  Political 

corporations,  which,  by  reason  of  the  nature  or  character  of  their 
assets  or  property,  under  the  present  laws,  escape  their  just  proportion 
of  taxation. 

We  recognize  as  a  fact  that  much  property  which  is  subject  to  taxa- 
tion is  not  now  rendered,  and  to  a  great  extent  property  is  rendered 
for  much  below  a  fair  and  reasonable  valuation,  and  that  this  greatly 
increases  the  burden  of  those  taxpayers  who  render  a  full  account  of 
their  property  and  at  a  fair  valuation.  To  remedy  this  evil,  we  re- 
commend that  suitable  provision  be  made  for  the  prosecution  of  per- 
sons who  commit  perjury  by  falsely  and  wilfully  withholding  their 
property  from  taxation,  or  by  fals-ely  and  wilfully  valuing  the  same 
at  a  value  plainly  below  its  reasonable  value,  and  that  tax  assessors 
who  may  falsely  and  wilfully  accept  any  false  rendition  of  property 
for  taxation  shall  be  guilty  of  malfeasance  in  office  and  be  punished 
therefor. 

9.  We    demand    that   the   next   legislature    enact   a   stringent   and 
effective  anti-free  pass  law,  which  shall  prohibit  the  issuance  of  free 
passes,  transportation,  tickets,  or  franks  by  any  corporation  in  this 
State  in  any  form,  to  any  person,  except  to  bona  fide  owners,  officers, 
or  employes. 

10.  We   indorse  the  amendment  to  Article  16,   Section   16,  of  the 
State  constitution,  authorizing  the  incorporation  of  State  banks,  sub- 
mitted by  the  last  legislature,  and   recommend   its   adoption   at   the 
coming  election. 

We  denounce  the  Republican  scheme  for  an  asset  currency  and  the 
plan  set  out  in  the  Aldrich  financial  bill. 

11.  We  favor  the  passage  of  a  law  giving  to  cities  and  towns  in  this 
State  power  and  authority  to  fix  and  properly  regulate  the  charges  by 
electric  and  gas  light,  telephone,  and  water  companies  and  other  like 
companies. 

12.  We  recommend  that  occupation  taxes  on  useful  occupations  be 
removed  as  soon  as  a  fair  system  of  property  taxation  can  be  devised 
to  raise  the  money  now  furnished  by  taxation  of  such  occupations. 

13.  We  recognize  the  growing  importance  of  irrigation  in  this  State 
as  a  means  for  the  development  of  our  agriculture,  and  we  direct  the 
legislature  to  pass  such  laws  on  this  subject  as  will  encourage  irriga- 
tion and  be  alike  just  to  the  capital  invested  and  the  landowner. 

14.  We  recommend  to  our  legislature  to  provide  for  the  purchase 
and  preservation  of  the  old  Alamo  mission,  at  San  Antonio,  a  work 
now  being  patriotically  undertaken  by  the  Daughters  of  the  Republic 
of  Texas.     This  historic  and  tragic  spot  should  be  preserved  to  Texas 
and  its  people  forever,  in  sacred  memory  of  the  heroic  struggle  for 
Texas'  freedom. 


Parties  in  Texas  409 

Resolutions 

[15]  The  judges  of  this  State  should  be  paid  such  salary  as  will 
secure  and  retain  men  of  the  best  ability;  we,  therefore,  believe  the 
good  of  the  people  requires  that  the  salaries  of  our  judges  should  be 
increased  to  a  reasonable  amount,  in  keeping  with  the  degree  of  ability 
and  integrity  required  in  the  performance  of  the  duties  of  these  posi- 
tions. 

[16]  Believing  that  the  memory  of  the  Confederacy  deserves  to  be 
cherished  forever  by  all  true  Southern  citizens,  as  well  as  all  other 
lovers  of  Southern  manhood,  we  favor  the  enactment  of  a  statute 
declaring  the  birthdays  of  Jefferson  Davis,  its  only  President,  and  our 
own  "grand  old  man,"  John  H.  Reagan,  the  best  type  of  Texas  hero, 
to  be  State  holidays. 

[17]  We  commend  the  Texas  World's  Fair  Commission  and  the 
work  it  has  accomplished  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  in 
successfully  exploiting  the  resources  of  Texas  to  the  approbation  and 
support  of  the  people  and  urge  upon  the  legislature  the  wisdom  of 
taking  such  action  as  may  be  necessary  to  remove  and  preserve  such 
parts  of  the  Texas  exhibits  at  the  World's  Fair  as  will  instruct  the 
youth  and  citizenship  of  this  State  concerning  the  material  resources 
of  a  commonwealth  that  is  so  endowed  by  nature  that  it  must  eventually 
become  a  most  highly  developed  and  civilized  section  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere. 

[18]  WHEREAS,  the  Sul  Ross  Memorial  Association  ...  is  en- 
gaged in  the  work  of  erecting  a  monument,  upon  which  is  to  be  placed 
a  bronze  equestrian  statute  of  General  Lawrence  Sullivan  Ross, 
.  .  .  ;  now,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  the  Texas  State  Democratic  convention  ...  in- 
dorses the  work  of  the  Sul  Ross  Memorial  Association  and  urges  every 
Democrat  in  the  State  to  contribute  according  to  his  ability  toward 
the  fund  necessary  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  work,  remembering 
that  the  hero  to  be  remembered  was  a  life-long  Democrat,  twice  elected 
governor  as  our  nominee,  and  that  in  his  civil  and  military  life  he 
added  luster  to  his  State  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  his  noble 
career. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Frank  Andrews,  of  Harris, 
chairman;  1st  Congressional  district,  S.  T.  Eobinson,  of  Morris; 
2.  H.  E.  Henderson,  of  Hopkins;  3.  E.  A.  Calvin,  of  Lamar; 
4.  C.  B.  Potter,  of  Cooke ;  5.  T.  A.  Garrison,  of  Collin ;  6.  Phil 
C.  Travis,  of  Dallas;  7.  J.  W.  Fitzgerald,  of  Smith;  8.  E.  B. 
Blalock,  of  Harrison ;  9.  A.  N.  Justiss,  of  Navarro ;  10.  John  M. 
Loggins,  of  Ellis;  11.  Gordon  Gaither,  of  Falls;  12.  W.  B. 
Moses,  of  Freestone;  13.  Lee  Greiner,  of  Cherokee;  14.  R.  A. 


470  Platforms  of  Political 

Greer,  of  Jefferson;  15.  E.  B.  Seay,  of  Madison;  16.  Will  P. 
Hobby,  of  Harris;  17.  A.  E.  Masterson,  of  Brazoria;  18.  J.  F. 
Wolters,  of  Fayette;  19.  R,  J.  Alexander,  of  Burleson;  20. 
C.  C.  Pierson,  of  Burnet;  21.  L.  J.  Storey,  of  Caldwell;  22. 
John  W.  Flournoy,  of  Bee;  23.  C.  C.  Thomas,  of  LaSalle;  24. 
Charles  Schreiner,  of  Kerr;  25.  John  G.  Greiner,  of  Val  Verde; 
26.  G.  II.  Gordon,  of  Coma.nche;  27.  George  H.  Boynton,  of 
Hamilton;  28.  R.  A.  St.  John,  of  Eastland;  29.  A.  A.  Peebles, 
of  Lubbock;  30.  Q.  T.  Moreland,  of  Tarrant;  31.  R.  E.  Carswell, 
of  Wise. 

SOCIALIST  STATE  CONVENTION,  1904 
GRAND  SALINE,  August  6 

The  first  annual  encampment  of  the  Socialists  of  this  State 
was  held  near  Grand  Saline.  Speakers  of  National  prominence 
were  present,  and  the  attendance  was  large.  The  State  conven- 
tion was  the  final  and  an  important  feature  of  this  encampment. 

Officers:  Chairman,  W.  D.  Simpson,  Jr.,  of  Dallas.  Secre- 
tary, W.  C.  Holloway,  of  Wood. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  W.  C.  Holloway,  of 
Wood;  A.  C.  Palmer,  of  Tarrant;  J.  H.  Carter,  J.  S.  Meri- 
wether,  J.  C.  Rhodes,  W.  McAleney,  G.  W.  Moody,  W.  H.  Wil- 
son, P.  E.  Gold,  W.  H.  Backus,  J.  B.  Gay,  John  W.  Ward, 
W.  A.  Pouncey,  Alfred  Hammond,  D.  M.  Finley,  J.  M.  Crier, 
H.  L.  Dreyer,  W.  T.  Webb. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Word  H.  Mills,  of 
Dallas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Lee  L.  Rhodes,  of  Van  Zandt; 
Attorney-General,  M.  A.  Smith,  of  Hunt;  Comptroller,  Nat  B. 
Hunt,  of  Smith;  Treasurer,  I.  D.  Schurmann,  of  Tarrant;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  L.  Swan,  of  Jones; 
Railroad  Commissioner,  R.  O.  Langworthy,  of  Bexar;  Supreme 
Court,  W.  D.  Simpson,  Jr.,  of  Dallas;  Court  of  Criminal  Ap- 
peals, Claud  S.  Riddle,  of  Van  Zandt. 

Committee  on  Platform:  Word  H.  Mills,  of  Dallas,  I.  D. 
Schurmann,  of  Tarrant;  L.  L.  Rhodes,  of  Van  Zandt. 


Parties  in  Texas  471 

PLATFORM1 

The  Socialist  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  reaffirms 
allegiance  to  the  principles  of  international  Socialism,  and  declares 
its  uncompromising  segregation  from  all  other  political  parties,  and 
from  any  alliance  or  understanding,  direct  or  indirect,  with  any  and 
all  economic  or  industrial  organizations  not  directly  committed  to  the 
program  of  international  Socialism. 

We  assert  the  materialistic  basis  of  all  human  institutions,  knowing 
it  to  be  historically  true  that  the  social  organization  in  every  epoch  in 
human  history  has  taken  its  form  from  the  manner  in  which  are  pro- 
duced and  distributed  those  things  essential  to  the  perpetuation  and 
the  physical  comfort  and  convenience  of  mankind. 

We  recognize  that  under  the  capitalist  system  of  production,  now 
prevailing  in  all  industrially  developed  countries,  there  exist  two  dis- 
tinct classes  whose  material  interests  are  diametrically  opposed,  the 
one  to  the  other,  economically  and  politically;  that  this  conflict  of 
interests  has  produced  a  class  struggle  that  is  irrepressible,  incessant, 
and  becoming  more  intense"  as  material  concentration  on  the  one  hand 
and  moral  centralization  on  the  other  develop;  and  that  this  struggle 
can  cease  only  with  the  elimination  of  its  cause,  capitalism,  the  private 
ownership  by  the  few  of  the  means  whereby  the  many  must  live. 

This  struggle  is  for  the  possession  of  the  wealth,  which  is  produced 
by  the  working  class  exclusively,  and  for  the  natural  sources  of  the 
means  of  life;  and  the  Socialist  party  understands  that  whatever  por- 
tion thereof  the  capitalist  class  may  have  appropriated  unto  itself,  by 
capitalist  class-made  laws  or  methods,  is  that  which  is  the  natural 
heritage  of  the  human  race,  the  land,  or  is  that  which  labor  has  pro- 
duced but  failed  to  get,  it  having  been  stolen  from  the  proletaire  who, 
owning  one  of  the  means  indispensable  for  the  production  of  wealth, 
are  forced,  in  order  to  gain  access  thereto,  to  sell  their  laboring  power 
to  the  capitalist  class,  who  do  own  and  monopolize  the  means  of  pro- 
duction, for  less  than  their  laboring  power  produces.  Thus  it  is  that 
under  the  capitalist  system  the  working  class  has  been  explointed 
until  it  is  reduced  to  a  condition  of  servitude  more  debasing  than 
chattel  slavery. 

Knowing  that  under  the  wages  and  profits  system  of  capitalist 
society,  all  political  parties,  not  committed  to  the  Socialist  program, 
uphold  the  wages  system  with  its  corollaries  of  rent,  interest,  and 
profit,  and  that  the  elected  representatives  of  such  parties  are  but  so 
many  members  of  the  committee  of  the  whole  for  the  capitalist  class, 
we  realize  the  uselessness  of  any  political  attempt  towards  achieving" 
economic  freedom  for  the  workers  through  their  aid. 

In  order  to  secure  to  the  workers  the  product  of  labor,  they  must 

irTho  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  8,  1904. 


472  Platforms  of  Political 

be  collectively  in  possession  of  and  have  free  access  to  the  land  and 
machinery,  from  which  the  wages  and  profit  system  has  -expropriated 
them. 

Seeing  that  all  wealth  has  been  produced  by  the  cooperative  labor 
of  the  working  class,  and  that  capital  is  a  social  product,  the  intelli- 
gent purpose  of  all  working  men  must  be  the  overthrow  of  the  capital- 
ist system  and  the  establishment  of  the  Socialist  republic,  or  co- 
operative commonwealth,  in  which  the  means  of  production  and  the 
wealth  produced'  will  alike  be  the  property  of  those  who  share  in  the 
labor  of  production. 

The  overthrow  of  the  capitalist  system,  and  the  substitution  there- 
for of  the  cooperative  commonwealth,  can  be  achieved  only  by  the 
education  of  the  workers  to  a  consciousness  of  their  identity  of  inter- 
ests as  proletarians,  their  possessing  themselves  of  the  powers  of  gov- 
ernment, and  then  using  the  government  to  inaugurate  the  social 
revolution  that  shall  place  society  on  a  basis  to  conform  to  or  harmon- 
ize with  the  social  character  of  the  instruments  of  production. 

Campaign  Committee:  J.  C.  Rhodes,  W.  W.  Stopple,  and 
John  Kerrigan. 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1904 

FORT  WORTH,  August  10 

There  were  a  few  over  one  hundred  delegates  in  attendance, 
and  about  thirty-five  counties  were  represented. 

Officers:  Chairman,  pro  tempore,  J.  M.  Mallett,  of  Johnson; 
permanent,  J.  J.  Eager,  of  Eastland.  Secretary,  Jesse  M. 
Adams,  of  Comanche. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  H.  L.  Bentley,  of  Tay- 
lor; J.  T.  McMinn,  of  Bexar;  1st  Congressional  district,  H.  M. 
McCuistian,  of  Lamar;  2.  W.  A.  Skillern,  of  Nacogdoches;  3. 
J.  M.  Perdue,  of  Upshur;  4.  George  W.  Wilson,  of  Grayson; 
5.  0.  F.  Dornblaser,  of  Hill;  6.  to  10.  blank;  11.  W.  M.  Summers, 
of  McLennan ;  12.  T.  0.  Evans,  of  Tarrant ;  13.  W.  P.  Blake,  of 
Donley;  14.  J.  H.  Johnson,  of  Coleman;  15.  blank;  16.  W.  J. 
Nabors,  of  Eastland. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor.  Dr.  Pat  B.  Clark,  of 
Red  River;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Clarence  Nugent,  of  Erath; 
Attorney-General,  George  T.  Todd,  of  Marion;  Comptroller,  E. 
P.  Alsbury,  of  Harris ;  Treasurer,  Sam  Evans,  of  Tarrant ;  Com- 


Parties  in  Texas  473 

missioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  S.  C.  Granberry,  of  Travis; 
Railroad  Commissioner,  H.  P.  Jones,  of  Jack. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  H.  M.  McCuistian, 
of  Lamar;  A.  D.  Rawlinson,  of  Nacogdoches;  W.  R.  Cole,  of 
Dallas,  chairman;  W.  M.  Summers,  of  McLennan;  George  W. 
Wilson,  of  Comanche;  J.  D.  Johnson,  of  Coleman;  J.  F.  Wilbar, 
of  Palo  Pinto,  secretary. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  People's  party  of  the  State  of  Texas,  in  convention  as- 
sembled, do  hereby  ratify  the  National  platform  of  the  People's  party, 
as  adopted  at  Springfield,  111.,  July  4,  and  pledge  ourselves  to  support 
the  nominees  for  President  and  Vice-President,  Thomas  E.  Watson  and 
Thomas  H.  Tibbies. 

WHEREAS,  The  necessity  for  political  reforms  in  Texas  is  increasing 
every  day;  and, 

WHEREAS,  the  dominant  party  has  more  than  trebled  the  State  ex- 
penses during  the  last  fifteen  years,  and  continues  to  increase  the 
burdens  of  taxation  by  multiplying  offices  and  employes  and  by  reck- 
less extravagance  in  the  disbursement  of  State  funds;  and 

WHEREAS,  from  term  to  term  the  legislature  is  compelled  to  meet 
increasing  deficits,  and  it  is  said  the  next  legislature  will  be  confronted 
with  a  deficit  of  $1,000,000;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  demand  the  abolition  of  all  unnecessary 
offices  and  employes  and  an  economical  administration  of  the  State 
government  in  all  its  departments. 

2.  We  demand  that  the  Terrell  election  law  be  so  amended  that  the 
rights  of  the  independent  voter  and  independent  candidates  and  min- 
ority parties  be  secured,  also  that  judges  of  election  be  selected  from 
each  political  party,  also  that  watchers  be  allowed  from  each  political 
party  so  that  a  clean  ballot  may  be  secured. 

3.  We  demand  a  rigid  enforcement  of  the  laws,  especially  the  laws 
against  bribery  and  all  other  official  corruption. 

4.  We  condemn  the  issuance  of  free  passes  by  railroad  companies 
to  any  persons  except  their  employes. 

5.  We  favor  such  changes  in  the  land  laws  as  will  favor  the  actual 
settler. 

6.  We  favor  the  improvement  of  the  public  school  system  by  intro- 
ducing a  safe  and  practical  education  and  moral  training. 

7.  We  heartily  indorse  the  local  option  law  as  it  now  stands. 

8.  While  opposing  trusts,  we  recognize  the  right  of  capital  to  or- 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  11,  1904. 


474  Platforms  of  Political 

ganize  and  hold  that  producers  and  laborers  have  the  same  right. 

9.  We  favor,  as  we  always  have,  the  popular  election  of  the  United 
States  senators. 

10.  We  favor  the  initiative   and   referendum. 

MINORITY   REPORT 

Mr.  McCuistian  submitted  following  minority  report,  favoring  it  as 
an  addition  to  the  majority  report: 

[11]  We  favor  the  repeal  of  occupation  taxes  and  the  raising  of  an 
equal  amount  of  money  by  a  State  graduated  [income?]  tax. 

Adopted. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  J.  Eager,  of  Eastland,  chair- 
man; 1st  Congressional  district,  J.  L.  Darwin,  of  Delta;  2.  A.  J. 
Murphy,  of  Nacogdoches;  3.  F.  M.  Stay,  of  Kaufman;  4.  D.  C. 
Gibson,  of  Grayson ;  5.  P.  B.  Sprague,  of  Dallas ;  6.  A.  W.  Sears, 
of  Navarro;  7.  to  10.  blank;  11.  R.  A.  High,  of  Hamilton:  12. 
W.  H.  Davis,  of  Comanche;  13.  C.  H.  Vanmeter,  of  Wise;  14. 
M.  J.  Dunman,  of  DeWitt;  15.  blank;  16.  G.  W.  Daniels,  of 
Eastland. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1904 

FORT  WORTH,  August  23 

The  convention  was  well  attended,  and  its  proceedings  har- 
monious. Like  the  March  convention,  it  was  composed  prin- 
cipally of  white  delegates. 

Officers:  Chairman,  C.  A.  Boynton,  of  McLennan.  Secre- 
tary, Nat  Q.  Henderson,  of  Galveston. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Charles  A.  Boynton, 
of  McLennan,  and  J.  H.  Kurth,  of  Angelina;  1st  Congressional 
district,  J.  J.  Dickerson,  of  Lamar;  2.  W.  C.  Averill,  of  Marion; 
3.  G.  L.  Palmer,  of  Kaufman;  4.  W.  G.  McGinnis,  of  Grayson; 
5.  F.  W.  Bartlett,  of  Dallas;  6.  Tyler  Haswell,  of  Brazos;  7. 
Dr.  Wm.  R.  Roberts,  of  Anderson;  8.  George  W.  Jones,  of 
Grimes;  9.  J.  G.  Schermack,  of  Fayette;  10.  Paul  Fricke,  of 
Washington;  11.  Wm.  Suhler,  of  McLennan;  12.  John  R.  Stan- 
ley, of  Tarrant;  13.  J.  L.  Gaston,  of  Montague;  14.  John  Mar- 
bach,  of  Comal;  15.  Dr.  T.  W.  Moore,  of  Guadalupe;  16.  J.  S. 
Blankenbeckler,  of  Jones. 


Parties  in  Texas  475 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  J.  G.  Lowden.  of  Tay- 
lor; Lieutenant-Governor,  Sam  Davidson,  of  Tarraiit;  Attorney- 
General,  Charles  W.  Ogden,  of  Bexar;  Comptroller,  John  M. 
Claiborne,  of  Cherokee ;  Treasurer,  C.  B.  Dorchester,  of  Grayson ; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  A.  H.  O'Neal,  of 
Lamar;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Albert  Ernst,  of 
Victoria;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Carl  F.  Drake,  of  Travis; 
Supreme  Court,  J.  M.  McCormick,  of  Dallas;  Court  of  Criminal 
Appeals,  Lock  McDaniel,  of  Harris. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  H.  G.  Goree,  2.  A.  L.  Nelson,  3.  C.  G.  White,  4.  J.  M. 
Gurley,  5.  W.  H.  Atwell,  6.  Henry  Dellums,  7.  A.  J.  Rosenthal, 
8.  Lock  McDaniel,  9.  0.  S.  York,  10.  W.  H.  Firebaugh,  11.  D.  R. 
Emerson,  12.  John  R.  Stanley,  13.  Bob  Hansell,  14.  G.  G.  Clif- 
ford, 15.  Dr.  A.  M.  Headley,  16.  W.  B.  Green. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  The  Republicans  of  ^xas,  in  convention  assembled,  believe 
that  political  platforms  are  promises  to  pay,  issued  by  the  party  that 
writes  them.  This  belief  is  the  faith  of  the  Republican  party  in  every 
State  in  the  Union,  hence  it  is  that  when  the  party  meets  in  National 
convention  it  announces  policies  and  beliefs  for  the  government  of 
the  Nation.  When  the  people  read  these  announcements  they  believe 
them,  and  they  have  never  yet  been  disappointed  in  their  faith.  The 
party  announced  in  favor  of  the  gold  standard,  and  in  due  time  this 
belief  became  a  law.  The  party  announced  for  the  digging  of  the 
Panama  Canal,  and  in  due  time  the  necessary  legislation  was  passed 
and  they  are  now  working  on  the  waterway.  The  party  announced 
for  the  regulation  of  great  combinations  of  capital,  anti-trust  laws 
were  passed  and  the  courts  have  been  busy  enforcing  these  statutes. 
The  party  announced  for  a  protective  tariff,  and  since  that  announce- 
ment became  a  law  the  people  have  been  busy  and  the  country  pros- 
perous. The  party  announced  for  National  honor  and  prestige,  and 
Republican  administrators  of  Federal  affairs  have  so  faithfully  followed 
this  tenet  that  the  United  States  ranks  first  in  commerce  and  is  the 
cited  example  of  other  nations  of  the  world. 

[2]  We  renew  our  allegiance  to  a  party  that  has  been  faithful; 
we  commend  the  National  platform  of  1904  and,  in  doing  so,  need  not 
turn  our  backs  upon  the  utterance  of  1900,  or  1896,  or  1892.  We 
commend  the  standard  bearers  of  the  Republican  party.  They  are 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  24  and  25,  1904. 


476  Platforms  of  Political 

faithful  servants  of  the  people,  imbued  with  that  high  patriotism 
which  is  necessary  to  make  fit  governors  for  the  greatest  people  in 
the  world.  We  commend  the  administration  of  President  Roosevelt, 
and  point  to  it  as  a  living  refutation  of  the  campaign  assertion  that  he 
is  either  unsafe  or  unpatriotic.  His  conduct  of  National  affairs,  since 
the  death  of  our  beloved  McKinley,  has  been  in  line  with  the  time- 
honored  policies  of  the  party,  with  the  proven  doctrines  of  his  pre- 
decessors, and  with  his  efficient  management  of  the  other  great  offices 
and  positions  he  has  filled.  We  believe  in  him  as  a  safe,  competent, 
and  learned  pilot  and  a  sure  counselor. 

[3]  We  call  the  attention  of  the  people  to  the  fact  that  a  political 
party,  that  makes  promises  in  its  State  platform  and  fails  to  keep 
them,  is  unfit  to  be  retained  in  power,  and  we  call  attention  to  the 
fact  that,  though  Texas  Democracy  denounced  the  practice  of  nepotism 
in  1902  and  demanded  the  passage  of  a  law  to  prevent  its  practice, 
it  failed  to  redeem  that  promise,  even  though  it  had  a  working  majority 
in  both  houses  of  the  State  government. 

[4]  We  believe  in  the  economical  administration  of  State  affairs, 
and  protest  against  the  multiplication  of  offices  for  the  purpose  of 
making  berths  for  political  pets. 

[5]  We  believe  that  the  home  for  the  old  soldiers,  that  the  asylums 
for  orphans,  and  our  penitentiaries  should  be  presided  over  by  com- 
petent, honest,  and  faithful  servants;  that  our  eleemosynary  institu- 
tions should  be  sanitary  and  the  insane  removed  from  our  jails  to 
proper  quarters.  In  trials  for  insanity  there  should  be  neither  ac- 
quittal nor  conviction  without  the  interposition  of  a  medical  board. 

[6]  We  are  against  and  denounce  the  practice  of  hiring  State  con- 
victs upon  farms  and  plantations  and  in  other  industries,  to  come  in 
contact  and  competition  with  the  farmers  of  this  State,  and  suggest 
that,  if  convicts  cannot  be  successfully  worked  within  the  walls  of 
the  penitentiaries,  they  could  be  profitably  used  upon  the  roads,  water 
ways,  and  highways  of  the  State,  and  we  favor  such  legislation  as  will 
insure  good  roads. 

[7]  We  believe  and  demand  that  there  should  be  a  nonp artisan 
board  of  expert  examiners  to  be  commissioned  and  appointed  for  the 
purpose  of  examining  the  books  and  accounts  and  departments  of  the 
State  government. 

[8]  We  denounce  the  present  occupation  tax  law  against  mer- 
chants and  professional  men  as  iniquitous  because  it  results  in  double 
taxation. 

[9]  We  demand  the  passage  of  a  statute  prohibiting  the  organiza- 
tion of  wild  cat  insurance  companies,  both  life  and  fire. 

[10]  We  believe  our  laws  should  be  so  amended  as  to  do  away  with 
the  cumbersome  court  system,  to  the  end  that  there  may  be  unanimity 
in  the  decisions  of  our  appellate  courts. 

[11]  We  believe  in  the  passage  and  vigorous  enforcement  of  an 
adequate  usury  law,  which  will  drive  the  usurer  from  our  State,  and 


Parties  in  Texas  477 

we  oppose  any  such  change  in  the  garnishment  statutes  as  would 
jeopardize  the  wage  earner's  salary. 

[12]  We  denounce  the  proposed  constitutional  amendments  for  the 
imposition  of  additional  taxation  and  the  creation  of  State  banks  as 
an  attempt  to  saddle  a  wild  cat  currency  upon  our  people. 

[13]  We  favor  a  constitutional  amendment  providing  for  such 
work  on  our  waterways  as  will  favor  irrigation  and  prevent  overflows. 

[14]  We  indorse  in  the  fullest  sense  reform  in  our  State  election 
laws,  and  endeavors  for  the  purification  and  protection  of  the  ballot, 
and  for  the  securing  of  an  honest  count,  and  such  laws  should  be  so 
framed  as  to  encourage  freedom  of  thought  and  the  expression  of  the 
same  at  the  ballot  box.  We  indorse  such  features  of  the  Terrell  elec- 
tion law  as  have  this  tendency,  but  denounce  said  law  as  illegal  and 
unjust  in  failing  to  allow  the  name  of  an  independent  candidate 
to  appear  on  the  official  ballot,  and  wherein  it  seeks  to  perpetuate  the 
Democratic  party  in  office  by  placing  in  its  hands  sole  control  of  the 
election  machinery,  making  no  provision  for  the  judges  of  the  election, 
or  of  the  count,  representing  different  political  parties.  And  we  hereby 
declare  in  favor  of  an  official  blanket  ballot  on  which  shall  appear  the 
names  of  all  candidates,  indicating  the  party  to  which  they  belong,  and 
providing  for  independent  candidates. 

[15]  We  favor  an  economical  administration  of  bur  State  affairs, 
and  deplore  such  mismanagement  as  multiplies  offices  and  depletes 
the  treasury. 

To  this  end  we  demand  the  publication  of  lists  of  all  investments  of 
the  permanent  school  fund,  giving  detailed  accounts  of  all  bonds 
owned  by  the  State  and  the  circumstances  under  which  such  bonds 
were  acquired,  whether  from  the  counties  direct  or  from  some  favored 
banking  institution,  and  at  what  premium  or  discounts  such  bonds 
were  purchased. 

We  further  demand  the  publication  of  all  the  names  of  State  officials 
who  were  indebted  to  the  First  National  Bank  of  Austin,  Texas,  at  the 
time  when  said  bank  went  into  the  hands  of  the  National  bank  exam- 
iner in  the  year  1902,  at  which  time  there  was  tied  up  in  said  bank 
some  $350,000  of  the  State's  funds. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  of  Grayson,  chair- 
man; 1st  Senatorial  district,  H.  G.  Goree,  of  Cass;  2.  W.  P. 
Harris,  of  Hopkins ;  3.  C.  A.  Gray,  of  Fannin ;  4.  0.  F.  Johnson, 
of  Grayson ;  5.  W.  S.  Smith,  of  Hunt ;  6.  George  H.  Green,  of 
Dallas;  7.  S.  D.  Waldrip,  of  Van  Zandt;  8.  H.  0.  Wilson,  of 
Harrison;  9.  Henry  Dellums,  of  Navarro;  10.  J.  J.  Cypert,  of 
Hill;  11.  C.  A.  Boynton,  of  McLennan;  12.  J.  A.  Myers,  of 
Brazos;  13.  Theo.  Miller,  of  Cherokee;  14.  C.  R.  Bone,  of  Jeffer- 
son; 15.  U.  W.  Allen,  of  Walker;  16.  Spencer  Graves,  of  Fort 


478  Platforms  of  Political 

Bend;  17.  B.  A.  Trowell,  of  Galveston;  18.  M.  M.  Rodgers,  of 
Fayette;  19.  Paul  Fricke,  of  Washington;  20.  T.  L.  Wren,  of 
Travis;  21.  Eugene  Nolte,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  Theo.  Baughman, 
of  Victoria;  23.  J.  0.  Luby,  of  Duval;  24.  C.  C.  Clifford,  of 
Bexar;  25.  J.  A.  Smith,  of  El  Paso;  26.  Marshall  Smith,  of 
Brown;  27.  Joe  E.  Williams,  of  Hamilton;  28.  John  B.  Baker, 
of  Haskell;  29.  J.  E.  Lutz,  of  Wilbarger;  30.  J.  I.  Carter,  of 
Tarrant;  31.  George  A.  Knight,  of  Montague. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1904 

WACO,  August  23  and  24 

The  number  of  delegates  that  attended  this  convention  slightly 
exceeded  one  hundred. 

Officers:  Chairman,  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rockwall.  Secretary, 
R.  E.  Grabel,  of  Dallas. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  B.  P.  Bailey,  and  J. 
Cheaney,  of  Dallas;  1st  Congressional  district,  J.  T.  White,  of 
Hopkins;  2.  J.  R.  Caldwell,  of  Shelby;  3.  A.  A.  Duncan,  of 
Gregg;  4.  J.  M.  Robinson,  of  Colliii;  5.  Ed  Rogers,  of  Hill;  6. 
D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Limestone;  7.  H.  Y.  Prather,  of  Ander- 
son; 8.  D.  H.  Cooper,  of  Fort  Bend;  9.  S.  J.  Tipton,  of  Karnes; 
10.  A.  B.  Dailey,  of  Hays;  11.  Rev.  R.  G.  Bowers,  of  McLennan; 
12.  J.  C.  C.  Martin,  of  Comanche;  13.  W.  S.  Waller,  of  Jack; 
14.  J.  R.  Jamison,  of  Burnet;  15.  J.  F.  Neal,  of  Atascosa; 
16.  J.  C.  Burnett,  of  Midland. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  W.  D.  Jackson,  of  Mc- 
Lennan ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  J.  W.  Pearson,  of  Limestone ; 
Attorney-General,  J.  0.  Davis,  of  Harris;  Comptroller,  J.  T. 
Jordan,  of  Bell;  Treasurer,  J.  A.  L.  McFarland,  of  Denton; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  S.  A.  Vernon,  of 
Smith;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  R.  Clarke,  of. 
Deaf  Smith;  Railroad  Commissioner,  E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas; 
Supreme  Court,  D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Limestone;  Court  of 
Criminal  Appeals,  W.  L.  Harrison,  of  Bell. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of 
Dallas,  chairman ;  J.  T.  Jordan,  W.  D.  Jackson,  J.  T.  Pitkin,  of 


Parties  in  Texas  479 

Jeft'erson;  J.  W.  Pearson,  J.  T.  White,  J.  A.  Garrison,  of  Dal- 
las, P.  F.  Paige,  of  Dallas ;  H.  M.  H'assell,  of  Hunt. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  State  convention  assembled, 
recognizing  that  the  chief  end  of  all  government  is  the  establishment 
of  those  principles  of  righteousness  and  justice  that  have  been  revealed 
to  men  as  the  will  of  the  ever-living  God,  desiring  His  blessings  on 
our  State  and  National  life,  and  believing  in  the  perpetuation  of  the 
high  ideals  of  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the 
people,  established  by  our  fathers,  make  the  following  declarations  of 
principles  and  purposes: 

1.  The  widely  prevailing  system  of  the  licensed  and  legalized  sale 
of  alcoholic  beverages  is  so  ruinous  to  individual  interests,  so  inimical 
to  public  welfare,  so  destructive  to  State  and  National  wealth,  and  so 
subversive  of  the  rights  of  great  masses  of  our  citizenship,  that  the 
destruction  of  the  traffic  is,  and  for  years  has  been,  the  most  important 
question  in  American  politics. 

2.  We  deeply  deplore  the   lack  of  statesmanship  exhibited  by   the 
leaders  of  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties  in  their  refusal  to 
recognize  the  paramount  importance  of  this  question,  and  the  readiness 
with  which  the  leaders  of  these  parties  have  courted  the  favor  of  those 
whose  selfish  interests  are  advanced  by  the  continuation  and  augmen- 
tation of  the  traffic,  until  today  the  influence  of  the  liquor  traffic  prac- 
tically  dominates   National,    State,   and  local   government  throughout 
the  Union. 

3.  We  declare  the  truth,  demonstrated  by  the  experience  of  half  a 
century,  that  all  methods  of  dealing  with  the  liquor  traffic,  which  recog- 
nize its  right  to  exist,  in  any  form,  under  any  system  of  license  or  tax 
or  regulation,  have  proved  powerless  to  remove  its  evils  and  useless 
as  checks  upon  its  growth,  while  the  insignificant  public  revenues  which 
have   accrued  therefrom  have  seared  the  public  conscience  against  a 
recognition  of  its  iniquity. 

4.  We  pledge  the  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  wherever  given  power 
by  the  suffrages  of  the  people,  to  the  enactment  and  enforcement  of 
laws  prohibiting  and  abolishing  the  manufacture,  importation,   trans- 
portation, and  sale  of  alcoholic  beverages. 

5.  We  declare  that  there  is  not  only  no  other  issue  of  equal  im- 
portance before  the  American  people  today,  but  that  the  so-called  Issues 
upon  which  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties  seek  to  divide  the 
electorate   of  the   country  are,   in  large  part,   subterfuges    under  the 
cover  of  which  they  wrangle  for  the  spoils  of  office. 

'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  24  and  25,  1904. 


480  Platforms  of  Political 

6.  Recognizing  that  the  intelligent  voters  of  the  State  may  prop- 
erly  ask    our   attitude   upon    other    questions    of   public    concern,    we 
declare  ourselves  in  favor  of: 

(1)  The  impartial  enforcement  of  all  law; 

(2)  The  safeguarding  of  the  people's  rights  by  rigid  application  of 
the  principles  of  justice  to  all  combinations  of  capital  and  labor; 

(3)  A  more  intimate  relation  between  the  people  and  government 
by  a  wise  application    of  the   principles  of  the   initiative  and  refer- 
endum; 

(4)  The  election  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  United 
States  senators  by  vote  of  the  people; 

(5)  The  reform  of  our  divorce  laws,  the  final  extirpation  of  poly- 
gamy,  and  the  total   overthrow   of  the   present   shameful   system    of 
the  illegal  sanction  of  the  social  ev.il,  with  its  unspeakable  traffic  in 
girls,  by  the  municipal  authorities  of  almost  all  our  cities. 

7.  We  demand  that  our  legislature  take  cognizance  of  the  present 
so-called    cold    storage   clubs    or   houses,   which   are    in    effect    only  a 
method  of  evading  the  local  option  and  prohibition  statutes,  and  pass 
such  laws  as  will  give  our  people  relief  from  their  immoral  and  de- 
moralizing effects. 

8.  We  declare   our   truceless   opposition  to  what  is  known  as  the 
Willacy  bill  and  to  all  measures  of  like  character  which  are  devised 
by  friends  of  the  liquor  traffic  for  the  purpose  of  weakening  or  de- 
stroying our  present  prohibition  laws. 

9.  We  express  our  heartfelt  gratitude  at  the   constant  growth,  en- 
largement, and  deepening  of  the  vprohibition   sentiment  of  our  State, 
and  the  constantly   increasing  territory,   covered   by  our  prohibitory 
laws,  and  we  rejoice  that  the  area  of  prohibition  territory  in  Texas  is 
more  than  equal  to  the  territory  of  the  average  State  of  our  Union; 
and  we  hail  with  joy  the  growing  strength  of  the  prohibition  sentiment 
which  we  believe  in  the  not  distant  future  will  banish  every  liquor 
saloon  from  our  borders,  placing  in  office  honest  men  who  will  im- 
partially enforce  these  laws. 

10.  We  point  with  pride  to  the  fact  that  the  splendid  achievements 
of  the  local  prohibition  forces  in  Texas  have  been  in  a  great  degree 
inaugurated  and  led  by  members  of  the  Prohibition   party;    and  we 
rejoice  that  in  local  option  elections  members  of  our  poltical  faith  can 
be  always  counted  against  the  saloon  without  the  necessity  of  spending 
money  or  effort  in  their  conversion. 

11.  While  we  commend  in  the  main  the  Terrell  election  law,  we 
call  for  such  amendments  as  will  deal  fairly  with  independent  citizens 
and  minority  parties  at  the  ballot  box. 

12.  We  give   our  approval  and  indorsement  of  the  National   plat- 
form, adopted  at  Indianapolis,  and  pledge  our  most  loyal  support  to 
the  nominees  of  that  convention,  Silas  C.  Swallow,  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  George  W.  Carroll,  of  Texas. 


Parties  in  Texas  481 

State  Executive  Committee:  State  at  large,  A.  A.  Everts, 
B.  P.  Bailey,  J.  B.  Cranfill,  R.  C.  Ayres,  H.  A.  Bourland,  P.  F. 
Paige;  1st  Senatorial  district,  L.  J.  Woodson,  of  Marion;  2. 
J.  M.  Wester,  of  Hopkins;  3.  L.  C.  Hill,  of  Fannin;  4.  G.  C. 
Freeman,  of  Graysoii;  5.  C.  M.  Keith,  of  Hunt;  6.  E.  C.  Heath, 
of  Rockwall;  7.  S.  A.  Vernon,  of  Smith;  8.  F.  J.  Whaley,  of 
Harrison;  9.  H.  G.  Damon,  of  Navarro;  10.  S.  C.  Lockett,  of 
Hill ;  11.  E.  J.  Vesey,  of  McLennan ;  12.  J.  W.  Pearson,  of  Lime- 
stone ;  13.  H.  V.  Prather,  of  Anderson ;  14.  George  W.  Carroll, 
of  Jefferson;  15.  Rev.  H.  C.  Smith,  of  Grimes;  16.  W.  T.  Clay- 
ton, of  Harris ;  17.  M.  S.  Kearby,  of  Wharton ;  18.  J.  C.  Hills- 
man,  of  Fayette;  19.  E.  J.  Bradley,  of  Bastrop;  20.  L.  J.  Win- 
ters, of  Williamson;  21.  H.  F.  Cook,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  J.  T. 
Hofford,  of  DeWitt;  23.  R.  L.  Pierce,  of  Jackson;  24.  W.  A. 
Xeal,  of  Bexar;  25.  H.  Q.  Lyle,  of  Sterling;  26.  L.  T.  Woodall, 
of  Erath;  27.  J.  T.  Jordan,  of  Bell;  28.  H.  L.  Winchell,  of  East- 
land;  29.  A.  B.  Winkler,  of  Potter;  30.  A.  T.  Blessing,  of  Tar- 
rant;  31.  A.  M.  Ragland,  of  Denton. 

SOCIALIST  LABOR  STATE  TICKET,  1904 

Xo  proceedings  of  a  State  convention  have  been  found. 
Nominees  for  State  Offices:     Governor,  Frank  Leitner;  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, Charles  Joseph  Pollard. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1906 

TERRELL,  August  14 

The  attendance  was  small. 

Officers:  Chairman,  E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
T.  A.  Searcy,  of  Brazos. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  J.  W.  Pearson,  of 
Ellis;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Thomas  Brown,  of  Jefferson;  At- 
torney-General, J.  M.  Russell,  of  Potter;  Comptroller,  J.  P. 
Crouch,  of  Collin;  Treasurer,  L.  J.  Winters,  of  Travis;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  H.  L.  Winchell,  of  East- 
land;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  George  B.  Ely,  of 
Ector;  Railroad  Commissioner,  John  L.  Andrews,  of  Dallas. 

31—328  r"Fl 


482  Platforms  of  Political 

Committee  on  Platform:  J.  L.  Andrews,  of  Dallas,  chairman; 
E.  C.  Heath,  of  RockwaU;  A.  A.  Everts,  of  Dallas;  H.  E.  White, 
of  Dallas;  D.  C.  Warren,  of  McLennan. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  recognizes 
now,  as  in  years  past,  God's  authority  in  all  matters  of  government 
and  politics,  and  the  traffic  in  alcoholic  beverages  as  the  greatest 
present  danger  which  threatens  the  lives,  health,  and  happiness  of  the 
"people  of  our  Nation,  the  integrity  of  our  institutions,  and  the  future 
of  our  children.  We  declare  the  toleration  of  such  a  business  in  this 
century  to  be  contrary  to  all  reason,  either  moral  or  economic. 

We,  as  Prohibitionists,  do  not  offer  prohibition  as  a  cure-all,  but 
declare  the  legalized  saloon  to  be  the  salient  point  in  the  battle  line 
of  all  these  forces  of  evil  which  resist  good  government  and  hinder 
the  progress  of  our  people  toward  righteousness,  peace,  and  prosperity. 

There  are  other  evils  in  the  battle  line,  such  as  the  disregard  for 
law,  corruption  of  elections,  unjust  legislation  and  many  more.  But 
if  the  liquor  traffic*  be  destroyed  many  other  evils  will  disappear  and 
all  will  be  greatly  lessened. 

We  declare  that  a  just  government  will  secure  the  rights  of  all  the 
people;  that,  while  we  agree  to  the  rule  of  the  majority  as  a  matter 
of  convenience,  we  contend  that  the  minority  should  be  fairly  repre- 
sented in  our  legislative  bodies.  Believing  that  the  licensed  liquor 
traffic  to  be  the  strategic  point,  we  concentrate  our  fire  upon  it  and 
invite  the  support  of  all  our  fellow  citizens. 

We  declare  that  the  business  and  moral  interests  of  our  State  de- 
mand: 

1.  The  absolute   prohibition  of  the   manufacture,   importation,   ex- 
portation, transportation,  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  for  beverage 
purposes. 

2.  The  Initiative  and  referendum. 

3.  The  impartial  enforcement  of  all  laws. 

4.  That  we  request  our  senators  and  representatives  to  work  for 
the  passage  of  a  law  preventing  the  United  States  government  from 
granting  permits  to  sell  liquors  in  prohibition  territory. 

5.  Such  rigid  government  control  of  public  service  corporations  as 
shall  best  secure  the  interests  of  the  people,  and,  in  case  the  interests 
of  the  people  require  it,  government  ownership  of  public  utilities. 

6.  A   simple,   adequate   election    law   that  will   give   each   political, 
party  the  right  to  decide  when,  how,  and  by  whom  its  candidates  shall 
be   nominated,   and  that  will  provide   for  a  general  election   law  by 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Neivi, 
August  15,  1906. 


Parties  in  Texas  483 

which  an  intelligent  citizen  can  vote  without  the  assistance  of  the 
attorney-general  or  a  professional  politician.  We  believe  that  every 
plank  in  the  above  platform  is  important,  but  we  insist  on  the  first  as 
being  vitally  so. 

Additional  Resolution 

Resolved,  that  it  is  the  sense  of  this  convention  that  all  party  Pro- 
hibitionists should  do  all  in  their  power  to  adopt  the  local  option  law 
whenever  the  same  is  presented  to  the  people  for  adoption.  And  while 
it  is  a  fact  that  the  Prohibition  party  is  the  only  party  that  votes  as 
a  unit  for  local  option,  all  other  parties  being  divided  on  this  issue,  we 
desire  to  place  ourselves  on  record  to  this  effect. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  N.  Thomas,  of  Marion;  2. 
J.  T.  White,  of  Hopkins;  3.  G.  W.  Johnson,  of  Fannin;  4.  I.  E. 
Teague,  of  Grayson;  5.  W.  L.  Bonds,  of  Hunt;  6.  H.  E.  White, 
of  Dallas;  7.  J.  C.  Cooper,  of  Smith;  8.  T.  J.  Whaley,  of  Har- 
rison; 9.  T.  G.  P.  Miller,  of  Navarro;  10.  J.  W.  Pearson,  of 
Ellis;  11.  D.  C.  Warren,  of  McLennan;  12.  Tom  A.  Searcy,  of 
Brazos;  13.  Dr.  W.  B.  Mackey,  of  Anderson;  14.  George  W. 
Carroll,  of  Jefferson;  15.  H.  C.  Holman,  of  Grimes;  16.  R.  E. 
Burt,  of  Harris;  17.  R.  A.  Armstrong,  of  Wharton;  18.  J.  C. 
Hillman,  of  Fayette;  19.  James  M.  Renick,  of  Bastrop;  20  J.  S. 
Carroll,  of  Williamson;  21.  H.  B.  Holmes,  of  Caldwell;  22.  J.  T. 
Hofford,  of  DeWitt;  23.  Rev.  D.  B.  South,  of  Nueces;  24.  Dr. 
Bates  Warren,  of  Bexar;  25.  Fred  C.  Emory,  of  El  Paso;  26. 
J.  D.  Martin,  of  Brown;  27.  Dr.  W.  L.  Harrison,  of  Bell;  28. 
G.  F.  Howden,  Jr.,  of  Midland;  29.  J.  D.  Stocking,  of  Donley; 
30.  B.  P.  Bailey,  of  Tarrant;  31.  A.  E.  Boyd,  of  Montague. 

SOCIALIST  STATE  MASS  MEETING,  1906 
DAI^LAS,  August  14 

As  the  organization  of  the  Socialist  party  differs  from  that 
of  the  other  parties,  they  held  a  State  mass  meeting  in  place 
of  a  State  convention.  A  platform  was  adopted,  and  candi- 
dates were  formally  nominated,  although  they  had  previously 
been  chosen  by  a  party  referendum. 

Officers:     Chairman,  W.  J.  Bell,  of  Smith.     Secretary, 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:     Governor,  George  Clifton  Ed- 


484  Platforms  of  Political 

wards,  of  Dallas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Lee  L.  Rhodes,  of  Van 
Zandt;  Attorney- General,  M.  A.  Smith,  of  Hunt;  Comptroller, 
G.  W.  M.  Taylor,  of  Parker;  Treasurer,  W.  J.  Bell,  of  Smith; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  L.  Swan,  of  Jones ; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  J.  M.  Crier,  of  Bexar; 
Railroad  Commissioner,  E.  R.  Meitzen,  of  Lavaca;  Supreme 
Court,  William  D.  Simpson,  of  Dallas;  Court  of  Criminal  Ap- 
peals, Eustace  Bellinger,  of  Bexar. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Socialist  party  of  Texas,  in  mass  meeting  assembled,  reaffirms 
its  allegiance  to  the  principles  of  international  Socialism  and  indorses 
the  platform  of  the  Socialist  party  of  the  United  States,  which  de- 
clares that  "Socialism  means  that  all  those  things  upon  which  the 
people  in  common  depend  shall  by  the  people  in  common  be  owned 
and  administered.  It  means  that  the  tools  of  employment  shall  belong 
to  their  creators  and  users,  that  all  production  shall  be  for  the  direct 
use  of  the  producers,  that  the  making  of  goods  for  profit  shall  come 
to  an  end,  that  we  shall  all  be  workers,  and  that  opportunities  shall 
be  open  and  equal  to  all  men." 

Under  the  present  system,  society  is  divided  into*  two  classes:  the 
rich  and  the  poor,  the  capitalist  class  and  the  working  class.  The 
one  toils  without  enjoying;  the  other  enjoys  without  toiling.  In  the 
wage  earners  of  our  towns  and  cities  and  the  farmer,  we  recognize 
the  types  of  the  producing  elements  of  the  country.  Under  the  pre- 
vailing economic  system,  both  are  explointed  for  the  benefit  of  the 
capitalist  class;  the  laborer  on  the  sale  of  his  labor  power  and  the 
farmer  on  the  sale  of  his  products.  Both  are  again  exploited  in  the 
purchase  of  the  necessities  of  life. 

The  Socialist  party  declares  its  aim  to  be  the  abolition  of  the  cap- 
italist system,  and  the  establishment  of  the  cooperative  commonwealth. 
For  this  purpose  we  seek  to  organize  the  producing  class  of  city  and 
country  into  a  political  party  to  gain  control  of  the  powers  of  govern- 
ment. 

Trusts  and  monopolies  are  the  logical  results  of  our  present  economic 
system,  and  modern  labor  saving  machinery  is  dealing  death  blows 
to  production  on  a  small  scale,  practically  wiping  it  out  with  combina- 
tion, and  rendering  monopoly  a  necessary  condition  in  production  on 
a  large  scale,  thus  making  the  vital  question  of  the  hour,  "Shall  the 
Nation  own  the  trusts,  or  shall  the  trusts  own  the  Nation?" 

Private  monopoly  is  the  curse  and  blight  of  our  Nation  today,  as 

1PThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  arei  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  15,  1906. 


Parties  in  Texas  485 

evidenced  by  the  coal  trust  making  untold  millions  out  of  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  toilers,  and  the  insatiable  greed  of  the  oil  trust  in  the  ruin 
of  innumerable  competitors  and  small  dealers,  in  open  defiance  to  all 
laws  and  courts  of  justice,  while  the  graves  that  are  being  filled  by  the 
victims  of  the  diseased  and  poisonous  products  of  the  meat  trust  are 
greater  in  number  than  that  of  modern  wars;  and  similar  charges 
have  been  brought  against  all  the  other  trusts. 

Our  State  and  National  legislators  have  become  the  mere  agencies 
of  great  propertied  interests.  These  interests  control  the  appointments 
and  decisions  of  the  judges  of  our  courts.  They  have  come  into  what 
is  practically  a  private  ownership  of  all  the  forces  and  functions  of 
government.  They  are  gradually  invading  and  restricting  the  right 
of  the  worker  to  a  voice  and  vote  in  public  affairs.  *  By  enacting  new, 
and  misinterperting  old  laws,  they  are  preparing  to  attack  the  liberty 
of  the  individual  even  to  speak  or  think  for  himself,  or  for  the  common 
good.  As  a  long  step  in  this  direction  we  point  to  the  so-called  Terrell 
election  law  and  the  poll  tax  amendment  of  the  State. 

To  the  end  that  the  workers  may  be  strengthened  in  their  struggle 
to  gain  complete  control  of  the  powers  of  government,  and  thereby 
establish  the  cooperative  commonwealth,  the  Socialist  party  of  Texas 
pledges  itself  to  watch  and  work,  in  both  the  economic  and  political 
struggle,  for  each  successive  immediate  interest  of  the  working  class, 
for  shortened  days  of  labor  and  increased  wages;   for  the  insurance 
of  the  workers  against  accident,  sickness,  and  lack  of  employment;  for 
pensions  for  aged  and  exhausted  workers;  for  the  public  ownership  of 
all  the  means  of  transportation,  communication,  and  exchange;  for  the 
complete  education  of  children  and  their  freedom  from  the  workshop; 
for  free  administration  of  justice;   for  popular  government,  including 
the  initiative,  referendum,  proportional  representation,  equal  suffrage 
for  men  and  women,  municipal  home  rule,  and  the  recall  of  officers 
by  their  constituents;    for  the  repeal  of  the  poll  tax,  and  for  every 
gain  or  advantage  of  the  worker  that  may  be  wrested  from  the  cap- 
italist system,  and  that  may  relieve  the  suffering  and  strengthen  the 
hands  of  labor. 

To  this  end  we  pledge  ourselves,  as  the  party  of  the  working  class,  to 
use  all  political  power  as  fast  as  it  shall-  be  entrusted  to  us  by  our 
fellow  workers,  both  for  their  immediate  interests  and  for  their  ulti- 
mate and  complete  emancipation. 

In  accordance  with  the  decisions  of  the  International  Socialist  con- 
gresses, this  meeting  reaffirms  the  declaration  that  the  trade  and  labor 
unions  are  a  necessity  in  the  struggle  to  aid  in  emancipating  the  work- 
ing class,  and  we  consider  it  the  duty  of  all  wage  earners  to  join  these 
movements. 


486  Platforms  of  Political 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1906 

EL  PASO,  August  14  and  15 

This  was  the  first  political  State  convention  to  be  held  in  El 
Paso.  There  were  about  300  delegates  present,  of  which  number 
not  over  twenty-five  were  colored. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  W.  H.  Atwell,  of  Dallas; 
permanent,  Dr.  C.  A.  Gray,  of  Fannin.  Secretary,  Walter  E. 
Baker,  of  Grayson. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Dr.  Carey  A.  Gray,  of 
Fannin;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Friedrich  Hofheinz,  of  Comal; 
Attorney- General,  Charles  W.  Ogden,  of  Bexar;  Comptroller, 
Wentworth  Manning,  of  Van  Zandt;  Treasurer,  George  M. 
Booth,  of  Williamson ;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office, 
Henry  C.  Harding,  of  Potter;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion, F.  Vandervort,  of  Dimmit;  Eailroad  Commissioner,  W.  F. 
Connor,  of  Dallas;  Supreme  Court,  Frank  B.  Stanley,  of  Tar- 
rant;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  Alexander  G.  Foster,  of  El 
Paso. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  Tom  Dailey,  2.  R.  H.  Dunn,  3.  Theo.  Miller,  4.  G.  W. 
Barlow,  5.  J.  J.  Cypert,  6.  blank;  7.  M.  C.  McLemore.  8.  C.  A. 
Warnken,  9.  J.  G.  Schermack,  10.  Webster  Flanagan,  11.  Joseph 
E.  Williams,  12.  blank,  13.  J.  E.  Lutz,  14.  Hugh  Burns,  15.  R. 
W.  Doe,  16.  Robert  M.  Webb. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  We,  your  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions,  beg  leave  to 
report  that  we  heartily  indorse  the  National  administration,  directed 
and  controlled  by  the  Republican  party,  under  the  direction  of  the 
incomparable  leader,  our  President,  Theodore  Roosevelt.  His  action 
and  energy  in  behalf  of  the  interests  of  the  whole  people  of  the  United 
States,  his  brave  and  characteristic  opposition  to  the  trusts  and  the 
insistence  upon  the  prosecution  of  all  offenders  against  the  law  should 
win  for  him  the  plaudits  of  the  American  people.  We  congratulate 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  15  and  16,  1906. 


Parties  in  Texas  487 

the  American  people  for  having  had  for  the  past  two  years  a  Congress 
composed  largely  of  Republicans,  which,  without  regard  to  State  or 
politics,  has  by  liberal  contribution  and  appropriation  commenced  a 
movement  by  which  the  arid  lands  of  the  West  and  particularly  of  the 
State  of  Texas  will  develop  into  a  magnificent  and  beautiful  country 
such  as  we  see  about  us  in  El  Paso  today. 

[2]  We  most  heartily  indorse  the  principles  of  government  and  the 
policies  set  forth  in  the  platform  of  the  Republican  party,  adopted  at 
the  National  convention  in  1904,  and  pledge  our  allegiance  to  the  same 
and  to  the  advocacy  thereof. 

[3]  We  indorse  the  administration  of  President  Roosevelt  in  its 
entirety  and  regard  him  as  one  of  the  greatest,  if  not  the  greatest, 
champion  of  the  rights  of  the  people. 

[4]  We  renew  our  faith  and  belief  in  the  wisdom  of  the  protective 
tariff  to  be  accompanied  with  the  policy  of  reciprocity  as  the  same  has 
been  advocated  by  Elaine,  McKinley,  and  Roosevelt,  and  a  revision  of 
tariff  schedules  as  changed  conditions  may  suggest,  but  never  violating 
the  theory  and  policy  of  a  protective  tariff. 

[5]  We  indorse  the  course  of  Hon.  C.  A.  Lyon  as  our  State  chair- 
man and  as  a  member  of  the  National  Republican  executive  committee 
from  this  State.  His  efforts  in  behalf  of  our  party,  his  interest  in 
its  development  win  for  him  our  highest  commendation  and  we  extend 
to  him  the  indorsement  of  the  party. 

[6]  We  denounce  in  most  emphatic  terms  the  character  and  nature 
of  the  Democratic  measure  designated  and  known  as  the  Terrell  elec- 
tion law  as  being  a  measure  and  an  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  of  this  State  to  throttle  and  stifle  the  voice  of  the  people 
to  prevent  opposition  to  the  Democratic  machine  and  to  maintain  in 
power  a  party  which  has  been  guilty  of  violating  every  trust  confided 
to  it  and  to  perpetuate  in  power  the  party  which  is  the  father  of  such  a 
monstrosity.  We  condemn  it  as  being  unfair  and  intended  to  deprive 
the  citizens  of  this  State  of  a  fair  expression  of  their  wishes  with 
regard  to  the  government  of  municipal,  county,  and  State  affairs. 

[7]  We  demand,  as  a  business  proposition,  that  the  funds  of  the 
State  of  Texas  that  are  not  subject  to  immediate  use  should  be  de- 
posited in  institutions  of  credit  and  reliability  to  earn  interest  instead 
of  being  left  in  the  care  and  charge  of  the  Treasurer  of  the  State  of 
Texas,  who  has  heretofore,  though  contrary  to  law,  deposited  the  same 
in  private  institutions  for  the  benefit  of  his  personal  and  political 
friends. 

[8]  We  demand  that  the  school  fund  of  the  State  of  Texas  should 
be  devoted  to  the  education  of  its  whole  people  without  favor  or  dis- 
tinction, and  that  sufficient  tax  should  be  levied  upon  the  property 
throughout  the  State  to  provide  for  equal  facilities  and  opportunities 
for  education  in  the  rural  districts  as  is  now  provided  in  the  cities  of 
this  State. 

[9]     And   we   insist   that  with  the  wealth  of  this   State   sufficient 


488  Platforms  of  Political 

income  should  be  derived  to  support  the  schools  throughout  the  State 
in  the  cities  and  country  for  a  term  of  at  least  eight  months  each  year 
and  we  deem  it  expedient  and  advisable  that  a  law  be  enacted  covering 
this  proposition  and  providing  for  the  compulsory  education  of  the 
children  of  our  people  of  this  State. 

[10]  That  we  declare  in  favor  of  equal  rights  to  all  under  the  law, 
and  with  regard  to  local  option  elections  that  both  sides  have  equal 
rights  and  privileges  in  the  call,  ordering,  and  holding  of  elections. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  of  Grayson, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  H.  G.  Goree,  of  Cass;  2.  J. 
W.  Bradford,  of  Titus;  3.  C.  A.  Gray,  of  Fannin;  4.  0.  F.  John- 
son, of  Grayson;  5.  A.  S.  Dickinson,  of  Collin;  6.  Ed  S.  Thayer, 
of  Dallas ;  7.  S.  D.  Waldrip,  of  Van  Zandt ;  8.  W.  K.  Eckman, 
of  Gregg;  9.  R.  Freedman,  of  Navarro;  10.  J.  J.  Cypert,  of  Hill; 
11.  J.  E.  Boynton,  of  McLennan;  12.  G.  H.  Morris,  of  Limestone; 
13.  J.  H.  Kurth,  of  Angelina;  14.  George  H.  East,  of  Marion; 
15.  Ewing  Norwood,  of  Grimes;  16.  Spencer  Graves,  of  Fort 
Bend;  17.  Otto  Letzerich,  of  Galveston;  18.  C.  L.  Rhome,  of 
Fayette;  19.  R.  D.  Evans,  of  Burleson;  20.  T.  L.  Wren,  of  Travis; 
21.  August  Graeb,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  blank;  23.  Ed  C.  Lassater, 
of  Starr;  24.  Ed  F.  Glaze,  of  Bexar;  25.  blank;  26.  W.  M. 
Leonard,  of  Erath;  27.  Joe  E.  Williams,  of  Hamilton;  28.  L.  S. 
McDowell,  of  Howard;  29.  J.  E.  Lutz,  of  Wilbarger;  30.  Sam 
Davidson,  of  Tarrant;  31.  J.  A.  Burgess,  of  Montague 

"REORGANIZED"   REPUBLICAN   STATE   CONVENTION, 

1906 

HOUSTON,  August  14 

Members  of  the  faction,  opposed  to  the  leadership  of  State 
Chairman  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  met  at  Dallas,  July  4,  1906,  for  the 
purpose  of  perfecting  a  separate  and  independent  party  organi- 
zation. A  plenary  committee  was  appointed,  composed  of  G. 
B.  Clark,  of  Hillsboro,  Dr.  A.  W.  Acheson,  of  Denison,  E.  C. 
Griscom,  of  Houston,  and  W.  E.  King  of  Dallas,  whose  duty 
it  was  to  appoint  a  State  executive  committee  and  to  pilot  the 
organization  until  the  State  convention,  August  14,  1906.  About 
200  delegates  attended  the  convention;  of  this  number  about 
twenty-five  were  white. 


Parties  in  Texas  489 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Dr.  J.  M.  Mosely,  of  Tar- 
rant;  permanent,  J.  C.  Gibbons,  of  Lamar.  Secretary  pro 
tempore,  Dan  Q-uill,  of  Kaufman;  permanent,  Lee  S.  Simmons, 
of  Falls. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,1  E.  H.  R.  Green,  of 
Kaufman;  Lieutenant-Governor,  James  C.  Gibbons,  of  Lamar. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  W.  M.  McDonald, 
of  Kaufman,  chairman;  Dr.  W.  M.  Nagle,  of  Graysou;  Charlie 
Beck,  of  Hill;  A.  J.  McCauley,  of  Dallas;  J.  W.  A.  Clarke,  of 
Navarro;  M.  H.  Broyles,  of  Harris;  G.  G.  Newell,  of  Anderson; 
J.  C.  Cain,  of  Washington ;  A.  Z.  Wheeler,  of  Falls ;  J.  M.  Chel- 
via,  of  Bexar ;  S.  W.  Houston,  of  Walker. 

PLATFORM2 

The  reorganized  Republican  party  of  Texas,  in  State  convention 
assembled,  appealing  for  the  popular  and  historical  justification  or 
their  claims  to  the  matchless  achievements  of  the  past  forty  years  of 
National  Republican  rule,  earnestly  and  confidently  address  themselves 
to  the  awakened  intelligence,  experience,  and  conscience  of  their 
countrymen  in  the  following  declaration  of  principles: 

[1]  We  reaffirm  our  allegiance  to  the  principles  declared  by  the 
founders  of  the  Republican  party  and  indorsed  by  the  administrations 
of  Lincoln,  Grant,  McKinley,  and  our  peerless  and  fearless  President, 
Theodore  Roosevelt. 

[2]  For  nearly  forty  years  the  people  of  Texas  have  witnessed  the 
calamitous  consequences  of  full  and  unrestricted  Democratic  control 
of  our  State  government.  It  has  been  a  record  of  unparalleled  pre- 
judice, incapacity,  dishonor,  and  disaster.  In  administrative  manage- 
ment it  has  ruthlessly  sacrificed  patriotism,  indispensable  revenue, 
entailed  an  increasing  deficit,  eked  out  ordinary  current  expenses  with 
money  obtained  from  the  Federal  government,  piled  up  the  State's 
obligations,  forced  capital  to  seek  other  fields  of  investment,  kept  a 
perpetual  menace  hanging  over  the  State  in  the  form  of  "trusts," 
fostered  nepotism  and  graft,  and  filled  the  statutes  of  Texas  with  class 
legislation. 

[3]  In  the  broad  effect  of  its  policy  it  has  precipitated  business 
panic,  blighted  industry  and  trade,  reduced  work  and  wages,  halted 
enterprises  and  crippled  Texas  productions,  while  stimulating  foreign 
productions  for  Texas  markets.  Every  consideration  of  public  good 

1Before  the  election  the  name  of  E.  H.  R.  Green  was  replaced  by  that  of 
Dr.  Alex  W.  Acheson. 

*The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  Newt, 
August  15,  1906. 


490  Platforms  of  Political 

and  individual  interest  demands  that  the  State  government  shall  be 
rescued  from  the  hands  of  a  party  who  has  shown  itself  incapable,  too 
narrow,  and  too  prejudiced  to  conduct  it  without  disaster  at  home  and 
dishonor  abroad,  and  should  be  restored  to  the  party  which  for  forty 
years  has  administered  the  affairs  of  the  Nation  with  unequaled  suc- 
cess and  prosperity,  and  in  this  connection  we  heartily  indorse  the 
wisdom,  patriotism,  and  the  success  of  the  administration  of  President 
Roosevelt. 

[4]  We  reaffirm  our  opposition,  as  declared  in  the  National  Repub- 
lican platform  of  1904,  to  all  combinations  of  capital  organized  in 
trusts  or  otherwise  to  control  arbitrarily  the  conditions  of  trade  among 
the  citizens  of  Texas. 

[5]  In  a  republic  like  ours,  where  the  citizen  is  the  sovereign  and 
the  official  the  servant,  where  no  power  is  exercised  except  by  the 
will  of  the  people,  it  is  important  that  the  sovereign — the  people — 
should  possess  intelligence.  The  free  school  is  the  promoter  of  intelli- 
gence which  is  to  preserve  us  a  free  people;  therefore,  the  State  should 
support  free  institutions  of  learning  sufficient  to  afford  every  child  a 
good  common  school  education,  and  to  this  end  we  favor  compulsory 
education  for  all  children  between  the  ages  of  seven  and  sixteen. 

[6]  We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  by  which  all  mechanics  and 
day  laborers  employed  by  or  on  behalf  of  the  State  government, 
whether  directly  or  indirectly,  through  persons,  firms,  or  corporations, 
contracting  with  the  State,  shall  conform  to  the  reduced  standard  of 
eight  hours  a  day,  and  also  for  an  amendment  to  the  acts  of  incor- 
poration for  cities  and  towns  by  which  all  laborers  and  mechanics 
employed  at  their  expense  shall  conform  to  the  same  number  of  hours. 

[7]  We  believe  that  the  enlightened  spirit  and  sentiment  of  the  age 
demands  the  abolition  of  the  system  of  contract  labor  from  prisons  by 
individuals  and  private  corporations,  throwing  them  in  competition 
with  free  labor,  and  that  all  convict  labor  should  be  utilized  by  the 
State  in  erecting  good  public  roads. 

[8]  We  congratulate  the  State  that  lynching,  whitecapping,  and 
peonage  are  on  the  wane  in  our  State,  and  we  proclaim  unqualified 
condemnation  of  the  uncivilized  and  barbarous  practice  well  known  as 
"lynching"  or  killing  of  human  beings  suspected  or  charged  with  crimes 
without  due  process  of  law. 

[9]  The  pledge  which  the  State  has  given  to  her  Confederate  sol- 
diers and  sailors  must  be  fulfilled,  and  a  grateful  people  will  always 
hold  those  who  imperil  their  lives  for  the  State's  preservation  in  the 
kindliest  remembrance,  and  we  pledge  to  those  old  veterans  a  watch- 
ful care  and  a  just  recognition  of  their  claims  upon  the  State. 

[10]  We  favor  ample  and  full  provisions  for  the  accommodation 
of  our  unfortunate  insane. 

[11]  We  favor  improvement  by  the  Federal  government  of  all 
navigable  streams  to  tide  water,  and  the  building  and  maintaining  of 
all  public  highways. 


Parties  in  Texas  491 

[12]  We  indorse  the  exercise  of  that  foresight,  prompt  decision, 
and  undaunted  public  duty  of  the  administration  that  President  Roose- 
velt has  brought  to  an  actual  beginning,  a  project  that  the  world  has 
anticipated  for  400  years,  and  which  is  of  the  most  stupendous  im- 
portance to  the  country,  and  especially  to  the  State  of  Texas,  as  it  has 
already  attracted  a  trunk  line  of  railway  to  our  Gulf,  which  has  made 
Galveston  the  second  export  city  of  America,  and  when  said  canal  is 
completed,  will  make  Texas  the  greatest  commercial  center  and  in- 
dustrial State  in  the  Union — the  gateway  to  and  from  the  Orient. 

[13]  We  favor  the  enactment  of  laws  so  constructed  that  the  bur- 
dens of  taxation  may  be  equally  and  impartially  laid,  to  the  end  that 
all  persons  and  corporations  may  bear  their  due  proportion  of  the 
expenses  of  the  State  government. 

Confiding  in  the  justice  of  our  cause,  and  the  necessity  of  its  success 
at  the  polls,  we  submit  the  foregoing  declaration  of  principles  and 
purposes  to  the  considerate  judgment  of  all  Texas  people,  and  we 
appeal  to  them  to  hold  in  abeyance  for  the  moment  all  other  questions, 
however  important  and  even  momentous  they  may  appear,  to  sur- 
render, if  need  be,  all  former  party  ties  and  affiliations,  and,  united  in 
one  supreme  effort,  free  themselves  and  their  children  from  the  domi- 
nation of  a  party  which  is  local  in  extent,  incapable  in  statesmanship, 
and  negative  or  objective  in  all  great  measures  which  affect  the  ma- 
terial growth  and  prosperity  of  both  the  people  of  the  State  and 
Nation. 

We  invite  the  support  of  all  citizens  without  regard  to  past  party 
affiliations,  who  can- approve  of  the  principles  herein  set  forth,  and  who 
desire  to  have  them  made  effective  through  legislation  for  the  relief 
of  the  people  and  the  restoration  of  the  State's  prosperity. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Dr.  Alex  W.  Acheson,  of  Gray- 
son,  chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  C.  Alexander,  oC  Bowie; 
2.  J.  Stonewall  Jackson,  of  Red  River;  3.  T.  W.  Trupe,  of 
Lamar;  4.  M.  0.  Sharpe,  of  Grayson;  5.  H.  Wagner,  of  Hunt; 
6.  W.  E.  King,  of  Dallas;  7.  W.  L.  Dickson,  of  Upshur;  8.  P.  F. 
Dennis,  of  Harrison;  9.  Roy  Kennedy,  of  Navarro;  10  blank; 
11.  M.  M.  Patton,  of  McLennan;  12.  H.  J.  McDonnell,  of  Lime- 
stone; 13.  H.  L.  Price,  of  Anderson;  14.  W.  M.  Sanders,  of 
Nacogdoches;  15.  G.  K.  Collins,  of  Walker;  16.  E.  C.  Griscom, 
of  Harris;  17.  John  Richards,  of  Brazoria;  18.  J.  R.  Morris,  of 
Colorado;  19.  J.  C.  Cain,  of  Burleson;  20.  J.  W.  Burke,  of 
Travis;  21.  T.  H.  Taylor,  of  Gonzales;  22.  H.  C.  Adler,  of  Vic- 
toria; 23.  blank;  24.  J.  W.  Sansom,  of  Bexar;  25.  to  29.  blank; 
30.  J.  M.  Mosely,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Dr.  0.  L.  Grayson,  of  Mon- 
tague. 


492  Platforms  of  Political 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1906 

DALLAS,  August  14-16 

This  was  the  first  Democratic  State  convention  held  under 
the  operation  of  the  Terrell  election  law,  providing  for  the 
nomination  of  candidates  by  primary  election.  Some  of  the 
results  of  the  operation  of  this  law  were  the  increased  campaign 
expenses  to  candidates,  increased  expenses  to  the  State  chair- 
man, and  the  indecisive  nature  of  the  vote  for  candidates  for 
the  nomination  for  governor.  The  law  required  that  the  several 
candidates  shall  have  prorated  among  them  the  convention 
vote  of  each  county  in  proportion  to  the  vote  cast  for  each  can- 
didate. In  consequence,  said  one  writer,  "It  is  doubtful  that 
there  ever  has  been  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  a  situation 
requiring  so  much  figuring  and  accounting  within  such  a  short 
space  of  time." 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Joseph  E.  Oockrell,  of  Dal- 
las; permanent,  Howard  Templeton,  of  -Hopkins.  Secretary 
pro  tempore,  Will  P.  Hobby,  of  Harris;  permanent,  Benton 
McMillan,  of  Grayson. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Thomas  M.  Campbell, 
of  Anderson;  Lieutenant-Governor,  A.  B.  Davidson,  of  De- 
Witt;  Attorney-General,  R.  V.  Davidson,  of  Galveston:  Comp- 
troller, J.  W.  Stephens,  of  Travis;  Treasurer,  Sam  Sparks,  of 
Bell;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  J.  Terrell, 
of  Travis ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  R.  B.  Cousins, 
of  Limestone;  Railroad  Commissioner,  L.  J.  Storey,  of  Cald- 
well ;  Supreme  Court,  R.  R.  Gaines,  of  Lamar ;  Court  of  Crimi- 
nal Appeals,  J.  N.  Henderson,  of  Robertson;  United  States 
Senator,  J.  W.  Bailey,  of  Cooke. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, H.  A.  O'Neal,  of  Cass;  2.  D.  Thornton,  of  Hopkins;  3. 
P.  C.  Thurmond,  of  Fannin;  4.  J.  W.  Bailey,  of  Cooke;  5.  B.  F. 
Looney,  of  Hunt ;  6.  C.  A.  Culberson,  of  Dallas ;  7.  H.  B.  Marsh, 
of  Smith;  8.  R.  T.  Milner,  of  Rusk;  9.  C.  H.  Mills,  of  Navarro; 
10.  W.  F.  Ramsey,  of  Johnson;'  11.  blank;  12.  J.  Felton  Lane; 
13.  T.  B.  Greenwood,  of  Anderson ;  14.  H.  G.  Robertson ;  15.  L. 


Parties  in  Texas  493 

T.  Dashiell,  of  Leon;  16.  0.  T.  Holt,  of  Harris,  chairman;  17. 
Miles  Crowley,  of  Galveston;  18.  M.  E.  Guynn,  of  Colorado; 
19.  W.  H.  Murchison;  20.  James  H.  Robertson,  of  Travis;  21. 
W.  D.  C.  Jones,  of  Gonzales ;  22.  J.  R.  Dougherty,  of  Bee ;  23. 
James  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron;  24.  Marshall  Hicks,  of  Bexar; 
25.  Charles  Davidson;  26.  C.  H.  Jenkins,  of  Brown;  27.  Dr. 
George  F.  Perry,  of  Hamilton;  28.  S.  J.  Isaack,  of  Midland;  29. 
J.  T.  Montgomery;  30.  W.  A.  Hanger,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Emory 
Smith,  of  Denton. 

PLATFORM1 

The  representatives  of  the  Texas  Democracy,  in  convention  as- 
sembled, recall  and  affirm  those  fundamental  principles  reserved  to 
the  people  by  the  Democratic  party  which  support  the  fabric  of  free 
government — a  Federal  government  composed  of  sovereign  States — 
which  Federal  government  derives  its  power 'from  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States,  with  local  self-government  reserved  to  the  State 
and  to  the  people  in  all  matters  which  have  not  been  surrendered  to 
the  general  government.  The  Democracy  of  Texas  stands  for  consti- 
tutional government  and  for  laws  passed  thereunder  which  are  no 
respecter  of  persons;  for  law  and  order  and  for  the  enforcement  of 
laws  against  all  alike;  for  freedom  of  the  citizen  and  protection  to 
him  against  all  unlawful  violence  and  interference  from  whatever 
source;  for  simplicity  and  economy  in  all  public  affairs  and  against 
all  abuse  of  power;  for  representative  government  in  which  all  public 
officers  are  the  servants  and  not  the  masters  of  the  people,  and  who 
shall  be  always  accountable  to  their  constituents;  for  distinction  in 
the  three  great  powers  of  government — the  legislative,  executive,  and 
judicial;  for  honest  and  equal  taxation  and  for  just  distribution  of 
the  burdens  of  government  and  for  the  greatest  liberty  of  the  citizens 
which  is  consistent  with  the  public  good.  These  are  some  of  the 
essentials  of  our  free  government  for  which  the  Texas  Democracy  has 
ever  stood  and  for  which  it  will  continue  to  battle. 

1.  We  indorse  and  commend  the  present  administration  of  Governor 
S.  W.  T.  Lanham  as  faithful  to  the  interests  of  the  people  of  Texas, 
and  return  the  thanks  of  the  Democracy  to  our  State  officials  for  their 
faithfulness  and  efficiency  in  office. 

2.  We  demand  that  the  next  legislature  enact  such  a  law  as  will 
define  and  prohibit  lobbying. 

3.  We  favor  the  enactment  by  the  next  legislature  of  a  law  pro- 
hibiting the  issuance  of  free  passes,  or  the  giving  of  free  transporta- 

lfTh*  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  15-17,  1906. 


494  Platforms  of  Political 

tion,  franks,  or  privileges  in  any  form,  by  railroads  or  other  corpora- 
tions within  this  State,  except  to  those  employed  by  said  corporations 
and  their  families,  the  indigent  poor  for  whom  application  is  made 
by  religious  or  charitable  organizations,  and  to  sheriffs,  rangers,  and 
other  peace  officers  whose  duties  are  to  execute  criminal  processes, 
and  we  request  the  next  governor  of  this  State  to  keep  the  legislature 
in  session,  if  necessary,  by  extraordinary  call  until  the  law  as  is 
herein  demanded  has  been  passed. 

4.  We  demand  the  enactment  of  a  law  prohibiting  corporations  from 
contributing  to  the  campaign  expenses  of  any  party  or  individual  or 
to  secure  the  adoption  or  defeat  of  any  measure  submitted  to  the  vote 
of  the  people. 

5.  We  demand  the  enactment  of  a  law,  or,  if  necessary,  the  sub- 
mission  of  a  constitutional  amendment  to  the  people   of  Texas,   de- 
fining  insolvent   corporations   and   prohibiting  the   same   from   doing 
business  in  this  State. 

6.  We  demand  the  passage  of  a  law  compelling  telephone  and  tele- 
graph companies  to  transmit  each  other's  messages  and  to  make  con- 
nections necessary  therefor  at  common  points. 

7.  We   demand   such   amendments   to   our   laws   regarding   private 
corporations  that  will  require  the  payment  of  at  least  fifty  per  cent  of 
the  capital  stock  before  filing  charter  and  within  two  years  the  addi- 
tional fifty  per  cent  of  the  capital  stock  and  that  will  insure  greater 
publicity  and  a  greater  measure  of  protection  to  creditors  and  stock- 
holders. 

8.  We   oppose  nepotism  and  demand  the  passage  of  such  laws  by 
the  next  legislature  as  may  be  necessary  to  eliminate  the  same  from 
the  public  service  of  this  State. 

9.  We  demand  the  enactment  by  the  next  legislature  of  a  uniform 
textbook  law. 

10.  We  demand  such  early  amendments  and  additions  to  our  pres- 
ent drainage  and  irrigation  laws  as  will  enlarge  their  scope  and  gen- 
eral benefit  and  render  them  effective. 

11.  We  recognize   that  our  laws  are   inadequate  to  properly   deal 
with  youthful   offenders,  and  we  demand   that   the  legislature   enact 
laws  conferring  necessary  power  in  courts  of  competent  jurisdiction 
to  the  end  that  youthful  offenders  may  be  corrected,  reformed,  and 
more  suitably  dealt  with. 

12.  We  expressly  demand  of  the  next  legislature  the  enactment  of 
such  amendments  to  the  Terrell  election  law  as  may  be  found  necessary 
to  simplify  and  correct  the  same;  and  we  further  demand  the  adoption 
of  an  amendment  thereto  providing  for  a  uniform  test  and  such  an 
amendment  to  the  election  law  as  will,  by  a  blanket  primary,  enable 
a  majority  of  the  voters  of  the  respective  parties  to  make  nominations 
by  direct  ballot  of  the  voters  without  the  intervention  of  conventions. 

13.  We  favor  the  Democratic  policy  of  making  ample  provision  for 


Parties  in  Texas  495 

all  of  our  eleemosynary  institutions  in  order  that  we  may  still  continue 
to  provide  for  our  helpless  wards. 

14.  Recognizing  the  importance  of  good  public  roads  to  all  of  the 
people  of  Texas,  we  recommend  to  the  next  legislature  the  enactment 
of  such  laws  as  may  be  deemed  necessary  to  attain  that  end. 

15.  We  suggest  such  legislation  as  will  simplify  the  procedure  in 
both  civil  and  criminal  trials  and  recommend  such  reforms  as  may 
be  practicable  in  our  jury  system. 

16.  We  recommend  that  the  next  legislature  submit  an  amendment 
to  the  State  constitution  authorizing  the  erection  and  maintenance  of 
a  home  for  indigent  or  decrepit  wives  or  widows  of  Confederate  sol- 
diers and  sailors. 

17.  We  recommend  that  occupation  taxes  on  useful  occupations  be 
removed. 

18.  We  believe  that  the  owners  of  all  property  which  is  not  exempt 
from  taxation  by  the  constitution  of  the  State  should  be  compelled  to 
contribute   their   just   proportion   toward    defraying    expenses   of    the 
government,  and  to  the  accomplishment  of  that  result  we  pledge  the 
Democracy  of  Texas  to  the  enactment  of  such  further  laws  as  will 
secure  the  just  rendition  of  all  property  for  taxation  at  its  full  value 
and  compel  the  payment  of  taxes  properly  assessed  against  it,  and  to 
the  enactment  of  such  laws  as  will  secure  the  taxation  of  all  property, 
tangible  and  intangible,  including  the  franchises  or  intangible  assets 
or  property  of  those  corporations  which  by  reason  of  the  nature  or 
character  of  their  assets  or  property  under  the  present  laws  escape 
their  just  proportion  of  taxation. 

19.  We  recommend  that  a  State  Department  of  Agriculture  be  es- 
tablished and  that  the   same  be  separate  and  apart  from   all   other 
departments  and  interests  and  that  the  same  be  adequtely  supported; 
that  there  be  provided  adequate  agricultural  equipment  and  teaching 
force  for  the  State  Normal  colleges,  the  College  of  Industrial  Arts  for 
Girls,  and  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College;   and  that  indus- 
trial thought  in  the  schools  be  encouraged  by  teaching  the  elements 
of  agriculture  and  of  the  industrial  arts;    that  the  Agricultural  and 
Mechanical  College,  the  College  of  Industrial  Arts  for  Girls,  and  the 
State  Normal  colleges  be  authorized  to  grant  diplomas  having  the  force 
of  State  teachers'  certificates  to  all  who  complete  the  necessary  course 
of  study  as  graduates  in  the  industrial  branches;  we  recommend  that 
liberal  support  be  provided  for  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Col- 
lege,  the  experiment  stations,   the  farmers'  institute,  the  College   of 
Industrial  Arts  for  Girls,  and  the  Texas  State  University  for  the  teach- 
ing and  training  of  our  youths  and  the  more  liberal  education  of  our 
citizenship;   we  recommend  that  the  principle  of  county  taxation  for 
school  purposes  be   adopted;    we  demand  that  the  constitutional   re- 
quirement for  at  least  six  months'  term  of  free  school  for  each  child 
in  each  year  be  complied  with. 

j 


496  Platforms  of  Political 

Resolutions 

Your  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions  further  recommend  the 
adoption  of  the  following  resolutions: 

[20]  That  the  Democracy  of  Texas  expresses  unbounded  confidence 
in  the  statesmanship  and  patriotism  of  that  splendid  leader,  William  J. 
Bryan,  and  we  favor  his  nomination  for  the  presidency  by  the  next 
National  Democratic  convention. 

[21]  That  we  heartily  indorse  our  United  States  senators,  Hon. 
Charles  A.  Culberson  and  Hon.  Joseph  W.  Bailey,  and  we  commend 
their  course  in  the  United  States  senate. 

We  denounce  the  malicious  and  unjust  attacks  made  upon  the  per- 
sonal character  of  Senator  Bailey  and  we  declare  our  full  faith  in  his 
integrity,  and  we  believe  that  these  slanders  have  emanated  from  per- 
sons who  have  by  design  wilfully  attacked  him  for  the  specific  purpose 
of  weakening  his  influence  as  the  great  champion  of  the  interests  of 
the  people. 

[22]  That  in  the  death  of  ex-Governor  F.  R.  Lubbock,  Hon.  John 
H.  Reagan,  and  ex-Governor  James  S.  Hogg  the  people  of  Texas  have 
lost  three  of  their  most  sincere  friends,  and  that  the  Democracy  of 
Texas  has  lost  three  of  its  most  able  and  patriotic  leaders,  and  we 
instruct  the  secretary  of  this  convention  to  transmit  to  their  respective 
families  copies  of  these  resolutions. 

[23]  We  indorse  the  able  and  efficient  management  of  the  business 
of  the  party  by  Hon.  Frank  Andrews  and  the  State  executive  committee, 
and  the  thanks  of  the  convention  and  entire  party  are  tendered  him 
and  the  committee  for  their  faithful  services. 

[24]  That  the  thanks  of  the  entire  people  of  Texas  are  due  to  Hon. 
V.  W.  Grubbs  for  his  long  and  indefatigable  labors  in  behalf  of  indus- 
trial and  agricultural  education  in  our  public  schools. 

[25]  That  we  regret  that  it  has  been  the  policy  of  the  Republican 
party  for  years  to  make  annually  increasing  appropriations  for  army 
and  navy  purposes,  which  has  necessarily  resulted  in  inadequate  ap- 
propriations for  our  rivers  and  harbors.  We  demand  adequate  annual 
appropriations  for  the  improvement  of  the  rivers  and  harbors  of  our 
country. 

[26]  That  we  recommend  to  the  thirtieth  legislature  of  Texas  to 
make  appropriate  provisions  for  the  purchase  of  the  papers,  corre- 
spondence, and  books  of  historic  importance  left  by  our  distinguished 
and  patriotic  citizen,  Judge  John  H.  Reagan,  and  now  belonging  to 
his  estate. 

[27]  That  trusts,  monopolies,  and  combinations  in  restraint  of 
trade  are  contrary  to  the  genius  of  free  government  and  are  the  most 
insidious  agencies  used  to  oppress  the  people  and  destroy  the  freedom 
of  the  citizens,  and  we  denounce  all  such  unlawful  combinations  and 
pledge  the  full  power  of  the  Democratic  party  to  utterly  destroy  them 


Parties  in  Texas  497 

in  this  State,  and  we  heartily  indorse  at  all  times  a  vigorous  enforce- 
ment of  the  laws  upon  this  subject. 

State  Executive  Committee:  George  A.  Garden,  of  Dallas, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  S.  I.  Robinson,  of  Morris; 
2.  Charles  Duncan,  of  Titus ;  3.  D.  H.  Cabeen,  of  Fannin;  4. 
Silas  Hare,  Jr.,  of  Grayson;  5.  Harry  Carpenter,  of  Hunt; 
6.  George  A.  Robertson,  of  Dallas;  7.  James  M.  Edwards,  of 
Smith;  8.  E.  H.  Carter,  of  Shelby;  9.  J.  C.  Adams,  of  Kauf- 
man; 10.  C.  M.  Smithdeal,  of  Hill;  11.  E.  A.  Wallace,  of  Milam ; 
12  T.  M.  Royder,  of  Brazos;  13.  W.  J.  Townsend,  Jr.,  of  An- 
gelina; 14.  Charles  Minis,  of  Nacogdoches;  15.  W.  E.  Pope,  of 
Madison;  16.  William  Masterson,  of  Harris;  17.  E.  F.  Harris, 
of  Galveston ;  18.  C.  E.  Lane,  of  Fayette ;  19.  Dr.  J.  M.  Johnson, 
of  Lee ;  20.  Dan  S.  Chessher,  of  Williamson ;  21.  W.  A.  Palmer, 
of  Hays ;  22.  J.  W.  Flournoy,  of  Bee ;  23.  Thomas  W.  Dodd,  of 
Webb;  24.  F.  C.  Davis,  of  Bexar;  25.  John  G.  Greiner,  of  Val 
Verde;  26.  Thomas  Bell,  of  McCulloch;  27.  R.  H.  Underwood, 
of  Bell ;  28.  W.  P.  Sebastian,  of  Stephens ;  29.  Sterling  Buster, 
of  Childress;  30.  Q.  T.  Moreland,  of  Tarrant ;  31.  W.  S.  Jame- 
son, of  Montague. 

SOCIALIST  LABOR  STATE  TICKET,  1906 

No  proceedings  of  a  State  convention  have  been  found. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:     Governor,  A.  S.  Dowler,  of— 
Lieutenant-Governor,   Carl   Schmidt,   of  McCulloch;   Attorney- 
General,  Louis  Martin;  Comptroller,  Otto  Schuettler,  of  Bexar; 
Railroad  Commissioner,  O.  W.  Nelson. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1908 
FORT  WORTH,  May  15 

About  500  hundred  delegates  attended  this  convention.  There 
were  only  twenty  negroes  present. 

Officers:  Chairman,  R.  E.  Hannay,  of  Waller.  Secretary, 
R.  B.  Marshall,  of  Grayson. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention.:  State  at  large,  C.  A. 
Lynn,  C.  W.  Ogdon,  Harris  Masterson.  C.  A.  Gray;  1st  Con- 

32—328 


498  Platforms  of  Political 

gressional  district,  W.  P.  Harris,  of  Hopkins,  and  George  Guest, 
of  Lamar;  2.  E.  G.  Christian,  of  Bowie,  and  D.  H.  Morris,  of 
Shelby;  3.  G.  W.  Smith,  of  Rusk,  and  T.  B.  Meeks,  of  Van 
Zandt;  4.  C.  A.  Burk,  of  Grayson,  and  W.  N.  Griffin,  of  Collhi; 
5.  C.  W.  Starling,  of  Dallas,  and  A.  B.  Gardenhire,  of  Rock- 
wall;  6.  Rube  Freedman,  of  Navarro,  and  J.  A.  Meyers,  of 
Brazos;  7.  G.  W.  Burkett,  of  Harris,  and  F.  L.  Lee,  of  Galves- 
ton;  8.  J.  M.  Sloan,  of  Grimes,  and  John  Adkiris,  of  Harris; 

9.  A.  F.  Loessin,  of  Fayette,  and  C.  M.  Hughs,  of  Wharton; 

10.  G.  M.  Booth,  of  Williamson,  and  T.  L.  Wren,  of  Travis;  11. 
C.  A.  Boynton,  of  McLennan,  and  Joe  E.  Williams,  of  Hamilton; 

12.  Sam  Davidson,  of  Tarrant,  and  C.  C.  Littleton,  of  Parker; 

13.  T.  S.  Bugbee,  of  Donley,  and  J.  E.  Lutz,  of  Wilbarger;  14. 
J.  M.  Oppenheimer,  of  Bexar,  and  G.  N.  Harrison,  of  Brown; 

15.  Eugene  Nolte,  of  Guadalupe,  and  Ed  C.  Lasater.  of  Starr; 

16.  J.  B.  Baker,  of  Haskell,  and  J.  A.  Smith,  of  El  Paso. 
Presidential  Electors:     State   at  large,  N.  V.   Dittlinger,  of 

Comal,  and  R.  E.  Hannay,  of  Waller.1 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  C.  A.  Boynton, 
chairman,  W.  C.  Averill,  J.  W.  Butler,  R.  F.  Akridge,  Win. 
Wood,  Charles  Hostraser,  H.  A.  Griffin,  Wm.  Watson,  C.  M. 
Hughs,  J.  M.  Thornton,  S.  B.  Hovey,  W.  S.  Tremble,  C.  W. 
Ogden,  James  J.  Haynes,  G.  H.  Sparenberg. 

RESOLUTIONS2 

Ue  It  resolved  by  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  duly 
assembled,  as  follows: 

[1]  That  we  affirm  our  allegiance  to  the  principles  and  policies  of 
the  Republican  party  as  enunciated  in  its  platforms  and  under  the 
leadership  of  Lincoln,  Grant,  Garfield,  McKinley,  and  Roosevelt,  and 
pledge  ourselves  to  support  and  vote  for  the  presidential  electors  of 
said  party  in  the  presidential  election  of  1908. 

[2]  We  congratulate  the  Nation  on  the  prosperity  enjoyed  and 
achievements  accomplished  under  the  beneficial  influences  of  enact- 
ments passed  during  President  Roosevelt's  administration  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  whole  people  and  affording  protection  to  capital,  both  cor- 
porate and  individual  legitimately  employed,  and  at  the  same  time 

1PThe  district  electors  were  chosen  at  the  August  convention. 
2The    proceedings    of   this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas    News, 
May  16  and   27,  1908. 


Parties  in  Texas  499 

guarding  individual  rights  against  encroachments  by  the  unjust  com- 
binations of  great  wealth  and  the  abuse  of  power  for  corporate  gain. 
And  that  we  indorse  other  policies  advocated  by  President  Roosevelt 
of  similar  purposes  not  yet  enacted  into  law  and  regret  that  condi- 
tions are  such  as  at  this  time  to  prevent  the  country  from  enjoying 
further  advantages  that  would  be  gained  by  another  term  of  Theodore 
Roosevelt  as  President  of  the  United  States. 

[3]  That  we  recognize  in  the  Hon.  William  H.  Taft  an  eminent 
and  learned  jurist,  an  able  statesman,  a  fearless,  patriotic  American 
citizen,  with  the  deep  love  of  the  whole  people  of  his  country;  an 
earnest  supporter  of  the  laws  recently  enacted  during  the  Roosevelt 
administration,  a  believer  in  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  same,  a  true 
advocate  of  many  of  the  policies  of  such  administration  not  yet 
crystalized  into  law,  and  a  man  preeminently  qualified  to  make  a  most 
efficient  and  satisfactory  President.  And  we  indorse  the  candidacy  of 
Hon.  William  H.  Taft  for  the  Republican  nomination  for  President 
in  1908,  and  hereby  instruct  our  delegates  to  the  National  convention 
to  support  and  vote  for  his  nomination  as  the  Republican  nominee  for 
President  of  the  United  States. 

[4]  We  heartily  commend  the  services  and  administration  of  the 
Hon.  Cecil  A.  Lyon  as  Republican  National  committeeman  from  Texas, 
and  recommend  and  indorse  him  for  reelection  as  such  National  com- 
mitteeman, and  hereby  instruct  our  delegates  to  the  National  conven- 
tion to  vote  for  the  reelection  of  Colonel  Lyon  as  National  committee- 
man  from  Texas. 

[5]  We  view  with  derision  and  joy  the  recent  attempt  at  house- 
cleaning  by  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  and  suggest  that  the  pouring  of 
"oil"  does  not  always  calm  troubled  waters. 

We  call  the  attention  of  the  youth  of  our  glorious  State  to  the  in- 
trepid, manly,  and  courageous  example  of  our  fearless  governor,  whose 
stand  during  the  late  unpleasantness  in  the  Democratic  party  has  won 
for  him  the  plaudits  of  all  who  admire  the  anatomy  of  the  jellyfish. 

The  horn  of  the  hunter  is  heard  in  the  land,  sounding  the  return 
from  the  octopus  hunt.  Texas  again  has  an  attorney-general  who 
claims  to  have  captured  the  oleagenous  beast,  but  its  unshattered, 
though  badly  cracked,  idol  bids  the  hunt  halt  by  the  election  of  a  new 
attorney-general.  Does  this  mean  that  the  Democratic  idea  is  that  a 
faithful  servant  shall  be  discharged  for  doing  his  sworn  duty?  Instead 
of  saying  to  him,  "Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,"  they 
say,  in  the  words  of  the  mortal  poet: 

"Hold,  McDuff 
You've  laid  on  enough!" 

Emulating  the  prophet  of  old  who  went  up  into  the  mountains  to 
sacrifice,  so  the  Latter-day  Saints  of  Democracy  go  up  into  ,the 
mountains  of  Colorado  to  sacrifice  the  willing  "Willie"  lamb,  who  growi 
"Commoner"  once  a  week. 


500  Platforms  of  Political 

In  conclusion,  we  invite  the  cooperation  and  assistance  of  every 
voter  in  Texas,  regardless  of  previous  political  affiliations,  and  point 
with  pride  to  the  actions  of  the  Republican  party,  which  punishes 
deviations  from  the  paths  of  rectitude,  and  not  as  Democracy  does  by 
adding  laurels  to  brows  unworthy  to  bear  those  they  already  have. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1908 

DALLAS,  May  26 

On  account  of  the  prevailing  floods,  the  attendance  was  smaller 
than  usual;  about  twenty-five  delegates  were  present. 

Officers:  Chairman,  Dr.  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
P.  F.  Paige,  of  Dallas. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  J.  P.  Grouch,  of  Col- 
lin;  J.  D.  Stocking,  of  Donley;  F.  C.  Emery,  of  El  Paso;  M. 
Clymer,  of  Guadalupe;  I.  W.  Walley,  of  Hood;  George  W. 
Carroll  and  Thomas  Brown,  of  Jefferson;  P.  F.  Paige,  J.  B. 
Cranfill,  C.  C.  Ulmer,  W.  B.  Critchlow,  B.  N.  Andrews,  E.  H. 
Conibear,  H.  E.  White,  and  John  Hickman,  of  Dallas;  John 
Carney  and  J.  S.  McKinley,  of  Tarrant ;  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rock- 
wall;  J.  S.  Pierce  and  H.  J.  Tubbs,  of  McLennan;  Mrs.  W.  J. 
Fisher,  of  Gonzales;  Mrs.  John  Ewing  and  D.  H.  Taylor,  of 
Fannin ;  W.  F.  Heller  and  wife,  of  Randall :  A.  C.  Schneider 
and  wife,  of  Montague;  John  T.  Wofford,  DeWitt;  J.  T.  White; 
of  Hopkins ;  M.  T.  Eudaly,  of  Ward ;  H.  V.  Prather,  of  Ander- 
son; J.  H;  Hearn,  of  Bee;  H.  F.  Cook,  of  Bexar;  T.  F.  Harwell, 
of  Caldwell;  J.  L.  Chapman,  of  Eastland;  T.  L.  Higginbotham, 
of  Erath;  Rev.  W.  W.  Morris,  of  Franklin;  W.  P.  Whitman, 
of  Haskell;  Rev.  J.  H.  Edmunds,  of  Jones:  A.  L.  Home,  of 
Lampasas;  E.  E.  White  and  Melvin  C.  Churchill,  of  Matagorda; 
C.  A.  Sims,  of  Palo  Pinto ;  J.  H.  Wilhite,  of  Reeves;  L.  R.  Camp- 
bell, of  Sabine;  George  Armistead,  of  Wharton;  J.  J.  Lory,  of 
Wichita. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Arthur  A.  Everts,  of 
Dallas,  and  H.  G.  Damon,  of  Navarro;  1st  Congressional  dis- 
trict, J.  T.  Conway,  of  Lamar;  2.  J.  H.  Baxter,  of  Jefferson; 
3.  A.  A.  Duncan,  of  Gregg;  4.  J.  A.  Maples,  of  Hunt;  5.  N.  W. 
Godbold,  of  Dallas;  6.  D.  M.  Prendergast,  of  Limestone;  7.  L. 
B.  Coker,  of  Galveston;  8.  R.  E.  Bnrt,  of  Harris;  9.  J.  W. 


Parties  in  Texas  501 

Vogan,  of  Brazoria;  10.  P.  T.  Ramsey,  of  Travis:  11.  W.  B. 
Thompson,  of  McLennan;  12.  Randolph  Clark,  of  Hood;  13. 
C.  Goodnight,  of  Armstrong;  14.  j$.  A.  Steele,  of  Brown:  15. 
L.  J.  Winters,  of  Cameron;  16.  C.  W.  Covvden,  of  Taylor. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Recognizing  almighty  God  as  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  universe,  we, 
the  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  adopt  the 
following  resolutions: 

1.  The  liquor  traffic  is  not  a  business.     It  is  an  indulgence  sold  to 
commit  a  crime.     The   license  system  which  grants  the  privilege   of 
creating  criminals,   paupers,  and  lunatics   and  causes   death,   divorce, 
and  misery,  and  barters  away  the  health  and  morals  of  the  people,  is 
a  political  crime.     In  this  age  of  Christian  civilization  all  those  who 
vote    for   such   a   system   should   be    equally   guilty   with    the    saloon- 
keepers  whom   they    create,    and    with    whom    they    divide    the    blood 
money   of  the  license  system.     We   declare   that  no  legal   power  con- 
stitutionally exists  to  license  the  liquor  traffic.     We  deny  the  right  of 
Congress,  the  legislature,  or  the  people  of  this  State,  or  any  subdivision 
thereof,  by  majority  vote  or  otherwise,  to  grant  a  privilege  to  anyone 
to  engage  in  a  crime  of  such  enormity.     We  stand  for  any  law  which 
will  give  the  people  the  right  to  vote  the  saloon  out,  where  there  is 
one,  but  for  no  law  that  will  give  them  the  privilege  of  opening  one 
where  there  is  none,  for  the  reason  that  people  should  be  free  to  do 
right,  and  should  be  prevented  from  doing  wrong,  especially  against 
the  four-fifths  of  the  people  who  have  no  vote,  and  are  represented  at 
the  polls  by  those  to  whom   suffrage  is  given.     The  people  are  com- 
posed of  the  men,  women,  and  children,  and  the  rights  of  the  whole 
people  shall  be  the  especial  care  of  the  Prohibition  party  of  Texas. 

2.  We  demand  the  repeal  of  the  internal  revenue  tax  on  alcoholic 
liquors  and  the  immediate  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic  for  beverage 
purposes  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  in  the  Territories,  and  all  places 
over  which  the  National  government  has  jurisdiction.     We  declare  that 
the  time  has  come  when  the  rights  of  the  States  should  be  protected 
by  a  National  law  entirely  prohibiting  the  interstate  traffic  in  intoxi- 
cating liquors. 

3.  We  favor  the  submission  by  Congress  to   the  several   States  of 
an  amendment  to  the  Federal  Constitution,  prohibiting  the  manufac- 
ture, sale,  importation,  or  transportation  of  alcoholic  liquors  for  bev- 
erage purposes. 

4.  We  declare   that  moral  and  economic  reasons  demand   one  day 
in  seven  for  worship  and  rest.     That  our  Sunday  laws,  founded  both 

lrThe    proceedings    of    this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas 
May  27,  1908. 


502  Platforms  o-f  Political 

upon  the  laws  of  God  and  the  soundest  reason  and  experience  of  man- 
kind, should  be  maintained  and  enforced  throughout  the  entire  State, 
and  handed  down  to  future  generations  as  a  heritage  of  our  Christian 
civilization.  One  standard  for  the  cities  and  another  for  the  country 
can  not  be  maintained.  We  deny  the  right  of  any  community  to 
nullify  or  repeal  the  Sunday  laws,  and  we  deny  the  right  of  the  legis- 
lature to  grant  any  city  or  community  the  privilege  of  so  doing. 

5.  We  demand  of  the  dominant  party  in  Texas  the  submission  of  a 
prohibition    constitutional   amendment   to   be   voted    on  at  some   time 
during  1909,  prohibiting  the  manufacture,  importation,  transportation, 
and  sale  of  alcoholic  beverages  in  this  State.     To  this  end  we  express 
our   hearty   sympathy  with    the  efforts   now  being   made   by   what   is 
known  as  the  Democratic  submission  committee  of  this  State  for  the 
submission  of  such  an  amendment. 

6.  While  advocating  with  all  earnestness  the  local  option  laws  of 
our  State  and  the  effort  for   State  prohibition,  we  unhesitatingly  de- 
clare that  the  argument  for  prohibition  in  the   precinct  is  good  for 
prohibition   in   the  county,   that  the  argument  for  prohibition  in   the 
county  is  good  for  prohibition  in  the  State,  and  that  the  argument  for 
prohibition   in   the  State  is   good  for  prohibition  in  the   Nation.     We 
believe  that  prohibition  laws  will  never  reach  their  highest  efficiency 
until   we  have   throttled  the   liquor  traffic  by   adopting  National   pro- 
hibition. 

7.  We   invite  all  men,    irrespective   of  former   political  affiliations, 
who  are  in  agreement  with  our  policies  and  purposes,  to  join  hands 
with  us  in  our  efforts  to  free  the  State  and  Nation  of  the  direst  blight 
that  ever  cursed  mankind.     We  have  no  ironclad  political  tests.     We 
wear  no  brass  collars.     We  are  members  of   the   State  and  National 
Prohibition  party,  and  believing  as  we  do,  that  the  prohibition  of  the 
liquor  traffic  is  the  only  vital  issue  in  American  politics,  we  adopt  this 
platform,   and   for   the   success    of   the   purposes   here   announced   we 
pledge  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our  sacred   honor. 

Additional  Resolution 

[8]  We  believe  that  the  next  presidential  nominee  of  the  Prohibi- 
tion party  should  come  from  the  South  and  we  hereby  instruct  our 
delegates  to  the  National  convention  to  present  the  name  of  J.  B. 
Cranfill  as  our  nominee  for  President,  and  to  vote  for  him  as  long  as 
his  name  shall  be  before  the  convention. 


Parties  in  Texas  503 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1908 
FORT  WORTH,   May   26   and   27 

To  provide  the  State  executive  committee  with  funds,  required 
to  defray  the  expenses  incident  to  the  Terrell  election  law,  this 
and  succeeding  Democratic  State  conventions  were  held  in  cities 
paying  a  bounty.  This  was  the  first  convention  to  assemble 
to  declare  the  result  of  the  primary  election  for  choosing  dele- 
gates from  the  State  at  large  to  the  National  Democratic  con- 
vention. The  ticket  headed  by  Joseph  W.  Bailey  received 
127,422,  and  that  headed  by  Cone  Johnson  received  104,42$ 
votes.  The  convention  took  a  radical  step  in  disregarding  Dem- 
ocratic precedent  by  depriving  district  delegates  of  the  right 
to  choose  the  delegates  from  the  districts,  and  providing  for 
their  selection  by  a  nominating  committee.  The  rules  adopted 
concerning  resolutions  were  extreme,  practically  gagging  the 
minority. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tcmpore,  William  Poindexter,  of 
Johnson ;  permanent,  Ike  M.  Standifer,  of  Harris.  Secretary, 
l>ro  tt-mport,  <;.  II.  Boynton,  of  Hamilton;  permanent.  R.  H. 
Powell,  of  Angelina. 

Dele-gates  to  tl\e  National  Convention:     State  at  large,  J.  W, 
Bailey,  of  Cooke,  M.  M.  Brooks,  of  Dallas,  J.  L.  Storey,  of  Cald- 
well.  A.  J.  Baker,  of  Tom  Green;  1st  Congressional  district,  A.. 
C.  Stewart,  of  Bowie,  and  James  G.  Dudley,  of  Lamar;  2.  G.. 
('.  Wood,  of  Jefferson,  and  S.  W.  Blount,  of  Nacogdoches;  3.  R.- 
I*.  Wofford,  of  Henderson,  and  John  Barnwell,  of  Upshur;  4'.. 
Rice  Maxey,  of  Grayson,  and  W.  II.  Clendennin,  of  Rains;  5. 
W.   K.  Spell,  of  Hill,  and  James  0.  McXealus,  of  Dallas;  6.  J. 
K.  Astin,  of  Brazos,  and  S.  0.  Wofford,  of  Freestone;  7.  James 
B.  Stubbs.  of  Galveston,  and  E.  B.  Pickett,  Jr.,  of  Liberty;  8. 
Charles    Highsmith,   of   Harris,    and    C.   W.   Nugent,   of   Mont- 
gomery: !).  A.  E.  Mnstcrson,  of  Braxoria,  and  J.  W.  Ragsdale,  of" 
Lavaca:  10.  Ed  R.   K<me,  of  Hays,  find  Paul  D.  Page,  of  Bas- 
trop;  11.  G.  II.  Boynton,  of  Hamilton,  and  Sam  R.  Scott,  of  Mc- 
Lennan: 12.  R.  B.  Hood,  of  Parker,  and  Ben  P.  Ayres.  of  Tar- 
rant:  13.  T.  J.  McMurray  and  Lory  Walker,  of  Wise;  14.  A.  \V 


504  Platforms  of  Political 

Houston,  of  Bexar,  and  W.  T.  Melton,  of  McCulloch;  15.  James 
B.  Wells,  of  Cameron,  and  D.  B.  Chapin,  of  Hidalgo ;  16.  C.  M 
McCauley,  of  Taylor,  and  H.  P.  Brelsford,  of  Eastland. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Hardy  A.  O'Neal,  of 
Cass,  and  Jed  C.  Adams,  of  Kaufman ;  1st  Congressional  district, 
N.  P.  Doak,  of  Red  River;  2.  W.  W.  Dies,  of  Hardin;  3.  W.  W. 
Moore,  of  Rusk;  4.  R.  S.  Fulton,  of  Grayson;  5.  Thomas  D. 
Isbell,  of  Rockwall;  6.  J.  W.  Woods,  of  Robertson;  7.  Joseph 
Adams,  of  Houston;  8.  E.  A.  Berry,  of  Madison;  9.  George  L. 
Haidusek,  of  Fayette;  10.  Lee  J.  Rountree,  of  Williamson;  11. 
S.  P.  York,  of  Coryell;  12.  W.  H.  Hawkins,  of  Erath;  13.  A. 
B.  Edwards,  of  Clay ;  14.  Lee  L.  Shields,  of  Colemaii ;  15.  Edgar 
von  Boeckman,  Sr.,  of  Guadalupe;  16.  J.  C.  Son,  of  Palo  Pinto. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, H.  F.  O'Neal,  2.  N.  P.  Doak,  3.  Charles  B.  White,  4.  B.  L. 
Jones,  5.  W.  Y.  Carver,  6.  E.  G.  Senter,  7.  Cone  Johnson,  8.  C. 
L.  Brachfield,  9.  S.  A.  Pace,  10.  L.  C.  Hill,  11.  Cullen  F.  Thomas, 
12.  A.  J.  Harper,  13.  C.  M.  Kay,  14.  S.  B.  Cooper,  Jr.,  15.  S. 
L.  Lewis,  16.  T.  H.  Ball,  17.  Miles  Crowley,  18.  D.  A.  Paulus, 
19.  S.  L.  Staples,  20.  A.  W.  Terrell,  21.  A.  B.  Storey,  22.  D.  W. 
Nash,  23.  John  G.  Williacy,  24.  C.  L.  Bass,  25.  W.  H.  Burges, 
26.  M.  J.  Compton,  27.  George  C.  Pendleton,  28.  W.  N.  Waddell, 
29.  Sam  Sparks,  30.  Clarence  Ousley,  31.  B.  A.  Carter. 

PLATFORM1 

Your  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions  respectfully  recommends 
the  adoption  of  the  following  platform,  to  wit: 

[1]  Upon  the  eve  of  a  great  National  campaign  which  shall  deter- 
mine the  career  of  the  general  government  for  the  ensuing  four  years, 
and  in  the  issue  of  which  is  involved  the  fate  of  principles  sacred  in 
the  history  and  fundamental  in  the  structure  of  the  Republic,  the 
Democrats  of  Texas,  assembled  in  State  convention,  renew  their  obli- 
•gations  to  the  ancient  doctrines  of  Democratic  faith  and  dedicate  their 
services  to  the  patriotic  mission  of  supplanting  Republican  misrule  of 
National  affairs  with  the  beneficence  of  Democratic  administration. 

[2]  In  full  control  of  the  great  departments  of  the  government  for 
more  than  a  decade,  with  a  fair  field  and  ample  opportunity  for  the 
justification  of  its  theories,  the  Republican  party  has  abused  the  trust 

1PThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
May  27  and.  28,  1908. 


Parties  in  Texas  505 

of  the  people,  prostituted  its  lease  of  power  to  unworthy  ends,  and  has 
forfeited  its  claim  to  further  confidence  and  favor.  In  desecration  of 
the  great  principles  upon  which  the  Nation  was  founded,  it  has  en- 
grafted upon  our  system  the  monarchical  growth  of  colonial  govern- 
ment, established  a  dual  class  of  American  citizenship,  and  imbued 
the  popular  mind  with  false  ideals  of  National  greatness.  In  per- 
version of  the  taxing  power  by  its  policy  of  tariff  exaction,  it  has  put 
a  premium  upon  the  cost  of  the  necessities  of  life,  nurtured  the  growth 
of  privileged  interests,  fostered  the  idea  of  class  distinctions,  and  is 
directly  responsible  for  the  existence  of  the  trusts  and  combinations 
of  wealth  that  today  menace  American  freedom  in  their  challenge  of 
the  authority  of  the  government.  It  has  openly  countenanced  executive 
usurpation  of  the  functions  of  the  Congress,  whereby  the  vigor  of  the 
legislative  branch  has  been  weakened,  and  has  boldly  promulgated  the 
doctrine  that  the  right  of  amendment  of  the  fundamental  law  of  the 
land  may  be  exercised  by  the  judicial  authority,  whereby  the  sovereignty 
of  the  people  as  the  source  of  all  power  may  be  subverted.  Its  con- 
stant proclamation  has  been  derision  of  the  State  governments,  its 
constant  effort  has  been  to  reduce  the  limits  of  their  jurisdiction,  and 
in  its  ambitious  designs  their  sovereignty  is  imperiled.  The  effort 
of  its  administration  has  been  the  insidious  transformation  of  a  fed- 
erative republic  of  delegated  powers  into  a  consolidated  government, 
impatient  of  constitutional  restraints  and  jealous  of  the  limitations 
upon  its  province,  pretentious  in  its  splendor  and  boastful  of  its 
strength.  Its  extravagance  and  waste  in  the  exploitation  of  the  Na- 
tional resources  have  been  reflected  in  individual  life  and  the  moral 
of  its  career  and  influence  is  found  in  the  overwhelming  financial  dis- 
aster from  which  the  country  has  just  emerged. 

[3]  We  declare,  therefore,  that  for  the  preservation  of  the  organic 
form  of  the  Republic  and  the  Constitution,  and  to  the  end  that  high 
thinking  and  plain  living  shall  not  depart  from  our  people,  the'  times 
and  conditions  demand  a  return  to  a  simple  and  frugal  government, 
administered  in  accordance  with  those  fundamental  principles  that 
form  the  creed  of  Democratic  faith,  in  whose  application  and  fulfilment 
our  true  mission  will  be  accomplished  and  our  best  hopes  attained, 
viz.: 

(1)  The  support  of  the  State  governments  in  all  their  rights  as  the 
most  competent  administrations   for   our  domestic  concerns,   and  the 
surest  bulwarks  against  centralistic  tendencies; 

(2)  The  preservation  of  the  general  government  in  its  whole  con- 
stitutional vigor; 

(3)  The  supremacy  of  the  civil  over  the  military  authority; 

(4)  Economy  in  the  public  expense; 

(5)  Sacred  preservation  of  the  public  faith; 

(6)  Absolute  acquiescence  in  the  decisions  of  the  majority; 

(7)  Equal  and  exact  justice  to  all  men  and  special  privlieges  to 
none;  and 


506  Platforms  of  Political 

(8)  The  maintenance  in  all  its  strength  of  the  representative 
system. 

[4]  Believing  that  through  his  nomination  and  election  these  great 
principles  will  again  find  full  expression  in  our  laws,  we  indorse 
William  J.  Bryan  for  President  of  the  United  States,  and  instruct  the 
delegates  from  this  State  to  the  Democratic  National  convention  at 
Denver  to  use  all  honorable  means  to  secure  his  nomination,  and  to 
that  end  cast  their  votes  for  him  first,  last,  and  all  the  time.  The 
delegates  from  this  convention  are  instructed  to  vote  and  act  as  a  unit  in 
all  matters. 

[5]  We  commend  the  principles  announced  in  the  platform,  adopted 
by  the  recent  State  Democratic  convention  of  Nebraska,  especially  the 
following  paragraphs,  viz.: 

(1)  "We   favor   the   election   of   United    States   senators   by    direct 
vote  of  the  people,  and  regard  this  reform  as  the  gateway  to  all  other 
National  reforms. 

(2)  "A  private  monopoly  is  indefensible  and  intolerable.     We,  there- 
fore,   favor    the    vigorous    enforcement    of   the    criminal    laws   against 
trusts  and  trust  magnates,  and  demand  the  enactment   of  such   addi- 
tional   legislation  as  may  be  necessary  to  make   it   impossible  for  a 
private  monopoly  to  exist  in  the  United  States. 

(3)  "We  favor  an  immediate  revision  of  the  tariff  by  the  reduction 
of  import  duties.     Articles  entering  into  competition  with  articles  con- 
trolled by  the  trusts  should  be  placed  on  the  free  list;  material  reduc- 
tions should  be  made  in  the  tariff  on  necessaries  of  life,  and  reductions 
should  be  made  in  such  other  schedules  as  may  be  necessary  to  restore 
the  tariff  to  a  revenue  basis. 

(4)  "We  condemn  the  experiments  in  imperialism  as  an  inexcusable 
blunder,  which  has  involved  us  in  an  enormous  expense,  brought  us 
weakness  instead  of  strength,  and  laid  our  Nation  open  to  the  charge 
of  abandoning  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  self-government.     We  favor 
an  immediate  declaration  of  the  Nation's  purpose  to  recognize  the  in- 
dependence of  the  Philippine  Islands  as  soon  as  a  stable  government 
can  be  established,  such   independence  to  be  guaranteed  by  us  as  we 
guarantee  the  independence  of  Cuba,   until  the  neutralization  of   the 
islands  can  be  secured  by  treaty  with   other  powers.     In   recognizing 
the   independence   of   the    Philippines,   our   government   should    retain 
supti  land  as  may  be  necessary  for  coaling  stations  and  naval  bases. 

(5)  "We  assert  the  right  of  Congress  to  exercise  complete  control 
over  interstate  commerce,  and  we  assert  the  right   of  each. State  to 
exercise  just  as  complete   control  over  commerce  within   its  borders. 
We  demand  such  an  enlargement  of  the  powers  of  National  and  State 
railway  commissions  as  may  be  necessary  to   give  full  protection   to 
persons  and  places  from  discrimination  and  extortion. 

(6)  "We  demand,  further,  that  favoritism  in  the  deposit  of  treasury 
funds  shall  be  abolished  and  that  surplus  revenues  shall  be  deposited 
at   competitive    rates    upon    sufficient    security   and    fairly    distributed 
throughout  the  country. 

(7)  "We  believe  the  Panama  Canal  will  prove  of  great  value  to  our 
country  and  favor  its  speedy  completion. 

(8)  "We  urge  liberal  appropriations  for  the  improvement  and  de- 
velopment of  the  interior  waterways,  believing  that  such  expenditures 
will  return  a  large  dividend  in  lessening  cost  of  transportation." 


Parties  in  Texas  507 

[6]  We  affirm  as  an  essential  part  of  Democratic  doctrine  that  the 
issuance  of  currency  is  a  function  that  only  the  government  can  per- 
form and  should  be  forever  kept  under  its  absolute  control. 

[7]  We  favor  eight  hours  as  a  day's  labor  for  employes  of  the 
National  government  and  upon  all  work  when  required  by  the  public 
health  or  safety. 

[8]  We  indorse  the  bill  introduced  by  Congressman  Beall  of  Texas 
limiting  the  power  of  injunction  of  Federal  courts. 

[9]  Absolute  obedience  to  instructions  of  the  people  by  those  hold- 
ing their  office  is  indispensable  to  the  integrity  of  representative  gov- 
ernment. We  regard  it  as  a  wholesome  "text  for  civil  instruction,  and 
as  a  touchstone  by  which  to  test  the  service  of  those  we  trust."  And 
we  declare  that  those  who  accept  the  people's  office  and  refuse  to  obey 
their  instructions  are  embezzlers  of  power. 

[10]  We  congratulate  the  Democracy  of  the  State  and  Nation  upon 
the  triumphant,  popular  vindication  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  W.  Bailey, 
recorded  in  the  primary  vote  of  May  2.  Unjustly  and  bitterly  pursued, 
the  assault  upon  him  has  but  seasoned  and  strengthened  his  hold  upon 
the  public  heart,  and  the  tribute  of  the  result  to  his  character  is,  that 
although  there  was  sought  to  be  aroused  against  him  a  storm  cf  passion 
and  prejudice,  it  has  broken  harmlessly  at  his  feet.  We  attest  our 
unswerving  confidence  in  his  honor,  our  full  faith  in  his  devotion  to 
the  public  interest,  our  unbounded  appreciation  of  his  distinguished 
public  service.  And  we  furthermore  declare  that  in  none  of  his  private 
transactions,  brought  into  question  in  the  contest  just  closed,  has  he 
come  in  conflict  with  any  principle  announced  in  this  platform.  We 
declare,  as  the  Democrats  of  Texas  declared  in  primary  election  May  2. 
that  his  public  and  private  life  exemplifies  the  ancient  Democratic- 
standard  of  public  and  private  virtues;  that  he  has  been  triumphantly 
acquitted  of  the  charges  that  he  has  served  public  service  corporations 
while  holding  office  or  that  he  has  accepted  favors  from  interests,  cor- 
porate or  otherwise,  sustaining  a  legislative  relation;  we  hold  with 
him,  as  frequently  declared  in  his  public  speeches,  that  not  only  should 
a  public  servant  not  serve  a  trust,  but  that  a  private  citizen  should  not 
lend  comfort  to  any  interest  seeking  to  evade  the  laws  of  the  land. 
We  rejoice  that  Senator  Bailey's  splendid  powers  may  now  be  fully 
given  to  the  duties  of  his  high  office,  and  in  the  full  measure  and 
quality  of  their  discharge  the  wisdom  and  the  justice  of  the  Democrats 
will  be  confirmed,  and  the  cries  of  his  enemies  forever  silenced.  Upon 
his  vindication  at  the  hands  of  the  people  we  place  the  final  seal  of 
Democratic  approval  and,  in  sealing  the  result  of  the  contest,  we  de- 
clare that  in  good  conscience  it  should  end,  and  that  in  the  interest  of 
party  peace  its  further  prosecution  will  not  be  countenanced  or  tol- 
erated. 

[11]  We  indorse  the  administration  of  Governor  Campbell  for  its 
adherence  to  the  platform  demands  upon  which  he  was  elected. 

[12]     We    attest    our   appreciation    of   the    services    of    Col.    R.    M.. 


508  Platforms  of  Political 

Johnston  to  the  cause  of  Democracy,  and  unqualifiedly   indorse  him 
for  reelection  to  the  position  of  National  committeeman  from  Texas. 
All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

TIIOS.    H.   BALL,   Chairman,  MILES    CBOWLEY, 

A.  M.    KENNEDY,    Secretary,  D.  A.  PAULUS, 
H.   F.   O'NEAL,  S.  L.  STAPLES, 
N.  P.   DOAK,                                             A.  B.   STOREY, 
C.  B.  WHITE,  D.   W.    NASH, 

B.  L.  JONES,  J.oiix   G.    WILLACY, 
W.  Y.   CARVER,  C.  L.  BASS. 

C.  L.  BRACHFIELD,  W.  H.  BURGES, 
Lr.  C.  HILL,  M.  J.   COMPTON, 
A.  J.  HARPER,  W.   N.   WADDELL, 
C.    M.   KAY,  SAM   SPARKS, 

S.  B.  COOPER,  JR.,  CLARENCE    OUSLEY, 

S.  L.   LEWIS,  B.  A.  CARTER. 

Committee. 

MINORITY   REPORT 

The  undersigned,  comprising  a  minority  of  your  committee  on  plat- 
form and  resolutions,  beg  leave  to  make  following  minority  report: 

As  the  majority  report  undertakes  to  reproduce  certain  portions  of 
the  Nebraska  Democratic  platform,  but  omits  certain  timely  and  im- 
portant declarations  in  said  platform,  which  omissions  are  significant 
in  view  of  existing  conditions,  we  recommend  for  adoption  the  follow- 
ing declaration  of  principles,  announced  by  the  Nebraska  Democracy, 
the  home  of  Bryan: 

1.  "We  rejoice  at  the  increasing  signs  of  an  awakening  in  the  United 
States.     The    various    investigations    have   traced    graft   and    political 
corruption   to  the   representatives   of  predatory  wealth  and  laid  bare 
the  unscrupulous  methods  by  which  they  have  debauched  elections  and 
preyed   upon   the   defenseless  public  through  the  subservient   officials 
whom  they  have  raised  to  place  and  power. 

"The  conscience  of  the  Nation  is  now  aroused  and  will,  if  honestly 
appealed  to,  free  the  government  from  the  grip  of  those  who  have 
made  it  a  business  asset  of  the  favor-seeking  corporations;  it  must 
again  become  'a  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the 
people;'  and  be  administered  in  all  its  departments  according  to  the 
Jeffersonian  maxim,  'equal  rights  to  all  and  special  privileges  to  none.' 

"This  is  the  overshadowing  issue  at  this  time;  it  manifests  itself 
in  all  questions  now  under  discussion  and  demands  immediate  con- 
sideration. 

2.  "We  heartily  approve  of  the  laws  prohibiting  the  pass  and  the 
rebate,  and  insist  upon  further  legislation.  State  and  National,  making 
it  unlawful  for  any  corporation  to  contribute  to  campaign  funds,  and 
providing  for  publication,  before  the  election,  of  all  individual  contri- 
butions above  a  reasonable  minimum. 

3.  "We  insist  upon  the  recognition  .of  the  distinction  between  the 
natural  man  and  the  artificial  person,   called  a  corporation,   and  we 
favor  the  enactment  of  such  laws  as  may  be  necessary  to  compel  foreign 


Parties  in  Texas  509 

corporations  to  submit  their  legal  disputes  to  the  courts  of  the  States 
in  which  they  do  business,  and  thus  place  themselves  upon  the  same 
footing  as  domestic  corporations. 

4.  "The  panic  has  also  emphasized  the  necessity  for  legislation  pro- 
tecting the  wealth  producers  from  spoliation  at  the  hands  of  the  stock 
gamblers  and  the  gamblers  in  farm  products." 

To  which  we  add,  that  stock  gambling  and  stock  speculation  are  a 
species  of  frenzied  finance,  wholly  inconsistent  with  the  duties  of 
public  officials  to  whom  the  people  look  for  relief  from  such  evils. 

We  recommend  the  following  additional  declaration  to  the  platform 
submitted  by  the  majority  of  the  committee: 

[5]  The  public  official  is  a  public  servant  and  owes  to  his  people 
an  undivided  allegiance,  and  we  are  unalterably  opposed  to  public 
officials  accepting  employment  from  or  performing  services  for  trusts, 
monopolies,  or  concerns  whose  interests  are  adverse  to  those  of  the 
people,  or  the  representatives  and  manipulators  of  predatory  wealth. 
This  principle  is  fundamental  and  essential  and  the  contention  for  it 
can  not  cease  till  all  officials  acknowledge  its  truth  and  conform  to  it. 

Public  officials,  State  and  National,  have  no  right  to  appear  before 
legislature  or  governmentive  departments  and  boards,  as  the  paid  repre- 
sentative or  attorney  of  concerns  or  interests  seeking  favors  at  the 
hands  of  the  legislature  and  departments  or  boards,  "and  this  practice 
should  be  prohibited  by  law." 

[6]  We  are  compelled  to  dissent  from  the  indorsement  and  eulogy 
of  Senator  Bailey  and  his  record,  as  contained  in  the  majority  report, 
and  we  are  moved  thereto  by  reason  of  the  following  facts,  which  the 
action  of  the  majority  compels  us  to  account: 

Such  a  eulogy  is  improper,  unusual,  and  out  of  place. 

Because  his  admitted  conduct  and  the  disclosures  concerning  the 
same  established  by  undisputed  and  unchallenged  evidence  show  a 
course  of  conduct  on  his  part  at  variance  with  the  principle  announced 
in  the  majority  report  and  violative  of  the  foregoing  declarations, 
touching  the  relations  of  public  officials  to  trusts,  monopolies,  and 
criminal  wealth. 

His  admitted  and  disclosed  connection  with  the  reintroduction  of  the 
Waters-Pierce  Oil  Company  into  this  State,  his  improper  relations  and 
financial  complications  with  H.  Clay  Pierce,  his  employment  by  and 
service  to  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  his  sponsorship  for  the  Security 
Oil  Company,  his  manipulation  of  the  Southwestern  Oil  Company,  his 
tangled  financial  connections  with  the  Kirby  Lumber  Company,  his- 
frequent  borrowings  from  those  to  whom  he  had  rendered  political 
services,  his  dealings  with  railroad  properties  and  syndicates,  from 
which  he  is  the  beneficiary  of  large  sums,  together  with  other  dis- 
closures, present  a  record  which  is  indefensible  in  a  public  officer,  and 
which  we  are  unable  to  indorse  by  acquiescing  in  that  part  of  the 
majority  report. 

Besides,  the  majority  report  unjustly  assails  the  motives  and  pur- 


-510  Platforms  of  Political 

poses  of  the  100,000  and  over  Democrats  who  voted  against  him  in  the 
recent  primary. 

And  we  cannot  indorse  him,  if  for  no  other  reason,  because  of  his 
discreditable  dicker  to  secure  the  support  of  the  saloon  interests  and 
his  surrender  to  this  end  of  his  avowed  views  on  prohibition,  asserted 
for  more  than  twenty  years. 

[73  We  recommend  there  be  added  to  that  paragraph  of  the  majority 
report  which  asserts  the  duty  of  public  officers  to  obey  the  instructions 
of  their  constituents  the  following: 

"But  no  official  can  avail  himself  of  this  salutary  doctrine  to  escape 
the  investigation  of  his  conduct  and  deeds;  for  it  is  the  highest  duty 
of  every  official  to  demand  the  full  measure  of  responsibility  from 
every  other  officer  who  is  amenable  to  him.  Party  duty  never  requires 
the  condonation  or  the  dereliction  of  duty  by  any  officer.  Correct  con- 
duct in  all  officials  is  of  paramount  importance,  and  the  criticism  of 
their  conduct  is  an  inherent  right  of  the  citizen.  The  Democratic 
party  stands  for  the  highest  standards  of  official  life." 
.  [8]  We  condemn  the  practice  of  members  of  the  judiciary  abandon- 
ing the  duties  of  their  offices  to  engage  in  parties  and  political  cam- 
paigns; such  conduct  brings  the  bench  into  disfavor,  it  embarrasses 
the  offending  officer  in  the  full  and  free  discharge  of  his  duties,  and 
is  otherwise  injurious  to  the  public  service. 

[9]  We  believe  that  the  election  by  primary  vote  of  the  delegates 
to  conventions  to  represent  the  Democracy  in  its  nominations  and 
deliberations  is  right  and  just  and  the  best  means  of  ascertaining  the 
will  of  the  voter.  And  the  ticket  for  delegates  at  large  to  the  National 
convention  headed  by  J.  W.  Bailey,  having  received  a  majority  of  the 
votes  in  the  recent  primary,  we  recognize  them  as  the  duly  chosen 
delegates  to  said  convention. 

A.  W.  TERRELL, 
S.  A.  PACE, 

GEORGE  C.  PENDLETON, 
CONE  JOHNSON, 
E.  G.  SENTER, 
CULLEN  F.  THOMAS. 
This  report  was  rejected  by  a  viva  voce  vote. 

INDEPENDENCE  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1908 
DALLAS,  August  11 

With  very  slight  preliminary  preparation  the  State  convention 
of  this  party  met  at  Dallas,  August  11,  1908.  About  twenty-five 
delegates  were  present.  No  State  platform  was  adopted;  the 
National  platform  was  indorsed. 


Parties  in  Texas  511 

Officers:  Chairman,  Taylor  McRae,  of  Tarrant.  Secretary, 
George  S.  Vivian,  of  Dallas. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  John  T.  Garner,  of 
Robertson,  and  Stacy  Wells,  of  Tarrant:  C.  E.  Delmagc,  of  Tar- 
rant;  0.  J.  Osborn,  of  Harris;  Martin  Hartman,  of  Dallas;  J. 
M.  Hamner,  of  Hunt;  D.  H.  Geiser,  of  McLennan;  Thomas 
('ahill,  of  Nueces;  B.  Terry,  of  Hill;  O.  S.  Haskell,  of  Liberty; 
Henry  Lovet,  of  Gray;  R.  R.  Patterson,  of  Fisher;  George  E. 
John,  of  Galveston:  J.  C.  Harper,  of  Crosby;  H.  S.  Marr,  of 
Nacogdoches;  R.  A.  McCulloch,  of  Ellis;  George  B.  Hufford, 
of  Travis;  Ben  F.  Gibson,  of  Fisher. 

\ominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  E.  W.  Kirkpatrick,  of 
Collin ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  G.  H.  Wilson,  of  Galveston.1 

PEOPLE'S  PARTY  STATE  CONVENTION,  1908 
FORT  WORT,  August  11 

A  feeble  effort  was  made  to  revive  the  People's  party.  About 
twenty  delegates  attended  this  convention.  No  State  platform 
was  adopted :  the  National  platform  was  indorsed. 

Officers:  Chairman,  James  W.  Barrett,  of  Lamar.  Secretary, 
Milton  Park,  of  Dallas. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  M.  Mallett,  of  John- 
son, and  H.  M.  McCuistion,  of  Lamar ;  1st  Congressional  district, 
J.  L.  Darwin,  of  Delta;  2.  W.  S.  Smith,  of  Jefferson;  3.  J.  M. 
Perdue,  of  Upshur;  4.  John  L.  Webb;  5.  F.  M.  Hooks,  of  Bos- 
quo;  6.  E.  G.  Sessions,  of  Navarro;  7.  J.  M.  Garner,  of  Ander- 
son; 8.  J.  M.  Pettigrew,  of  Leon;  9.  John  L.  Mooney,  of  Gon- 
zales;  10.  Joe  M.  Homer,  of  Caldwell;  11.  W.  F.  Douthitt,  of 
Bell;  12.  F.  S.  Taylor;  13.  C.  J.  VanMeter,  of  Wise;  14.  S.  H. 
Holland,  of  Burnet ;  15.  M.  W.  C.  Frazier,  of  Dimmit ;  16.  W. 
L.  (Jross,  of  Scurry. - 

'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  12,  1908. 

2/b*d..    August    12,    1908. 


512  Platforms  of  Political 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1908 

DALLAS,  August  11 

About  thirty-five  delegates  attended  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rockwall.  Secretary r 
P.  F.  Paige,  of  Dallas. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rock- 
wall  ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Ed  Rogers,  of  Hill. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  Dr.  J.  B.  Cranfill, 
chairman,  Ed  Rogers,  E.  L.  Vesey,  E.  C.  Heath,  P.  F.  Paige. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Prohibition  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  acknowledg- 
ing almighty  God  as  the  ultimate  authority  and  arbiter  in  all  human 
governments,  submits  the  following  declaration  of  principles: 

1.  We  heartily  indorse  and  approve  the  platform  of  the  National 
Prohibition  party,  adopted  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  July  16,  1908,  as  follows: 
[The  National  platform  is  quoted  in  full.] 

[2]  We  are  heartily  in  favor  of  the  submission  of  a  prohibition 
constitutional  amendment  to  all  the  voters  of  Texas,  to  be  voted  on  in 
the  near  future,  and  we  extend  to  all  patriots  of  all  parties  who  are 
laboring  with  us  to  this  common  end  our  sincere  pledge  of  cooperation. 

[3]  We  renew  our  demand  for  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic  in 
State  and  Nation;  we  are  in  hearty  and  general  accord  with  every  man 
or  every  class  or  crowd  who  stands  with  us  for  prohibition  in  any 
territory  great  or  small.  Just  as  far  as  he  goes  with  us,  we  joyfully 
go  with  him:  but  the  Prohibition  party  believes  profoundly  that  our 
task  as  American  patriots  will  never  be  complete  until  we  have 
achieved  prohibition  in  the  State  and  in  the  Nation,  and  securely  en- 
throned our  principles  by  the  election  of  men  to  office,  from  constable 
to  President,  who  believe  in  the  principles  here  enunciated. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[4]  We  favor  the  repeal  of  that  portion  of  the  Terrell  election  law 
that  dictates  how  any  party  shall  nominate  candidates  for  office,  and 
we  demand  that  each  party  be  allowed  to  proceed  as  it  may  see  fit 
in  this  matter  under  a  law  that  can  be  invoked  to  protect  each  in 

lfFhe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  12,  1908. 


Parties  in  Texas  513 

their  respective  rights,  but  giving  entire  freedom  for  those  that  are 
not  affiliated  with  a  party.  Also,  that  portion  which  denies  to  per- 
sons not  affiliated  with  any  party  the  right  to  become  candidates  and 
have  their  names  printed  on  the  State  or  county  ticket,  without  cir- 
culating a  petition  at  heavy  expense  of  time  and  money. 

[5]  We  register  our  approval  and  indorsement  of  the  work  of  Hon. 
E.  H.  Conibear,  our  State  chairman,  and  P.  F.  Paige,  our  State  secre- 
tary. These  Texas  leaders  have  shown  singular  and  patriotic  "devotion 
to  our  great  cause,  and  we  are  grateful  to  God  and  to  them  for  the 
transcendent  work  that  they  have  been  able  to  accomplish. 

State  Executive  Committee:  E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas,  chair- 
man; Arthur  E.  Everts,  J.  B.  Cranfill,  D.  P.  Williams,  F.  G. 
Mannan,  and  H.  E.  White,  of  Dallas;  J.  W.  Pearson,  of  Lime- 
stone; John  Carney  and  J.  M.  Moore,  of  Tarrant;  L.  B.  Web- 
ster, of  Hopkins;  J.  M.  Hayes,  of  Upshur;  I.  E.  Teague,  of  Gray- 
son;  E.  W.  Goff,  of  Galveston;  J.  H.  Hearn,  of  Bee;  L.  J.  Win- 
ters, of  Nueces;  E.  J.  Vesey,  of  McLennan;  J.  J.  Lory,  of  Wich- 
ita ;  W.  F.  Heller,  of  Randall ;  L.  D.  Kennedy,  of  Taylor ;  John 
A.  Horger,  of  Medina. 

SOCIALIST  STATE  MASS  MEETING,  1908 

WACO,  August  11  and  12 

About  fifty  delegates  attended  this  meeting.  The  platform 
of  1906  was  readopted. 

Officers:  Chairman,  M.  A.  Smith,  of  Hunt.  Secretary,  Louis 
Garens,  of  Brown. 

Presidential  Electors:  J.  M.  Crier,  W.  S.  Patillo,  J.  H.  Car- 
ter, I.  T.  Watson,  W.  B.  Kessinger,  A.  E.  Pellerin,  W.  F. 
Dove,  W.  H.  Wilson,  T.  E.  Wiltsie,  A.  R.  Wiltsie,  J.  B.  Gay, 
J.  S.  Billingsley,  G.  B.  Harris,  E.  W.  Smith,  J.  E.  Roberts, 
H.  A.  Fee,  J.  A.  Robinson,  J.  M.  Guy. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  J.  C.  Rhodes,  of  Van 
Zandt;  Lieutenant-Governor ,  N.  B  Hunt,  of  Smith;  Attorney- 
General,  M.  A.  Smith,  of  Hunt;  Comptroller,  E.  B.  Latham,  of 
Dallas;  Treasurer,  W.  J.  Bell,  of  Smith;  Commissioner  of  the 
General  Land  Office,  J.  L.  Swan,  of  Jones;  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction,  Mrs.  Alice  McFadden,  of  Williamson;  Rail- 

33—328 


514  Platforms  of  Political 

road  Commissioner,  E.  R.  Meitzen,  of  Lavaca;  Supreme  Court, 
N.  C.  Martin,  of  Potter;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  Eustace 
Bellinger,  of  Bexar.1 

State  Executive  Committee:  Richey  Alexander,  of  Van  Zandt, 
state  secretary;  George  Clifton  Edwards,  of  Dallas;  John  M. 
Shivers,'  of  Van  Zandt;  Joseph  Schmidt,  of  Vernon;  Lee  L. 
Rhodes,  of  Van  Zandt ;  John  Kerrigan,  of  Dallas ;  J.  H.  Carter, 
of  Lamar;  W.  R.  Tramblade,  of  Cooke ;  G.  Herd,  of  Collin; 
W.  A.  Blackburn,  of  Potter. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1908 

DALLAS,  August  11  and  12 

The  attendance  was  between  800  and  1,000  delegates.  About 
a  dozen  negroes  attended. 

Officers:  Chairman,  J.  M.  McCormick,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
Bart  Marshall,  of  Gray  son. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  N.  V.  Dittlinger  and 
R.  E.  Hannay;  1st  Congressional  district,  W.  E.  Singleton 
2.  J.  H.  Kurth,  3.  S.  D.  Waldrip,  4.  0.  P.  Johnson,  5.  S.  S. 
Conner,  6.  T.  A.  Pope,  7.  G.  W.  Burkett,  8.  W.  A.  Matthaei, 
9.  E.  B.  Barden,  10.  E.  C.  Bartholomew,  11.  F.  H.  Baker,  12. 
T.  A.  Baker,  13.  W.  F.  Featherstone,  14.  Alfred  Vander  Stucken, 
15.  J.  C.  Scott,  16.  Scott  White. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  John  N.  Simpson,  of 
Dallas;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Charles  W.  Ogden,  of  Bexar;  At- 
torney-General, William  H.  Atwell,  of  Dallas;  Comptroller,  B. 
C.  Cage,  of  Erath;  Treasurer,  Thomas  S.  Bugbee,  of  Donley; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Joseph  Stanzell;  Su- 
perintendent of  Public  Instruction,  Sam  T.  Swinford,  of  Harris ; 
Railroad  Commissioner,  Mike  C.  Hurley,  of  Tarrant;  Commis- 
sioner of  Agriculture,  William  Harboth,  of  Guadalupe;  Supreme 
Court,  Charles  W.  Starling,  of  Dallas;  Court  of  Criminal  Ap- 
peals, John  W.  Cocke,  of  McLennan,  and  G.  H.  Harrison,  of 
Brown. 

xThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  12  and  14,  1908. 


Parties  in  Texas  515 

Committee  on  Plaiform  and  Resolutions:  A.  J.  O'Neill,  H.  O. 
Wilson,  G.  W.  L.  Smith,  C.  A.  Burke,  C.  I.  Evans,  G.  L.  Tuit 
H.  A.  Griffin,  Lock  McDaniel,  J.  T.  Ballard,  B.  W.  Brush,  C.  A. 
Boyuton,  Bruce  Cage,  W.  H.  Ingerton,  C.  W.  Ogden,  J.  C. 
Scott,  Prince  Hazzard. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  in  common 
with  all  thoughtful  and  observant  persons,  recognize  in  recent  and  now 
transpiring  political  events  and  discussions  the  unmistakable  evidences 
of  the  patriotic  interest  which  the  entire  citizenship  of  our  State  is 
taking  in  the  many  and  important  political  issues  of  the  hour,  affect: 
ing  both  our  National  and  State  governments.  That  this  awakening 
to  a  solemn  duty  exists  to  such  an  unusual  degree  is,  we  consider,  one 
of  the  most  hopeful  signs  of  the  times  and  promises  well  for  the  future 
of  our  great  State,  for  we  have  no  manner  of  doubt  that  if  every  indi- 
vidual voter  will  think  and  act  for  himself  and  not  at  the  dictation  of 
any  man  or  set  of  men,  the  important  questions  before  us  will  be 
solved  so  as  to  promote  the  best  interests  and  aid  in  the  development 
of  the  limitless  resources  of  the  State.  We  commend  and  share  in  the 
apparently  universal  resolve  to  treat  these  vital  issues  as  business 
propositions,  and,  as  such,  to  give  to  them  the  best,  the  most  unselfish, 
unprejudiced,  unbiased,  and  nonpartisan  thought  of  which  a  fair-minded 
and  patriotic  citizen  is  capable. 

Without  other  purpose  in  view  than  to  promote  the  general  welfare, 
we  tender  to  the  people  of  Texas  the  aid  of  the  Republican  party,  its 
organization  and  its  membership  throughout  the  State,  in  working  out 
the  problems  which  confront  and  affect  us  all  alike.  To  this  end  we 
propound,  for  the  consideration  of  our  fellow  citizens  of  Texas,  the 
following  declaration  of  principles,  in  which  we  deal  first  with  State 
issues,  as  those  which  are  nearest  to  us  and  affect  our  people,  and  then 
with  the  broader  National  issues,  in  which  all  the  States  are  vitally 
interested. 

1.  We  are  opposed  to  and  condemn  those  blighting  State  policies, 
some  of  which  have  found  expression  in  recent  legislation  and  others 
are  contemplated  and  threatened,  which  together,  at  a  time  when  it 
seemed  about  to  rise  to  a  flood  tide,  arrested  the  flow  of  capital  and 
immigration  into  our  State,  stopped  the  construction  of  railroads  and 
other  much  needed  public  utility  plants,  drove  from  our  State  a  large 
number  of  insurance  companies,  controlling  and  having  for  invest- 
ment, in  the  aggregate,  hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars,  and  wielding  a 
great  influence  in  the  financial  circles  of  the  world,  creating  a  wide- 

*The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News> 
August  12  and  13,  1908. 


516  Platforms  of  Political 

spread  impression  at  the  money  centers  from  which  capital  should 
come  to  us  that  investments  in  Texas  are  insecure  and  unprotected. 
We  favor,  therefore,  the  adoption  of  such  State  policies  as  will  be  recog: 
nized  as  an  earnest  and  sincere  invitation  to  capital  to  seek  within 
our  borders  all  forms  of  investment  and  will  be  accepted  as  a  guarantee 
of  protection  and  fair  treatment. 

2.  We  suggest  and  specify  the  most  important  of  the  things  to  be 
done  to  put  this  policy  into  practical  effect;   we  condemn  as  unwise 
and  inopportune  and  too  radical: 

(1)  The  Robertson  insurance  law; 

(2)  The  law  imposing  a  tax  upon  the  gross  revenues  of  corporations 
and  individuals  having  their  capital  invested  in  public  service  enter- 
prises,  the  encouragement  and  multiplication  of  which  is  so  vitally 
important; 

(3)  The  laws  imposing  taxes  on  the  so-called  intangible  assets  of 
such  corporations; 

(4)  The  laws  imposing  discouragingly  excessive  franchise  taxes  and 
Incorporation  fees  upon  corporations,  private  as  well  as  quasi-public; 

(5)  The  laws   imposing   almost  prohibitory  restrictions  '  upon  the 
formation  or  the  increase  of  the  capitalization  of  private  corporations, 
a  vast  number  of  which,  the  history  of  all  successful  development  has 
taught  us,  is  needed  to  carry  on  such  languishing  and  legitimate  enter- 
prises as  individuals  are  unable  or  unwilling  to  undertake; 

(6)  The  laws  creating  and  establishing,  in  comfortable  quarters  at 
the   State  Capitol,  at  great  expense  to   the   State,   various   forms  of 
"smelling  committees,"  under  the  titles  Tax  Commissioner,  Tax  Boards 
and  Revenue  agents,  and  investing  them  with  inquisitorial  powers. 

We  favor  the  repeal  or  modification  of  the  objectionable  laws  men- 
tioned and  such  others  as  belong  in  the  same  classification,  so  as  to 
make  our  legislation  conform  to  the  go-ahead  policy  of  a  broad-minded 
and  progressive  people. 

3.  We  favor  fewer  and  better  laws  on  all  subjects,  and  particularly 
on  the  subject  of  taxation,  while  we  favor,  as  the  only  just  principle, 
the  equal  and  uniform  distribution  of  the  burdens  of  taxation  on  the 
rendition  and  assessment  of  all  property  at  its  full  value.    We  con- 
demn the  recent  full  rendition  law,  and  the  methods  pursued  by  the 
administration   in   enforcing  the  law,  and  demand  its  repeal  or   its 
amendment.     It  is   subject  to  the  objection  of  being  expressive  of  a 
policy  to  swell  excessively  and  unreasonably  the  taxable  values  of  land, 
and  thus  discourage  the  investment  of  capital  therein,  with  the   in- 
evitable result  of  eventually  reducing  the  value  thereof,  and  with  the 
further   objection   that  this   law   is   an   unwise  and   dangerous   inter- 
ference with   the  powers  conferred  by  the  constitution  of  the   State 
upon  the  county  assessors  and  commissioners  to  fix  and  determine  the 
value  of  all  property  for  taxation. 

4.  We  oppose  involving  the  State  in  any  scheme  to  insure  or  guar- 
antee bank  deposits.     Such  a  policy  would  be  an  unnatural  effort  to 


Parties  in  Texas  517 

place  all  banks  and  bankers  on  the  same  plane,  and  would  be  unmer- 
ited by  the  bad  and  unjust  to  the  good.  It  would  but  stimulate  the 
activity  of  the  tax  gatherer  resident  at  Austin  in  the  accumulation  of  a 
fund,  the  sufficiency  of  which  would  be  problematical,  and  which  at 
last  the  borrowers  and  other  customers  of  the  banks  would  provide, 
for  it  is  certain  that  the  bankers  will  not  pay  one  cent  of  this  tax  or 
abate  any  part  of  their  profits  on  account  of  it. 

5.  The  constitution  of  the  State  of  Texas  provides  that  it  shall  be 
amended  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  both  houses  of  the  legislature  pro- 
posing  and   of  a  majority  of  the  voters   subsequently  ratifying  any 
amendment.     We  are  opposed  to  its  being  amended  in  any  other  way, 
and  especially  by  the   initiative   and  referendum  method  now  being 
pursued  by  the  Democratic  party,  and  which,  if  successful,  will  form 
a  dangerous  precedent  and  tend  to  destroy  the  sacred  rights  now  pre- 
served by  the   constitution.     We  are,  therefore,  opposed  to  the   sub- 
mission by  the  thirty-first  legislature  of  a  statewide  prohibition  amend- 
ment, but,  instead  thereof,  do  favor  the  enactment  by  such  legislature 
of  fair  and  rigidly  enforced  local  option  and  license  laws,  which  pro- 
vide penalties  for  their  violation  so  severe  as  to  compel  their  obedience 
and  afford  the  utmost  protection  to  society. 

6.  We  favor  the  repeal  of  the  laws  which  hamper,  by  minute  and 
ridiculous  regulations,  the  conduct  and  actions  of  the  political  parties, 
when  preparing  to  present  candidates  and  platforms  of  principles  to 
the  public  for  its  consideration.     The  present  law  upon  this  subject 
is  legislation  in  the  interest  of  machine  politics.     Its  provisions  relat- 
ing to  primary  elections  are  cumbersome,  complicated,  contradictory, 
and  unintelligible,  and  impose  upon  those  who  seek  to  enter  the  public 
service   by   standing  for   an   elective  office   a   great   and   unnecessary 
expense. 

7.  The  law  passed  by  the  thirtieth  legislature,  known  as  the  public 
school  textbook  law,  and  the  action  thereunder  of  the  present  School 
Textbook  Board,  in  awarding  the'  contracts  thereunder  for  furnishing 
our   people   school    books    at   an   increased    expense    of   thousands   of 
dollars,  deserves  the  condemnation  of  all  people  of  every  party,  and 
the  former  should  be  repealed  and  the  latter  abolished  at  the  earliest 
possible  time,  and  an  investigation  had  of  the  graft  and  corruption 
which  is  charged  to  have  already  been  practiced  under  this  statute. 
We  are  in  favor  of  the  State  furnishing  all  school  books  to  the  children 
of  the  public  schools  of  the  State,  free  of  cost  to  them. 

The  hope  of  a  republic  lies  in  the  proper  education  of  its  citizens, 
and  the  children  of  Texas,  whether  of  town  or  country,  are  entitled 
to  equal  opportunities,  and,  therefore,  we  demand,  as  a  matter  of 
right  to  the  children  and  of  correct  public  policy  that  the  qualified 
voters  of  every  school  district  in  Texas  shall  have  the  power  and  it 
shall  be  their  duty  to  levy  a  tax  that  will  give  to  all  children  equal 
opportunities,  and  we  favor  such  changes  in  our  laws  as  will  permit 


518  Platforms  of  Political 

the  people  living  outside  the  cities  to  levy  a  tax  sufficient  for  that 
purpose. 

8.  We  believe  that  our  State  judiciary  should  be  above,  beyond,  and 
wholly  independent  of  partisan  politics,  and  we   favor  the  selection 
of  all  judges  at  an  election  held  exclusively  for  that  purpose  and  not 
in  the  same  year  in  which  a  general  election  is  held.     We  favor  longer 
terms  and  increased  salaries  for  our  Supreme,  Appellate,  and  District 
judges,   so  that  our  best  lawyers  can,  without  too  great   a  sacrifice, 
afford  to  take  and  hold  those  high  and  honorable  positions.    We  favor 
paying  the  actual  and  necessary  expenses  of  the  District  Judges  and 
the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals  when  in  the  performance 
of  their  official  duties  they  are  required  to  leave  the  counties  of  their 
residence. 

9.  We  favor  the  reorganization  of  the  judiciary  system  of  Texas  in 
order  to  secure  more  speedy  trial  of  criminal  cases  and  thus  lessen  the 
expense  to  county  and  State  and  the  reasons  for  lynch  law,  and  that 
civil   suits  may  be   more  quickly   terminated  and   time   and   expense 
saved  to  both  litigants  and  the  State. 

10.  We  favor  the  amendment  of  the  anti-pass  law,  so  as  to  remove 
all    restrictions    against    public    utility    corporations    extending    free 
service,  if  they  see  fit  to  do  so,  to  any  and  all  peace  officers,  including 
deputy  sheriffs,  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  persons  engaged  in  chari- 
table and  educational  work,  and  also  to  permit  the  exchange  of  trans- 
portation by   railroad  companies  for  advertising  space  in  the  news- 
papers; and  we  favor  such  an  amendment  by  Congress  of  the  Hepburn 
bill  as  will  permit  the  issuance  of  free  transportation   to   "bona  fide 
immigration   agents. 

11.  As  counties  are  now  required  to  place  their  deposits  with  the 
highest  bidding  institutions,  in  the  interest  of  economy,  we  favor  the 
abolishment  of  the  office  of  county  treasurer,  and  suggest  that  deposits 
be  placed  with  depositories  by  the  county  collector  who  shall  perform 
the  nominal  duties  of  treasurer. 

12.  Believing  as  we  do  in  the  maintenance  of  an  adequate  militia, 
we  favor  an  annual  appropriation  for  that  purpose  by  the  State  equal 
in  amount  to  that  received  by  the  State  from  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment. 

13.  We   favor  the   control  of  quarantine  matters  by  the  National 
government,  such  action  having  been  taken  by  many  States,  in  order 
to  secure  greater  safety  to  our  citizens,  and  we  also  favor  the  establish- 
ment of  a  laboratory,   to  be  under  the  charge  of  the   State   Health 
Officer,  for  the  production   of  anti-diphtheritic  serum  and  such  anti- 
toxins as  will  best  conserve  the  health  of  our  people. 

14.  We  again  declare  in  favor  of  the  continuance  of  the  policy  of 
liberal  appropriations  by  the  National  government  for  the  improvement 
of  the  waterways  of  the  State  of  Texas. 

[15]     We  but  record  the  well  known  verdict  of  a  vast  majority  of 
the  people  of  this  State,  as  well  as  of  the  Nation,  in  commending, 


Parties  in  Texas  519 

without  reservation,  the  administration  of  President  Roosevelt,  as 
having  been  throughout  honorable,  high-minded,  and  patriotic,  and  as 
having  richly  merited  the  glowing  tribute  paid  to  it  in  the  platform 
adopted  by  the  last  Republican  convention  at  Chicago,  and  all  that  is 
there  said  in  commendation  of  the  President  and  his  administration 
we  approve,  without  qualification,  and  adopt  as  expressive  of  our 
appreciation  of  and  gratitude  for  his  great  work  in  behalf  of  the 
country  and  its  people.  We  proclaim  our  loyalty  to  and  approval  of, 
and  pledge  our  support  to  the  principles,  policies,  and  candidates  of 
the  National  Republican  party,  as  propounded  by  its  delegated  repre- 
sentatives in  convention  assembled  at  Chicago,  and  we  commend  it  on 
its  record,  on  tho  principles  for  which  it  stands,  and  on  the  high 
character  and  preeminent  qualifications  and  trained  ability  of  William 
H.  Taft,  of  Ohio,  its  distinguished  candidate  for  the  high  office  of  chief 
executive  of  the  Nation,  to  the  thoughtful  and  unbiased  consideration 
of  our  fellow-citizens  of  the  State  of  Texas. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  of  Grayson,  chair- 
man; 1st  Senatorial  district,  J.  A.  Hurley,  of  Bowie;  2.  W.  J. 
Gideon,  of  Delta;  3.  Dr.  C.  A.  Gray,  of  Fannin;  4.  C.  B.  Dor- 
chester, of  Grayson;  5.  R.  F.  Akridge,  of  Hunt;  6.  E.  S.  Thayer. 
of  Dallas ;  7.  S.  D.  Waldrip,  of  Van  Zandt ;  8.  D.  H.  Morris,  of 
Leon;  9.  Rube  Freedman,  of  Navarro;  10.  C.  Dickson,  of  John- 
son; 11.  J.  W.  Cocke,  of  McLennan;  12.  Frank  A.  Myers,  of 
Brazos;  13.  G.  W.  Burkitt,  of  Harris;  14.  George  H.  East,  of 
Jefferson;  15.  Charles  George,  of  Grimes;  16.  A.  N.  McKay,  of 
Harris;  17.  Otto  Letzerich,  of  Galveston;  18.  Arthur  Fricker 
of  Fayette;  19.  W.  W.  Edwards,  of  Bastrop ;  20.  J.  M.  Thorn- 
ton, of  Travis;  21.  August  Graeb,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  M.  P. 
Schorre,  of  Karnes;  23.  Ed  C.  Lasater,  of  Starr;  24.  H.  R. 
Richter,  of  Gillespie;  25.  Charles  B.  Stevens,  of  El  Paso;  26. 
J.  B.  Lockhart,  of  McCulloch;  27.  Joe  E.  Williams,  of  Hamil- 
ton; 28.  L.  S.  McDowell,  of  Howard;  29.  J.  E.  Lutz,  of  Wil- 
barger;  30.  Sam  Davidson,  of  Tarrant;  31.  J.  A.  Burgess,  of 
Montague. 


520  Platforms  of  Political 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1908 

SAN  ANTONIO,  August  11-13 

I 

The  right  of  initiative  was  invoked  for  the  first  time  under  the 
Terrell  election  law  in  a  petition  to  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee requesting  that  the  question  of  State  prohibition,  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  Democratic  voters  in  the  July  primary  election. 
There  were  cast  for  submission  142,614  votes,  and  against  sub- 
mission 139,335  votes.  Those  favoring  submission  controlled 
the  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Charles  F.  Greenwood,  of 
Hill;  permanent,  J.  A.  L.  Wolfe,  of  Grayson.  Secretary,  Bob 
Barker,  of  Bexar. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Thomas  M.  Campbell, 
of  Anderson;  Lieutenant-Governor,  A.  B.  Davidson,  of  DeWitt; 
Attorney-General,  Robert  V.  Davidson,  of  Galveston ;  Comptrol- 
ler, J.  W.  Stephens,  of  Travis;  Treasurer,  Sam  Sparks,  of  Bell; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  T.  Rohison,  of 
Travis;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  R.  B.  Cousins, 
of  Limestone;  Railroad  Commissioner,  0.  B.  Colquitt,  of  Kauf- 
man; Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  R.  T.  Milner,1  of  Rusk; 
Supreme  Court,  F.  A.  Williams,  of  Travis;  Court  of  Criminal 
Appeals,  W.  L.  Davidson,  of  Williamson,  and  W.  F.  Ramsey, 
of  Johnson. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, H.  W.  Vaughn,  of  Bowie;  2.  D.  M.  Portwood,  of  Red 
River;  3.  R.  W.  Wortham,  of  Lamar;  4.  C.  L.  Yowell,  of  Gray- 
son  ;  5.  M.  G.  Abernathy,  of  Collin ;  6.  Nelson  Phillips,  of  Dallas ; 
7.  T.  B.  Butler,  of  Smith;  8.  R,  T.  Brown,  of  Rusk;  9.  Jed  C. 
Adams,  of  Kaufman ;  10.  W.  E.  Spell,  of  Hill ;  11.  Eugene  Wil- 
liams, of  McLennan;  12.  J.  E.  Butler,  of  Brazos;  13.  R,  W. 
Brown,  of  Anderson;  14.  George  Smith,  of  Jefferson;  15.  L.  T. 
Dashiell,  of  Leon;  16.  Jonathan  Lane,  of  Harris;  17.  Walter 
Gresham,  of  Galveston;  18.  W.  A.  Trenckmann,  of  Austin;  19. 

XR.  T.  Milner  withdrew  his  candidacy  for  this  office,  and  about  September 
1,  the  State  executive  committee  nominated  Ed  R.  Kone,  of  Hays. 


Parties  in  Texas  521 

Paul  D.  Page,  of  Bastrop:  20.  James  H.  Robertson,  oi'  Travis, 
chairman ;  21.  R.  S.  Dilworth,  of  Gonzales ;  22.  Robert  A.  Pleas- 
ants,  of  DeWitt ;  23.  John  G.  Willacy,  of  San  Patricio ;  24.  Albert 
Hohrath,  of  Bexar;  25.  Richard  F.  Burges,  of  El  Paso;  26. 
Charles  H.  Jenkins,  of  Brown;  27.  Fred  P.  Hamill,  of  Bell;  28. 
W.  T.  Shannon,  of  Jones:  29.  R.  W.  Hall,  of  Wilbarger;  30. 
George  W.  Armstrong,  of  Tarrant;  31.  J.  H.  Matthews,  of 
Montague. 

PLATFORM2 

1.  Declaring  our  devotion  to   those    principles   of  government  for 
which  the  Democratic  party  has  ever  been  the  most  valiant  champion 
and   defender,   we  pledge  ourselves  to  every   effort  necessary  to  per- 
petuate the  rights  guaranteed  by  our  Federal  and  State  constitutions, 
and  look  with  confidence  to  a  brilliant  Democratic  victory  in  the  com- 
ing election  for  their  vindication. 

2.  We  indorse  the  platform,  adopted  by  the  National   Democratic 
convention  at  Denver,  and  heartily  ratify  the  nomination  of  William 
Jennings   Bryan  and  John  Worth  Kern  for  the  presidency  and  vice- 
presidency  of  the  United  States. 

3.  We  heartily  indorse  the  present  Democratic  administration,  the 
official  acts  of   Governor  Thomas  M.   Campbell,  and  the   acts  of  the 
thirtieth  legislature,  enacted  in  obedience  to  platform  demands,  and 
we  rejoice  at  the  emphatic  indorsement  given  said  laws  and  adminis- 
tration by  the  Democratic  voters  in  the  recent  primary  election. 

4.  We  indorse  the  official  course  of  our   senators  and  representa- 
tives in  the  United  States  Congress  and  commend  their  faithful  dis- 
charge of  official  duties. 

5.  We    recommend    that   the   thirty-first   legislature    resubmit    for 
adoption  by  the  people  a  constitutional  amendment  making  provision 
for  the  indigent  wives  and  widows  of  Confederate  soldiers. 

6.  In  harmony  with  the  National  Democratic  platform,  pledging  the 
party  to   legislation  for  the  guaranty   of  National  bank   deposits,  we 
favor  the  prompt  establishment  of  a  system  under  the  supervision  and 
control  of  the  State  for  the  guaranty  of  the  deposits  of  State  banks 
of  Texas. 

7.  We  recommend   such  amendments  to  and  changes  in  the  laws 
governing  court  procedure  as  will  reduce  the  expense  of  litigation  and 
tend  to  the  speedy  administration  in  civil  as  well  as  criminal  cases. 

8.  The  Democratic  party  believes  that  ignorance  is   a  misfortune 
and  that  education  is  a  blessing,  and  we,  therefore,  favor  a  wise  and 
liberal  financial  support  of  our  public  schools  and  all  our  State  educa- 

*The    proceedings    of   this    convention    are    taken    from    the    San   Antom* 
Express,  August  11-14,  1908. 


522  Platforms  of  Political 

tional  institutions.  We  favor  the  adoption  of  the  pending  amendment 
to  Section  3,  Article  7,  State  constitution,  relating  to  public  free 
schools,  and  commend  the  support  of  said  amendment  to  the  voters 
of  Texas. 

The  recent  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  Baird  Independent 
School  District  case  invalidates  outstanding  bonds  of  such  districts  to 
the  approximate  amount  of  $3,000,000.  These  bonds  are  held  by  the 
State  permanent  school  fund  and  other  innocent  purchasers.  There 
should  be  no  repudiation  of  any  public  debt  in  Texas.  We,  therefore, 
favor  a  constitutional  amendment  validating  said  bonds. 

9.  We  repudiate  the  charges  that  have  been  made  that  Texas 
legislation  is  unfriendly  to  capital,  and  we  invite  a  comparison  of  our 
laws  affecting  capital,  private  or  corporate,  with  the  laws  of  other 
States  on  this  subject. 

We  declare  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas  to  be  one  of  progress, 
looking  well  to  the  material  interests  of  the  people,  and  in  favor  of 
an  early  and  rapid  development  of  the  natural  resources  of  the  State. 
The  party  invites  the  investment  of  friendly  capital,  by  both  indi- 
viduals and  corporations,  and  guarantees  full  and  complete  protection 
of  all  such  investments. 

The  party  recognizes  the  necessity  for  the  construction  of  many 
miles  of  new  railroad  to  bring  into  market  and  use  at  an  early  date 
our  unoccupied  lands,  the  timber  growing  thereon,  and  the  minerals 
and  other  valuable  deposits  therein,  and  heartily  invites  the  construc- 
tion thereof  under  proper  regulations,  and  guarantees  of  protection  by 
just  and  fair  laws  intelligently  and  honestly  administered. 

10.  We  favor  decreasing  the  number  and  increasing  the  compensa- 
tion of  the  legislators  of  this  State. 

11.  We   favor   the   establishment   of   additional   experimental   agri- 
cultural stations,  especially  in  Central,  West,  and  Northwest  Texas. 

12.  We  recommend  that  our  State  Health  Department  be  granted 
adequate  authority  and  ample  means  to  properly  safeguard  the  public 
health.     In   order   to   secure    greater   efficiency   in   our   public   health 
agencies,  so  as  to  maintain  the  reputation  of  our  State  for  healthful- 
ness,  we  favor  such  legislation  as  will  effect  this  purpose. 

13.  Recognizing  that  the  oil  and  rice  industries  are  of  great  im- 
portance in  the  growth  of  the  State,  we  recommend  legislation  that 
will  conserve  and  protect  them,  and  we  also  recommend  that  adequate 
provisions  be  made  for  fixing  and  regulating  the  charges  of  canal  and 
pipe  line  companies. 

14.  Realizing  that  one   of   the   most   important   industries   of   our 
State  is  involved  in  the  fish  and  oyster  industry,  and  that  our  bays 
furnish  in  a  limited  quantity  and  inadequate  at  the  same  time,  a  supply 
of  those  foods  to  the  people,  and  that  adequate  laws  ought  to  be  en- 
acted to  protect  the  limited  supply  we  have,  and  viewing  the  situation 
from  foreign  States  and  with  regard  to  the  laws  that  they  have  passed 
to  protect  their  food  supplies,   we  ask  that  the  State  legislature  be 


Parties  in  Texas  523 

instructed,  or  requested,  to  pass  such  laws  or  amendments  to  the 
present  statutes  on  those  questions  that  will  enable  the  Fish  and 
Oyster  Commissioner  and  his  deputies  to  properly  protect  the  interests 
of  the  people  in  this  great  food  supply;  and  we  desire  further  to  have 
such  legislation  as  will  increase  and  protect  the  fisheries  of  Texas. 

15.  We  demand  the  submission  by  the  thirty-first  legislature  of  the 
State  of  Texas  of  a   constitutional  amendment  to  the  people  of  the 
State  of  Texas,  for  their  adoption  or  rejection,  prohibiting  within  the 
State    of    Texas    the    manufacture,    sale,    gift,    exchange,    and    intra- 
state  shipment  of  spirituous,  vinous,  and  malt  liquors  and  medicated 
bitters,    capable    of   producing    intoxication,    except    for    medical    and 
sacramental  purposes. 

16.  We  recommend  that  the  prohibition  amendment  demanded  by 
the  recent  primary  election  be  submitted  to  all  qualified  voters  at  a 
special  election  to  be  held  in  1909.    We  declare  that  at  such  election 
•a  vote  for  or  against  the  amendment  shall  not  be  considered  a  test  of 
Democracy,  as  it  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  convention  to  commit  the 
Democratic  party  for  or  against  State  prohibition. 

Resolutions 

Your  committee  further  recommends  the  adoption  of  the  following 
resolutions: 

1.  The  fact  that  neither  the  State  nor  the  party,  by  a  vote  of  the 
entire  State,  has  the  right  to  elect  either  a  State  senator  or  representa- 
tive is  conclusive  evidence  that  they  have  no  right  to  instruct  them 
adversely  to  the  expressed  will  of  their  local  constituency.     The  man- 
ner of  their  election  under  the  constitution  and   laws  of  this  State, 
adopted  an  enacted  by  the  Democratic  party  of  this  State,  shows  the 
party  devotion  to  the  doctrine  of  local  self-government  advocated  by 
our  Democratic  fathers  and  so  dear  to  all  Democrats. 

[This  resolution  was  withdrawn  by  the  chairman  of  the  platform 
committee,  after  the  adoption  of  plank  No.  15.] 

2.  Realizing  that  the  development  of  our  State  and  the  prosperity 
of  our  people  depend  largely  upon  the  quick  and  economical  transporta- 
tion  of   their   commerce,   we   approve   and   earnestly   recommend   the 
adoption  by  the  Federal  government  of  a  wise,  liberal,  and  compre- 
hensive policy  for  the  improvement  of  the  waterways  of  our  country, 
and  especially  recommend  and  request  our  senators  and  representatives 
in  Congress  to  use  their  influence  and  best  efforts  to  secure  adequate 
annual  appropriations  with  provisions,  under  continuing  contract,  for 
the  speedy  widening,  deepening,  and  enlarging  of  the  harbors  of  this 
State,    the    proper   and   continuous    construction    of   the    intercoastal 
canal,  and  the  early  improvement  of  our  rivers. 

3.  WHEREAS,  it  has  been  the  impression  of  some  of  the  people  of 
the  Republic  of  Mexico  that  the  citizenship  and  officials  of  the  border 
counties  of  Texas  have  not  used  due  diligence  in  the  apprehension  of 


524  Platforms  of  Political 

those  persons  who  have  violated  the  neutrality  laws  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  in  the  recent  commission  of  unlawful,  outrageous, 
and  unmerciful  depredations  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  Mexican 
Republic;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we,  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
do  hereby  pledge  to  the  Republic  of  Mexico  the  hearty  cooperation  of 
the  constabulary  of  our  State  in  the  extermination  of  any  of  those 
influences  and  conditions  that  may  threaten  the  amicable  relations  now 
existing  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico. 

4.  We  deeply  deplore  the  death  of  Governor  S.  W.  T.  Lanham,  who 
in  his  life  embodied  the  highest  standards  of  character  and  citizenship, 
and  whose  distinguished  services  to  the  State  and  Nation  has  endeared 
his  memory  to  Democrats  throughout  the  land,  and  we   tender  our 
sincere  sympathy  to  the  members  of  his  family  in  their  bereavement. 

5.  [Thanks  to  the  citizens  of  San  Antonio.] 

6.  We  express  our  thanks  to  George  A.  Garden,  the  chairman  of  the 
retiring  executive  committee,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  official 
duties. 

MINOBITY  BEPOBTS 


We,  the  members  of  the  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions, 
appointed  by  the  convention,  respectfully  dissent  from  the  views  of 
the  majority  of  your  committee  upon  the  subject  of  this  State  guar- 
anteeing deposits  made  in  State  banks  as  recommended  in  plank  No. 
6  of  the  platform  reported  by  the  majority  and  ask  that  said  plank  be 
stricken  out  and  be  not  adopted. 

JONATHAN  LANE, 
PAUL  D.  PAGE, 
NELSON  PHILLIPS, 
W.  A.  TBENCKMANN, 
R.  S.  DILWOBTH, 
ALBEBT  HOHBATH. 

The  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  viva  voce  vote. 

II 

We,  members  of  the  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions,  appointed 
by  said  convention,  respectfully  present  to  the  convention  the  follow- 
ing resolution  and  ask  that  it  be  substituted  for  plank  No.  15  of  the 
proposed  platform  upon  the  subject  of  State  prohibition,  submitted  by 
a  majority  of  your  committee,  to  wit: 

WHEREAS,  heretofore,  prior  to  the  late  Democratic  State  primary 
election,  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  State  Democratic  executive 
committee  requesting  that  said  executive  committee  submit  to  the 


Parties  in  Texas  525 

entire  body  of  Democratic  voters  of  Texas,  participating  in  such 
primary  election,  the  question:  Whether  this  Democratic  State  con- 
vention should  place  in  the  Democratic  platform  a  demand  for  certain 
specific  legislation,  namely:  That  the  thirty-first  legislature  of  Texas 
pass  a  joint  resolution  proposing  an  amendment  to  the  constitution 
of  the  State  of  Texas  to  the  effect,  substantially:  That  the  manu- 
facture or  sale,  at  wholesale  or  retail,  of  spirituous,  vinous,  or  malt 
liquors  hereafter  be  prohibited  by  law  in  the  State  of  Texas;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  authority  of  the  executive  committee  to  so  submit  said 
question  was  controlled  by  an  act  of  the  thirtieth  legislature  of  the 
State  of  Texas  which  said  law  reads  as  follows,  to  wit: 

"Any  political  party  in  this  State,  in  convention  assembled,  shall 
never  place  in  the  platform  or  resolutions  of  the  party  they  represent 
any  demands  for  specific  legislation  on  any  subject  unless  the  demand 
for  such  specific  legislation  shall  have  been  submitted  to  a  direct  vote 
of  the  people,  and  shall  have  been  indorsed  by  a  majority  of  all  the 
votes  cast  in  the  primary  election  of  such  party;  provided,  that  the 
State  executive  committee  shall,  on  petition  of  ten  per  cent  of  the 
voters  of  any  party,  as  shown  by  the  last  primary  election  vote,  submit 
any  such  question  or  questions  to  the  voters  at  the  general  primary 
next  preceding  the  State  convention;"  and 

WHEREAS,  under  and  by  virtue  of  said  law,  the  Democratic  executive 
committee  of  the  State  of  Texas  did  submit  in  substance  said  question 
to  the  voters  to  be  voted  upon  directly  by  all  the  people  voting  at  said 
primary  election,  which  was  duly  held  throughout  Texas  in  accordance 
with  law,  on  July  25,  1908,  and  which  included  the  matter  of  nominat- 
ing, among  others,  a  Democratic  candidate  for  the  office  of  governor; 
and 

WHEREAS,  the  returns  of  said  primary  election  have  been  duly  re- 
turned to  and  canvassed  by  the  State  executive  committee  aforesaid, 
which  said  executive  committee  has  certified  to  this  convention  that 
the  total  number  of  votes  cast  for  the  candidates  for  governor  at  said 
election  was  320,062,  thereby  evidencing  and  establishing  that  said 
number  of  Democratic  voters  participated  in  and  voted  at  said  pri- 
mary election;  and 

WHEREAS,  said  executive  committee  has  certified  to  this  convention 
that  out  of  said  total  number  of  320,062  votes  only  142,175  were  cast  ni 
favor  of  said  question,  which  was  a  minority  of  all  the  votes  cast  in 
the  said  primary  election  of  the  Democratic  party  by  17,545  votes; 
therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  said  question  so  proposed  and  so  submitted  to  the 
voters  at  the  said  Democratic  primary  election  has  not  been  indorsed 
by  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  in  said  primary  election,  and  that, 
therefore,  said  plank  can  not  be  inserted  in  the  platform  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  by  this  convention  without  violating  the  plain  letter  and 


526  Platforms  of  Political 

spirit   of   said    law,   and,   therefore,   this   convention   for   said   reason 

declines  to  do  so. 

RICHARD  F.  BURGES,  R.  W.  WORTHAM, 

JONATHAN  LANE,  J.  E.  BUTLER, 

NELSON  PHILLIPS,  GEORGE  W.  ARMSTRONG, 

JOHN  G.  WILLACY,  JAMES  H.  ROBERTSON, 

PAUL  D.  PAGE,  W.  A.  TRENCKMANN, 

WALTER  GRESHAM,  ALBERT  HOHRATH. 

This  minority  report  was  rejected  by  a  vote  of  418  2-7  ayes  to 
225  5-7  noes. 

Ill 

We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  committee  on  platform  and 
resolutions,  dissent  from  the  majority  report  of  the  said  committee  as  to 
Resolution  No.  1,  and  recommend  that  the  same  be  not  adopted  for  the 
reason  that  said  resolution  in  effect  destroys  the  binding  force  of  the 
Democratic  platform,  encourages  insubordination,  and  plants  the  seed 
of  party  disintegration. 

P.  W.  BROWN,  H.  W.  VAUGHN, 

R.  W.  HALL,  EUGENE  WILLIAMS, 

R.  T.  BROWN,  W.  E.  SPELL, 

C.  N.  PORTWOOD,  W.  T.  SHANNON, 

T.  B.  BUTLER,  J.  H.  MATTHEWS, 

C.  H.  JENKINS,  L.  T.  DASHIELL. 

The  withdrawal  of  Resolution  No.  1  made  unnecessary  any  action 
on  this  report. 

State  Executive  Committee:  A.  B.  Storey,  of  Caldwell,  chair- 
man, 1st  Senatorial  district,  H.  F.  O'Neal,  of  Cass;  2.  J.  M. 
Melson,  of  Hopkins;  3.  F.  S.  Dudley,  of  Lamar;  4.  Jesse  C. 
Murrell,  of  Cooke;  5.  William  Bacon,  of  Hunt;  6.  Robert  B. 
Allen,  of  Dallas;  7.  J.  M.  Edwards,  of  Smith;  8.  R.  G.  Brown, 
of  Gregg;  9.  J.  M.  Murchison,  of  Henderson;  10.  A.  B.  Honey- 
cutt,  of  Johnson;  11.  J.  W.  Dudley,  of  McLennan;  12.  N.  P. 
Houx,  of  Limestone;  13.  J.  C.  Box,  of  Cherokee;  14.  W.  J. 
Crawford,  of  Jefferson;  15.  J.  Lewellyn,  of  Montgomery;  16. 
William  Masterson,  of  Harris;  17.  J.  B.  Stubbs,  of  Galveston; 
18.  C.  E.  Lane,  of  Fayette;  19.  A.  Wangemann,  of  Washington; 
20.  J.  Gregg  Hill,  of  Travis;  21.  F.  J.  Maier,  of  Comal;  22.  F.  G. 
Moffett,  of  Jackson;  23.  Archie  Parr,  of  Duval:  24.  Will  A. 
Morriss,  of  Bexar;  25.  G.  B.  Finley,  of  Uvalde;  26.  W.  D.  Mc- 
Christy,  of  Brown;  27.  J.  D.  Brown,  Jr.,  of  Coryell;  28.  J.  H. 


Parties  in  Texas  527 

Beall,  of  Nolan;   29.   Nat   Henderson,   of  Wichita;   30.  W.  R. 
Parker,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Emory  C.  Smith,  of  Denton. 

SOCIALIST  LABOR  STATE  TICKET,  1908 

No  account  of  a  State  convention  of  the  Socialist  Labor  party 
in  1908  has  been  found. 

Presidential  Electors:     Carl  Schmidt  and  F.  Maiorana. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  William  B.  Cook; 
Lieutenant-Governor,  I.  Goodman;  Comptroller,  Joe  Piombino; 
Treasurer,  Robert  Strach;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion, G.  H.  Royal. 

SOCIALIST  STATE  MASS  MEETING,  1910 

CORPUS  CHRISTI,  August  9 

The  platform  had  been  adopted  and  the  candidates  selected 
by  a  party  referendum,  so  the  only  purpose  of  the  State  mass 
meeting  was  to  comply  with  the  Terrell  election  law. 

Officers:  Chairman,  H.  L.  Dreyer,  of  Nueces.  Secretary,  E. 
R.  Meitzen,  of  Lavaca. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Reddin  Andrews,  01 
Smith;  Lieutenant- Governor,  P.  G.  Zimmerman,  of  Jones;  At- 
torney-General, M.  A.  Smith,  of  Hunt;  Comptroller,  E.  R. 
Meitzen,  of  Lavaca;  Treasurer,  W.  J.  Bell,  of  Smith;  Commis- 
sioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  Alfred  Mueller,  of  Bexar; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Mrs.  H.  A.  Fee,  of  Bexar  ; 
Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  M.  S.  Graham,  of  Jones;  Rail- 
road Commissioner,  J.  C.  Aschenbeck,  of  Wharton,  and  Eustace 
Bellinger,  of  Bexar;  Supreme  Court,  S.  H.  Tucker,  of  Coryell; 
Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  G.  P.  McLester,  of  Eastland. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Socialist  party  of  Texas  reaffirms  its  allegiance  to  the  principles 
of  international  Socialism  as  expressed  through  the  National  plat- 
form of  the  Socialist  party. 

Today  men,  women,  and  children  work  with  complex  and  wonder- 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  mass  meeting  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  14,  1910. 


528  Platforms  of  Political 

fully  productive  machinery.  The  driver  of  the  modern  locomotive 
can  transport  more  articles  of  commerce  in  one  hour  than  his  pre- 
decessor of  fifty  years  could  in  months  by  means  of  the  overland  cart. 
The  wonderful  textile  machines,  attended  by  children,  turn  out  miles 
of  cloth  where  the  hand  loom  of  the  past  wove  inches.  The  com- 
bined steam  header,  thrasher,  and  sacker  harvest  thousands  of  bushels 
of  grain  where  the  scythe  and  the  flail  of  the  last  century  harvested 
one.  Whichever  way  society  looks  the  same  advancement  in  every 
i  line  of  industry  is  seen.  Because  of  this  evolution  of  machinery  and 
jits  complement — the  acquisition  of  land — the  members  of  society  have 
been  separated  into  classes — the  owners  or  nonworkers,  and  the  non- 
owners  or  workers.  The  workers,  or  the  majority,  in  order  to  obtain 
life's  necessities  must  use  the  land  or  the  machines.  But  before  they 
can  use  either  they  must  secure  permission  of  the  owner,  or  the 
minority.  Permission  is  never  granted,  only  on  the  condition  that  the 
workers  surrender  a  part  of  their  labor's  product  to  the  owner.  This 
constitutes  the  economic  basis  of  society  and  can  be  changed  only  by 
making  the  ownership  of  the  land  and  the  machinery  collective — that 
is,  by  making  society  the  owner,  instead  of  the  individual.  In  order  to 
perpetuate  society's  present  economic  foundation,  the  owners  of  the 
land  and  the  machinery  must  maintain  political  power.  For  the 
workers  to  change  the  present  economic  status,  and  thereby  retain  to 
themselves  the  full  social  products  of  their  labor,  they  must  come  into 
possession  of  the  political  power. 

The  Socialist  party  of  Texas  has  for  its  object  the  capture  of  the 
political  power  of  this  State,  and  pledges  its  candidates,  on  penalty  of 
recall  and  expulsion  from  the  party,  to  labor  for  the  economic  change 
as  set  forth  in  the  above. 
Therefore,  it  demands: 

1.  A  democratic  form  of  government  by  constitutional  amendment 
providing   for   the   initiative,   referendum,   and  power   of  recall   on  a 
basis  of  six,  eight,  and  fifteen  per  cent  respectively. 

2.  The  extension  of  the  full  right  of  franchise  to  women. 

3.  The  abolition  of  the  poll  tax  as  a  qualification  to  the  right  of 
ballot,  and  the  simplification  of  the  Terrell  election  law  to  a  correct 
and  easy  interpretation  by  the  average  voter. 

4.  The  unrestricted  right  of  peaceable  assembly,  free  speech,  and 
free  press.     To  this  end  we  demand  the  refusal  by  the  State  to  cities 
of  charters  tending  to  restrict  or  abridge  this  constitutional  right. 

5.  That  the  State  of  Texas  cease  the  sale  of  school  or  other  public 
lands;  that  all  lands  now  held  by  lease  shall,  on  the  expiration  of  said 
lease,  become  a  part  of  the  public  domain,  upon  payment  for  all  im- 
provements at  an  appraised  valuation. 

6.  That  the  State  purchase  all  land  sold  for  taxes  in  this  State,  the 
same  to  become  part  of  the  public  domain. 

7.  That  nonresident  land  owners  assess  their  own  land,  the  State 


Parties  in  Texas 


reserving  the  right  to  purchase  such  land  at  its  assessed  value,   plus 
ten  per  cent. 

&.  A  graduated  land  tax  on  all  farm  land  held  for  exploitation  or 
speculation,  farmers'  unoccupied  farm  land  now  in  its  possession,  or 
hereafter  acquired,  at  the  prevailing  rate  of  rent  share.  As  soon  as 
said  rent  share  amounts  in  the  aggregate  to  a  sum  equal  to  one-half 
the  value  of  the  land  at  the  time  of  application,  rent  to  cease,  and  the 
State  to  issue  to  such  tenant  a  permanent  right  of  occupancy. 

10.  That  the   tools,   teams,  and  implements  -of  landless  farmers  to 
the  amount  of  $800  be  exempt  from  taxation. 

11.  The  State  ownership  of  cotton  gins,  cotton  seed  oil  mills,  cotton 
compresses,  warehouses,   and  other  utilities  in  their  nature  public. 

12.  The  establishment  of   an   eight-hour  work  day  among  all   day- 
laborers;  the  passage  of  sanitary  laws  and  their  rigid  enforcement  in 
all    public   works;    strict    inspection    of   mills,    mines,    factories,    etc.; 
abolition  of  child  labor  in  all  wage-paying  industries;    State  fire,  life,. 
accident,  and  sick   insurance. 

13.  The  immediate  and  speedy  extension  of  the  State  Railway,  em- 
ploying free  labor  at  prevailing  union  wages. 

14.  Humane   and  scientific  treatment  of  the  inmates   of  the  State 
penitentiaries,  all  the  value   of  their  labor  above  an  economical  cost 
of  maintenance  to  go  to  their  families  or  dependents. 

15.  The   erection,  by  the  State,   of  as  many   as  three  sanitariums, 
to  be  located  equiangularly,  or  as  nearly  as  may  be;   board  and  treat- 
ment of  inmates  to  be  furnished  by  the  State. 

16.  All  physicians  and  surgeons  doing  general  practice  in  this  State 
shall  be  in  the  employ  of  the  State.     To  this  end  we  recommend  the 
districting  of  the  counties  on  a  basis  of  square  miles,  the  distribution 
of  physicians  proportioned   to  the  population;    and   the  operation,  by 
the  State,  of  a  drug  dispensary  in  each  such  district.     The  removal  of 
any  physician   for   incompetency   to  be  by  majority   vote   of  qualified 
voters  in  such  district. 

17.  Free  textbooks  to  the   scholastic  pupils  in   the   public  schools,. 
and  adequate   public   maintenance   of  all   destitute  and   semi-destitute 
children  in  this  State. 

18.  That  the  right  of  asylum  to  political  refugees  shall  not  be  de- 
nied in  Texas.     We  condemn  the  act  of  some  officials  in  lending  aid  to 
foreign  tyrants  and  Pinkerton  thugs  to  have  such  men  extradited  or 
imprisoned. 


E.r«'iitir<  Committee:  H.  L.  Dreyer,  of  Xueces,  chair- 
man; E.  R.  Meitzen,  of  Lavaca,  secretary;  G.  T.  Bryant,  of 
Jones;  Dan  ('.  Older,  of  Eastland  :  Frank  Hnbbell,  of  Refugio  : 
W.  M.  Williams.  of  Jones;  A.  Haynes,  Jr.,  of  Lavaca;  W.  A. 
Mitchell,  of  Dallam;  E.  Bellinger,  of  Bexar;  W.  J.  Bell,  of 
Smith:  Frank  \Ylms.  of  Stephens;  John  Raider,  of  Wharton; 
1).  <J.  'Wilson,  of  Johnson:  Paul  Mikniewicz,  of  Tom  Green. 

34—328 


530  Platforms  of  Political 

SOCIALIST  LABOR  STATE  CONVENTION,  1910 

HOUSTON,  August    [9?] 

Officers:  Chairman,  G.  Carnahan.  Secretary,  Theo.  New- 
man. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Carl  Schmidt,  of  Mc- 
Culloch;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Robert  Strach,  of  Bexar;  Comp- 
troller, G.  H.  Royal,  of  Lampasas;  Treasurer,  Otto  Schuettler, 
of  Bexar ;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  Thomas  C. 
Pope,  of  Reeves;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Fannie 
Chernm,  of  El  Paso;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Frank  Maiorana, 
of •  Harris;  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  James  Gray,  of  Harris. 

Committee  on  Platform:     0.  W.  Nelson,.  Robert  Strach. 

State  Secretary:     Robert  Strach,  of  Bexar.1 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1910 

DALLAS,  August  9 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Andrew  Jackson  Hous- 
ton, of  Jefferson;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Arthur  A.  Everts,  of 
Dallas ;  Attorney-General,  Millard  Patterson,  of  El  Paso ;  Treas- 
urer, J.  E.  McGuire,  of  Matagorda;  Commissioner  of  the  Gen- 
eral Land  Office,  Will  H.  Jobe,  of  Nolan;  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction,  J.  M.  Perdue,  of  Upshur;  Railroad  Com- 
missioner, E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  P.  F.  Paige,  of 
Dallas;  George  F.  Parkhouse,  of  Dallas;  C.  E.  F.  Smith,  ol 
Collin;  C.  G.  Swartz,  of  Hill;  W.  S.  Lanham,  of  Palo  Pinto. 

PLATFORM2 

•1.  We  favor  the  submission  by  the  legislature  of  the  State  of 
Texas  to  the  voters  of  Texas  of  a  constitutional  amendment  forever 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  12,  1910. 

'-Ibid.,   August    10,    1910. 


Parties  in  Texas  531 

prohibiting  the  manufacture,  importation,  exportation,  and  sale  of  all 
alcoholic  beverages  in  the  State  of  Texas. 

2.  We  favor  the  enactment  by  our  National  Congress  of  a  law  pro- 
hibiting the  interstate  traffic  in  alcoholic  liquors  now  permitted  by  the 
Federal  government  in   those   States   and  Territories  which  have  de- 
clared for  State  or  local  prohibition. 

3.  We   favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  affording   the  people  of  the 
State  the  privilege  of  the  initiative,  referendum,  and  recall  of  public 
officers  who  fail  to  perform  their  official  obligations. 

4.  We  believe  that  the  public  roads  are  arteries  to  commerce  and 
prosperity  vital  to  the  public  welfare.     We,  therefore,   advocate   such 
policy  in  the  building  and  maintenance  of  good  roads  as  will  stop  the 
present  wasteful  and  futile  methods  and  provide  permanent  and  dur- 
able highways. 

5.  We  favor  the  payment  of  salaries  to  all  public  officers  and  that 
all  fees  and  fines  be  turned  into  the  public  treasuries  for  the  benefit 
of  the  taxpayers. 

6.  If  elected  to  power,  we  promise  to  abolish  all  unnecessary  offices 
and  exercise  the  strictest  economy  in  the  conduct  of  the  State  affairs. 

7.  We   favor  laws  allowing  the  people  to  determine  whether  they 
shall  own  and  control  public  utilities. 

8.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  wise  laws  for  the  abolition  and  pre- 
vention of  child  labor. 

9.  We   favor   laws   that   will    insure   to   labor  a   fair  share   of   the 
wealth  it  helps  to  create,  safe  and  sanitary  conditions  for  labor,  and 
such  hours  as  will  insure  time    for   culture  and   recreation,  and  we 
believe  that  all  disputes  between  capital  and  labor  should  be  settled 
by  arbitration. 

10.  While  rejoicing  at  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  prohibition  that 
has  been  engendered  by  local  option  or  no  license  victories,  we  con- 
tend that  the  experience  of  forty  years  in  fighting  the  liquor  traffic 
has  demonstrated  that  local  option  and  county  option  are  not  a  final 
settlement  of  the  liquor  problems,   and  that  the   only  way  to-  secure 
effective   prohibition   is  to  elect  Prohibition  party   men   to  office  and 
that  it  is  the  duty  of  every  prohibitionist  to  use  all  his  energy  and 
resources  to   secure  National  as  well  as  State  prohibition  through  a 
party  pledged  thereto. 

11.  We  favor  the  amendment  of  the  present  State  election  law  so 
as  to  allow  each  political  party  to  choose  its  own  method  of  nominat- 
ing candidates  and  selecting  time  of  conventions,  subject  only  to  such 
regulations  as  shall  guard  against  fraud. 

12.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties 
in  Texas  and  throughout  the  Nation  are  hopelessly  aligned  with  the 
liquor  traffic,  we  declare   it  as  our  conviction  that  the  only  way  to 
secure   effective  prohibition   is   to  elect   Prohibitionists   to   office,  and 
this  can  be  done  only  by  the  concentration  in   one  political  party  of 
all  of  the  enemies  of  the  saloon. 


532  Platforms  of  Political 

13.  We  declare  that  the  policy  of  the  present  legislature  in  refusing 
to  submit  a  prohibition  amendment  to  the  people  was  not  only  a  sub- 
version  of  the   plain   instructions  that  these  representatives   received 
from  the  State  convention,  but  was  a  palpabale  outrage  against  popular 
government. 

14.  We  declare  that  the  only  fair  and  open-handed  method  for  be- 
lievers in   prohibition  to  adopt  is  to  align  themselves  together  in  the 
Prohibition  party,  both  in  State  and  Nation.     In  view  of  the  platforms 
and  policies  of  both  the  Republican  and  Democratic  parties,  there  can 
really  be  no  such  thing  as  a  prohibition   Democrat  or  a  prohibition 
Republican.     The    Republican    party    of    Texas,    having   placed    in    its 
platform   an    out-and-out    declaration    against    the    prohibition    of    the 
liquor  traffic,  aligns  that  party  logically  with  the  National  Republican 
party,  which  has  betrayed  the  prohibition  cause  in  every  State  of  the 
Union  in  which  it  has  attained  to  power.     The  disregard  by  a  Demo- 
cratic legislature  of  the  instructions  of  its  own  party,  and  the  nomina- 
tion of  a  saloon  advocate  by  the  Democrats  of  Texas  for  governor  of 
this  State,  together  with  the  attitude  of  that  party  as  an  ally  of  the 
saloon,  both  in  Texas  and  throughout  the  entire  United  States,  renders 
it  impossible  for  a  man  who  in  conscience  opposes  the  saloon  to  longer 
vote  with  either  of  these  two  parties,  which  are  dominated,  officered, 
manned,  and  controlled  by  the  subsidized  emissaries  and  attorneys  of 
the  liquor  traffic. 

15.  Believing  profoundly  that  the  settlement  of  the  liquor  question 
is  the  greatest  issue  now  before  the  American  people,  and  believing 
further  that  there  is  absolutely  no  hope  for  the  ultimate  prohibition 
of  the  liquor  traffic  through  either  of  the  old  political  parties  of  this 
country,  we  invite  into  the  ranks  of  the  Prohibition  party  every  patriot 
who  is  on  this  issue  with  us  agreed. 

16.  When   there   are  two  or   more   offices  of  the   same  kind  to  be 
filled  by  the  voters  of  any  county,  district,  or  precinct  we  believe  that 
the   place   system   should   be    abolished   and   that   those   receiving  the 
highest  vote  should  be  declared  elected. 

State  Executive  Committee:  P.  F.  Paige,  of  Dallas,  chair- 
man; 1st  Congressional  district,  S.  M.  Pharr,  of  Hopkins;  2. 
Thomas  Brown,  of  Jefferson;  3.  F.  M.  Ray,  of  Wood;  4.  I.  E. 
Teague,  of  Grayson;  5.  P.  D.  Williams,  of  Dallas;  6.  Mrs.  Jose- 
phine Collins,  of  Limestone;  7.  W.  R.  Worthington,  of  Galves- 
ton;  8.  M.  E.  Layne,  of  Harris;  9.  J.  E.  McGuire,  of  Matagorda; 
10.  W.  G.  Bell,  of  Travis;  11.  Tom  Smith,  of  McLennan;  12. 
I.  W.  Walley,  of  Hood;  13.  W.  F.  Heller,  of  Randall;  14.  W.  L. 
Home,  of  Lampasas;  15.  William  Gerhardt,  of  Nueces;  16. 
W.  H.  Jobe,  of  Nolan. 


Parties  in  Texas  533 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1910 

GALVESTON,  August  9  and  10 

Hon.  0.  B.  Colquitt,  nominee  for  governor,  was  prevented 
from  attending  the  convention.  However,  his  supporters  were 
in  control  and  his  views  on  the  platform  were  followed.  Th-3 
convention  wras  harmonious. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Clarence  Ousley.  of  Tar- 
rant  ;  permanent,  Nelson  Phillips,  of  Dallas.  Secretary  pro  tem- 
pore, Abe  Gross,  of  Collin ;  permanent,  Bob  Barker,  of  Bexar. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Oscar  B.  Colquitt,  of 
Kaufman;  Lieutenant-Governor,  A.  B.  Davidson,  of  DeWitt ; 
Attorney-General.  Jewel  P.  Lightfoot,  of  Camp;  Comptroller,  W. 
I*.  Lane,  of  Tarrant:  Treasurer.  Sam  Sparks,  of  Bell:  Commis- 
sioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  T.  Robison,  of  Travis; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Francis  M.  Bralley,  of 
Fannin;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Allison  Mayfield,  of  Grayson. 
and  William  D.  Williams,  of  Tarrant;  Commissioner  of  Agri- 
culture. Ed  R.  Kone,  of  Hays;  Supreme  Court,  T.  J.  Brown,  of 
Grayson ;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  A.  J.  Harper,  of  Lime- 
stone; United  States  Senator,  C.  A.  Culberson,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, A.  C.  Stewart,  of  Bowrie:  2.  J.  M.  Melson.  of  Hopkins : 
3.  Fred  Dudley,  of  Lamar;  4.  J.  W.  Bailey,  of  Cooke:  5.  W.  Y. 
Carver,  of  Collin  :  6.  Cullen  F.  Thomas,  of  Dallas;  7.  Cone  John- 
son, of  Smith;  8.  Ben  Cook,  of  Harrison;  9.  J.  J.  Faulk,  of 
Henderson ;  10.  Walter  Collins,  of  Hill ;  11.  N.  B.  Williams,  of 
McLennan;  12.  Charles  Davis,  of  Brazos;  13.  Wiley  Man  gum 
Tmboden,  of  Cherokee;  14.  F.  J.  Duff,  of  Jefferson;  15.  J.  A. 
Herring,  of  Madison;  16  Jonathan  Lane,  of  Harris;  17.  Miles 
Crowley,  of  Galveston ;  18.  H.  A.  Townsend,  of  Colorado;  19. 
J.  P.  Buchanan,  of  Washington;  20.  Charles  Rogan,  of  Travis; 
21.  George  F.  Burgess,  of  Gonzaies;  22.  B.  W.  Fly,  of  Victoria; 
23.  J.  B.  Wells,  of  Cameron;  24.  H.  E.  Hildebrand,  of  Bexar : 
25.  Jim  Callan,  of  Menard ;  26.  W.  L.  Save,  of  Comanche:  27. 
J.  B.  Durrett,  of  Bell;  28.  S.  P.  Hardwicke,  of  Taylor;  29.  D. 
E.  Decker,  of  Hardeman;  30.  W.  A.  Hanger,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man ;  31.  F.  F.  Hill,  of  Denton. 


534  Platforms  of  Political 


PLATFORM1 

1.  We  believe  that  a  representative  Democracy  is  the  most  perfect 
form  of  government  ever  developed  by  the  wisdom  of  men,  and  we  are 
unalterably  opposed  to  every  attempt  to  destroy  or  impair  the  excellent 
system  established  by  our  wise  and  patriotic  fathers.     We  hold  it  to 
be  the  first  and  highest  duty  of  every  representative  to  faithfully  exe- 
cute the  will  of  his  constituency  fairly  ascertained. 

2.  We  hold  the  Constitution  to  be  a  solemn  compact  between  the 
government  and  the'  people,  adopted  for  the  protection  of  individuals 
and  minorities,  and  we  insist  upon  a  strict  construction  of  its  letter 
as  well  as  a  faithful  observance  of  its  spirit. 

3.  We  believe  in  the  Federal  government  in  its  full  constitutional 
vigor  in  preserving  the  rights  of  the  States  of  the  Union,  in  the  time- 
honored  doctrine  of  local  self-government,  and  in  simple,  economical,, 
and  honest  administration  of  the  government  in  all  its  departments. 

4.  We  reaffirm  the  tariff  declarations  of  the  Democratic  State  and 
National  platforms  of  1896,  and  we  expressly  condemn  the  proposition 
to  remove  all  duties  from  the  manufacturers'  raw  material  so  long  as 
such  duties  remain  on  the  manufacturers'  finished  product. 

5.  Whereas,  Section  8,  Article  IV,  of  the  constitution  of  the  State  of 
Texas,  limits  the  power  of  the  executive  to  convene  the  legislature  in 
special  session  to  "extraordinary  occasions,"  we  declare  the  calling  of 
extra  sessions   of  that  body  on  other  than  "extraordinary  occasions" 
unjust  to  the  taxpayers  of  the  State  and  unauthorized  by  the  letter  or 
the  spirit  of  that  instrument. 

6.  In  obedience  to  the  instructions  given  in  the  Democratic  primary 
of  July  23,  1910,  we  call  upon  the  thirty-second  legislature  of  Texas  to 
submit  to  the   people   for  their  rejection  or  approval  a  constitutional 
amendment  prohibiting  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors 
in  this  State,  but  we  declare  that  a  vote  upon  such  amendment  shall 
not  be  a  test  of  Democracy. 

7.  Believing  that  an  educated  citizenship   is  the  best  assurance  of 
good  government  and  good  conduct,  and  recalling  the  wise  and  gen- 
erous provision  made  by  the  fathers  of  the  Republic  of  Texas  for  the 
establishment    of    a    complete    system    of    public    education,    from    the 
primary  school  to  the  University,  we  remind  the  legislature  that  our 
school  system  has  not  kept  pace  with  the  educational  progress  of  the 
times,  but  has  suffered  in  organization  and  in  maintenance.     We  de- 
mand, therefore,  perfection  of  the  common  school  system  of  this  State 
and  the  adequate  provision  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  University,  the 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  the  normal  schools  and  the  other 
educational  institutions  controlled  by  the  State.     Provision  should  be 
made   for   efficient   county   organizations   and   rural   high   schools,   en- 

lrThe   proceedings   of  this  convention   are  taken  from  the   Galveston  News, 
August  10  and  11,  1910. 


Parties  in  Texas  535 

couragement  of  manual  training  for  district  or  county  agricultural 
training  schools,  and  the  separation  of  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
College  from  the  State  University.  Provision  for  a  liberal  and  inde- 
pendent income  for  the  State  institutions  of  higher  learning  should  be 
made. 

8.  We  favor  divorcing  the  management  of  the  penitentiary  and  our 
eleemosynary  institutions  from  political  control,  to  the  end  that  they 
will  not  suffer  the  disturbance  of  changes  in  administrations,  and  we 
recommend    independent   boards   of  control,   with    tenure   of   office   so 
arranged  as  to  prevent  a  complete  change  of  management  at  any  time. 
We  insist  upon  a  faithful  application  of  the  wise  and  merciful  policy  of 
moral  reform  and  mental  and  manual  training  in  all  penal  institutions. 

9.  We   believe   that  the  general   welfare   demands   that  the   people 
shall  not  be  annoyed  by  constant  political  agitations,  and  they  should 
be  relieved  therefrom  in  order  that  they  may  undisturbed  pursue  their 
usual  vocations,  to  the  end  that  they  may  be  contented  and  prosperous, 
and  we  promise  an  intelligent  and  strict  enforcement  of  the  law  as  it 
is  by  lawful  means  and  the  enactment  of  such  additional  laws  only  as 
are  absolutely  necessary  to  protect  the  public  and  the  rights  and  liberties 
of  the  people,  and  we  recommend  that  the  thirty-first  legislature,  now  in- 
special  session,  dispose  of  the  Fire  Rating  Board  law,  adjourn,  and  go 
home. 

10.  Realizing  that  the  development  and  prosperity  of  Texas  require 
that  there  shall   be  harmony   between  the   producers,  the  merchants, 
farmers,   manufacturers,   laborers,   and    capitalists,   and   that  no  such 
harmony  can  exist  except  under  just  and  equal  laws,  we  pledge  our- 
selves to  the  enactment  and  enforcement  of  such  laws. 

11.  We  favor  the  adoption  of  the  constitutional  amendment  making- 
provision  for  the  establishment  of  a  home  for  widows  of  Confederate 
soldiers. 

12.  We  congratulate  ourselves  that  the   Democratic  party  has  con- 
trolled the  government  of  the  State  for  nearly  forty  years,  and  that 
during  that  time  no  scandal  has  ever  marked  its  administration,  and 
we  expressly  commend  the  present  State  administration   for   writing 
into  the  statutes  of  the  State  the  platform  pledges  of  the  party. 

13.  With  renewed  hope  in  the'  principles  of  Democracy  and  a  firm 
and  abiding  faith  in  the  capacity  of  the  people  for  self-government,  we 
appeal  again  with  confidence  to  the  intelligence  and  patriotism  of  the 
voters  of  Texas. 

Resolutions 

[1]  We  heartily  indorse  the  work  now  being  done  by  our  State 
Industrial  Congress  and  commend  it  to  the  generous  support  and  aid 
of  the  people  of  our  entire  State. 

[2]  Resolved,  that  we  profoundly  regret  the  illness  of  our  distin- 
guished senior  United  States  senator,  Hon.  Charles  A.  Culberson,  and 
hope  for  him  a  speedy  recovery  to  his  wonted  health  and  vigor,  and 


536  Platforms  of  Political 

we  unqualifiedly  indorse  the  faithful  and  able  service  of  Senators  Cul- 
berson  and  Bailey  in  the  American  Congress. 

[3]  That  we  disapprove  of  laws  requiring  a  citizen  of  Texas  to  leave 
the  county  of  his  residence  and  attend  court  at  Austin  to  defend  suits 
involving  the  title  to  school  lands,  and  recommend  to  the  thirty-second 
legislature  that  all  such  suits  in  behalf  of  the  State  be  tried  in  the 
county  where  the  land  is  situated,  as  required  in  other  land  suits. 

[4]  That  we  indorse  and  commend  to  the  favorable  consideration  of 
the  people  of  Texas  the  great  industrial  educational  movement  inaugu- 
rated and  successfully  led  in  this  State  by  Judge  V.  W.  Grubbs  of  Hunt 
County,  who  has  unselfishly  devoted  many  years  of  his  life  and  a  com- 
fortable fortune  to  the  cause  of  better  education  in  Texas. 

Additional  Resolution 

[5]  It  is  the  sense  of  this  convention  that  wisdom  and  justice  enjoin 
upon  the  National  Democracy  the  acceptance  of  a  leadership  without 
respect  to  section,  and  with  the  single  purpose  to  teach  the  genuine 
doctrine  of  Democracy,  establish  confidence  in  the  party,  and  plant  the 
true  faith  in  the  hearts  of  the  people;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  the  Democracy  of  Texas  indorse  and  tender  to  the 
National  Democracy  for  the  nomination  for  the  presidency  in  1912  one 
in  whose  personality  are  happily  combined  all  the  elements  of  character, 
ability,  and  personal  magnetism  that  make  a  successful  and  an  ideal 
leader,  America's  profoundest  and  greatest  statesman,  Senator  Joseph 
W.  Bailey. 

MINORITY    REPORT 

The  undersigned,  a  minority  of  your  committee  on  platform  and 
resolutions,  beg  leave  to  report  as  follows: 

We  recommend  that  the  platform  submitted  by  the  majority  of  the 
committee  be  amended  in  the  following  particulars: 

1.  Amend  Section  4  of  the  platform  by  substituting  the  following: 
"That  we  hereby  affirm  our  allegiance  to  the  Denver  National  Demo- 
cratic platform  of  1908  on  the  tariff  question  as  sound  and  Democratic 
;and  to  the  best  interest  of  the  people." 

2.  Amend  the  platform  submitted  by  the  majority  by  striking  out 
.Section  9  of  the  same. 

3.  Amend  the  platform  submitted  by  the  majority  by  adding  an- 
other section  to  read  as  follows:     "We  favor  a  law  to  prohibit  public 
officials  from  accepting  fees   or   emoluments  from  the  public  service 
corporations  while  they  hold  a  commission  from  the  people,  to  the  end 
that  they  may  be  free  from  any  suspicion  of  wrongdoing." 

4.  That  we  indorse  the  course  of  the  Hon.  C.  A.  Culberson  and  those 
representatives  in   Congress  from  Texas  for  voting  in  favor  of  free 
lumber  and   free   iron   ore,   and   commend  them  for  obeying  the  pro- 


Parties  in  Texas  53  T 

visions  of  the  Denver  Democratic  platform.     (Substitute  for  resolution 
14  of  the  majority  report.) 

5.  Amend  the  majority  report  by  adding  thereto  the  following: 
"That  absolute  obedience  to  instructions  of  the  people  by  those  holding 
their  office  is  indispensable  to  the  integrity  of  representative  govern- 
ment. We  regard  it  as  a  wholesome  text  for  civil  instruction  and  as  a 
touchstone  by  which  to  test  the  service  of  those  we  trust,  and  we 
declare  that  those  who  accept  the  people's  office  and  refuse  to  obey 
their  instructions  are  embezzlers  of  power." 

CONE  JOHNSON, 
CULLEN  F.  THOMAS, 
J.  J.  FAULK, 
J.  B.  DUBBETT. 

The  minority  report  was  rejected  by  a  vote  of  591  to  142,  except 
plank  2  which  was  rejected  by  a  vote  of  497  to  238. 

State  Executive  Committee:  J.  Sheb  Williams,  of  Lamar, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  G.  L.  Evans,  of  Marion;  2> 
W.  P.  Cornelius,  of  Red  River;  3.  Ed  D.  Steger,  of  Fannin;  4. 
R.  S.  Fulton,  of  Grayson:  5.  William  Bacon,  of  Hunt;  6.  Murphy 
W.  Townsend,  of  Dallas;  7.  Julius  Germany,  of  Van  Zandt; 
8.  P.  M.  Young,  of  Harrison;  9.  George  M.  Wofford,  of  Hen- 
derson; 10.  Hardie  P.  Missell,  of  Ellis;  11.  W.  T.  Hefley,  of 
Milam ;  12.  H.  S.  Morehead,  of  Robertson ;  13.  Will  H.  Bonner, 
of  Angelina;  14.  S.  B.  Cooper,  Jr.,  of  Jefferson:  15.  R  W. 
Brahan,  of  Walker;  16.  John  H.  Kirby,  of  Harris;  17.  James 
B.  Stubbs,  of  Galveston  :  18.  J.  W.  Ragsdale,  of  Lavaca ;  19.  Paul 
D.  Page,  of  Bastrop;  20.  Ike  D.  White,  of  Travis;  21.  F.  J. 
Maier,  of  Comal;  22.  T.  D.  WTood,  of  Victoria;  23.  A.  Parr,  of 
Duval;  24.  Claude  Birkhead,  of  Bexar;  25.  John  White,  of 
Mason;  26.  J.  K.  Baker,  of  Coleman;  27.  J.  N.  Fallis,  of  Bosque; 
28.  R.  L.  Penick,  of  Jones;  29.  Nat  Henderson,  of  Wichita;  30. 
Paul  Waples,  of  Tarrant ;  31.  R.  E.  Carswell,  of  Wise. 


538  Platforms  of  Political 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1910 

DALLAS,  August  9  and  10 

The  attendance  was  large;  the  proceedings  were  harmonious; 
the  only  contest  made  centered  about  resolutions  below,  num- 
bered 24  and  25. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  temper e,  W.  II.  Atwell,  of  Dalian; 
permanent,  Charles  W.  Ogden,  of  Bexar.  Secretary  pro  tern- 
pore,  Mose  C.  Harris,  of  Bexar;  permanent,  Otto  Patterson,  of 
Tarrant, 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  J.  O.  Terrell,  of  Bexar; 
Lieutenant-Governor,  Harris  Masterson,  of  Harris;  Attorney- 
General,  Charles  W.  Ogden,  of  Bexar;  Comptroller,  Fred  Hoff- 
heinz,  of  Comal;  Treasurer,  C.  W.  Hutchinson,  of  Tarrant; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  H.  Fealherstone. 
of  Clay;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Sam  T.  Swin- 
ford,  of  Harris;  Railroad  Commissioner,  J.  H.  Hawley,  of  Gal- 
veston;  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  Ed  C.  Lasater,  of  Starr ; 
Supreme  Court,  J.  G.  McGrady,  of  Fannin;  Court  of  Criminal 
Appeals,  J.  W.  Cocke,  of  McLennan. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  E.  P.  Wilmot,  of 
Travis,  chairman;  J.  A.  Hurley,  of  Bowie;  C.  R.  Bone,  of  Jeffer- 
son; S.  D.  Waldrip,  of  Van  Zandt;  C.  A.  Gray,  of  Fannin; 
M.  N.  Baker,  of  Dallas;  Allen  Meyers,  of  Brazos;  John  Grant, 
of  Galveston;  W.  A.  Matthaei,  of  Austin;  Ben  Sheldon,  of 
Aransas;  Joe  E.  Williams,  of  Hamilton;  C.  C.  Littleton,  of 
Parker;  Lewis  B.  Lindsay,  of  Cooke;  J.  S.  Sweet,  of  Bexar;  E. 
G.  Crabbe,  of  Nueces;  A.  H.  Anderson,  of  El  Paso. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  Resolved,  that  we  commend  President  Taft  for  his  advocacy  of 
the  policy  of  progress  developed  by  his  predecessors  and  himself  and 
indorse  his  administration  for  the  many  substantial  measures  of  re- 
form it  has  written  into  our  statutes  and  assure  him  of  our  approval 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  10  and  11,  1910. 


Parties  in  Texas  539 

and  support  in  all  efforts  to  secure  further  effective  reforms  in  legisla- 
tion and  administration,  and  reaffirm  our  allegiance  to  the  Republican 
National  platform  of  1908. 

As  to  State  affairs: 

[2]  Two  years  of  additional  misrule  in  Texas  have  not  changed, 
but  have  confirmed  the  position  taken  by  the  Republicans  of  Texas  in 
convention  assembled  in  1908  and,  therefore,  we,  the  Republicans  of 
Texas,  assembled  in  convention,  in  common  with  all  thoughtful  and 
observant  persons,  recognize  in  recent  and  now  transpiring  political 
events  and  discussions  the  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  patriotic 
interest  which  the  entire  citizenship  of  our  State  is  taking  in  the 
many  and  important  issues  of  the  hour,  affecting  both  our  National 
and  State  governments.  That  this  awakening  to  a  solemn  duty  exists 
to  such  an  unusual  degree  is,  we  consider,  one  of  the  most  hopeful 
signs  of  the  times  and  promises  well  for  the  future  of  our  great  State, 
for  we  have  no  manner  of  doubt  that  if  every  individual  voter  will 
think  and  act  for  himself  and  not  at  the  dictation  of  any  man  or  set 
of  men,  the  important  questions  before  us  will  be  solved  so  as  to 
promote  the  best  interests  and  aid  in  the  development  of  the  limitless 
resources  of  the  State.  We  commend  and  share  in  the  apparently 
universal  resolve  to  treat  those  vital  issues  as  business  propositions? 
and  as  such  to  give  them  the  best,  the  most  unselfish,  unprejudiced, 
unbiased,  and  nonpartisan  thought  of  which  fair-minded  and  patriotic 
citizens  are  capable.  Without  other  purpose  in  view  than  to  promote 
the  general  welfare,  we  tender  to  the  people  of  Texas  the  aid  of  the 
Republican  party,  its  organization  and  its  membership  throughout  the 
State,  in  working  out  the  problems  which  confront  and  affect  us  all 
alike.  To  this  end  we  propound  for  the  consideration  of  our  fellow 
citizens  of  Texas  the  following  declaration  of  principles: 

[3]  We  favor  again  the  adoption  of  such  State  policies  as  will  be 
recognized  as  an  earnest  and  sincere  invitation  to  capital  to  seek 
within  our  borders  all  forms  of  investment  and  will  be  accepted  as  a 
guarantee  of  protection  and  fair  treatment. 

[4]  We,  therefore,  again  condemn  as  unwise  and  too  radical,  [Here 
are  quoted  verbatim  count  (1)  to  (5)  and  the  concluding  paragraph  of 
plank  2  of  the  platform  of  1908.] 

[5]  We  favor  fewer  and  better  laws  on  all  subjects  and  particularly 
upon  the  subject  of  taxation. 

[6]  We  again  condemn  the  full  rendition  law  and  the  methods  pur- 
sued by  the  State  administration  in  enforcing  same  and  demand  its 
repeal  or  amendment.  Since  the  condemnation  of  this  law  by  the  Re- 
publican convention  in  1908,  it  has  been  abundantly  proven  by  its 
operation  and  enforcement  to  be  a  vicious  enactment  which  has  in- 
creased the  assessed  values  of  certain  classes  of  property  without 
fulfilling  the  promise  of  reduction  in  tax  burdens. 

[7]  We  unsparingly  condemn  all  hasty  and  ill-considered  legisla- 
tion, and  call  the  attention  of  the  people  to  the  great  bundle  of  laws 


540  Platforms  of  Political 

passed  by  the  recent  legislatures  involving  the  material  welfare  of  the 
State  without  having  given  to  the  important  subjects  the  mature  con- 
sideration which  they  demand,  and  we  call  especial  attention  to  the 
Inexcusable  waste  of  public  money  which  legislative  haste  involves  as 
IB  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  the  Governor  has  just  called  a  special 
session  of  the  legislature  for  the  purposes  of,  as  he  states,  repealing 
the  fire  rating  bill  which  has  just  been  passed  by  the  same  legislature, 
involving  the  people  in  an  expense  which  is  estimated  to  be  not  less 
than  $50,000. 

[8]  WHEREAS,  the  Democratic  party  of  this  State  has  been  guilty  of 
the  inconsistency  of  adopting  a  plank  in  its  platform  declaring  for  the 
submission  of  a  prohibition  amendment  to  the  constitution,  and  of 
nominating  a  candidate  for  governor  who  made  his  campaign  in  oppo- 
sition to  such  submission  and  to  prohibition  in  every  phase  of  the 
question;  and, 

WHEREAS,  the  Democratic  party  has  thus  thrown  the  State  into  an- 
other prohibition  campaign,  which  will  array  neighbor  against  neighbor 
and  community  against  community,  we  reiterate  the  declaration  con- 
tained in  our  platform  of  1908  and  again  declare  in  favor  of  the  strict 
enforcement  of  the  local  option  laws  as  the  correct  solution  of  the 
liquor  question  in  Texas. 

[9]  We  again,  and  with  added  emphasis,  demand  the  repeal  of  the 
provisions  of  the  Terrell  election  law  relating  to  the  primary  elections 
as  being  legislation  in  the  interest  of  machine  politics,  and  as  being 
cumbersome,  complicated,  unintelligible,  and  expensive,  and  as  being 
intended  to  force  the  citizens  of  this  State  to  surrender  their  inde- 
pendence as  voters  to  a  political  machine. 

[10]  We  oppose  the  proposed  legislation  prescribing  the  educa- 
tional qualification  for  voters  as  being  calculated  to  deprive  many  of 
our  worthy  citizens  of  foreign  extraction,  who  speak  with  greatest 
facility  their  native  tongues,  and  who  are  not  yet  versed  sufficiently  in 
the  English  language  to  expound  or  construe  the  constitution  to  the 
satisfaction  of  Democratic  election  officers. 

[11]  We  denounce  the  expenditure  of  public  money  derived  from 
taxation  of  all  the  people  in  the  legislative  investigation  of  alleged 
frauds  in  partisan  primary  elections. 

[12]  We  again  denounce  as  meriting  the  condemnation  of  all  of 
every  party  the  law  passed  by  the  thirtieth  legislature  known  as  the 
textbook  law,  and  the  action  thereunder  of  the  School  Textbook  Board 
in  awarding  the  contract  for  textbooks,  at  an  additional  expense  of 
many  thousands  of  dollars  to  our  people,  and  again  demand  the  repeal 
of  the  law,  and  that  the  said  board  as  now  constituted  should  be  abol- 
ished at  the  earliest  possible  time,  and  a  law  enacted  providing  that 
the  State  shall  furnish  at  its  own  cost  all  the  school  books  for  the 
children  of  the  public  schools  of  the  State,  as  is  being  done  by  so 
many  States  of  this  Union. 

[13]     Recognizing  the  importance  of  thorough  primary  training  in 


Parties  in  Texas  541 

our  schools,  we  favor  and  demand  the  enactment  of  such  laws  as  will 
build  up  and  strengthen  the  country  public  free  schools  of  the  State  by 
giving  longer  terms  and  securing  more  efficient  teachers. 

[14,]  [15.]  [16,]  and  [17]  [Same  as  planks  8,  9,  10,  and  12  of  the 
platform  of  1908.] 

[18]  [Same  as  plank  13  of  the  platform  of  1908,  plus  the  follow- 
ing:] and  we  deplore  the  veto  by  Governor  Campbell  of  the  appropria- 
tion for  the  establishment  of  a  tuberculosis  sanitarium. 

[19]  We  condemn  and  deplore  the  act  of  the  Governor  of  Texas  in 
his  veto  of  the  proper  and  necessary  appropriation  made  by  the  last 
legislature  for  additional  barracks  to  be  erected  at  the  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  College  for  the  young  men  of  the  State.  By  his  veto 
he  has  compelled  several  hundred  young  men  who  are  seeking  to  secure 
an  education  to  camp,  sleep,  and  live  in  tents. 

[20]  We  demand  the  passing  of  such  laws  as  will  further  the  es- 
tablishment, laying  out,  building,  and  keeping  in  good  repair  of  a 
system  of  intercounty  public  roads,  and  to  this  end  we  further  demand 
the  employment  of  penitentiary  convicts,  thus  providing  for  their 
profitable  employment  without  bringing  their  labor  into  competition 
with  honorable  free  labor. 

[21]  We  condemn  the  inhuman  treatment  of  our  State  convicts,  as 
well  as  the  administration  of  the  third  degree  or  other  barbarous 
treatment  of  prisoners  with  a  view  of  extorting  confessions. 

[22]      [Same  as  plank  14  of  the  platform  of  1908.] 

Additional  Resolutions 

[23]  Resolved^  that  we  especially  commend  President  Taft's  admin- 
istration for  its  friendly  cooperation  with  the  liberal  and  progressive 
government  of  Mexico  in  promoting  peace  among  the  Central  Ameri- 
can republics  and  in  fostering  mutual  beneficial  relations  of  friendship. 

[24]  That  it  is  the  sense  of  the  convention  that  no  person  who  is  a 
member  of  any  executive  committee  of  the  Republican  party  in  Texas, 
State,  district,  county,  or  precinct,  shall  be  considered  eligible  to  apply 
for  appointment  to  any  Federal  position  in  Texas  so  long  as  he  remains 
a  member  of  such  executive  committee,  nor  until  after  his  resignation 
as  such  has  been  received  and  acted  upon.  We,  therefore,  suggest  to 
the  State  chairman  that  he  decline  to  recommend  any  such  person  for 
an  appointment  to  any  Federal  position  in  Texas. 

[25]  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  convention  that  the  chairman  of 
any  Republican  executive  committee  in  the  State  of  Texas  shall  upon 
the  request  of  the  chairman  of  the  State  executive  committee  furnish  a 
complete  list  of  the  executive  committee  of  which  he  is  chairman,  and 
a  failure  to  furnish  such  information  within  a  reasonable  time  there- 
after shall  be  deemed  a  sufficient  cause  for  removal  from  office  and 
the  chairman  of  the  State  executive  committee  is  directed  to  proceed 
accordingly. 


542  Platforms  of  Political 

[26]  That  we  most  cordially  indorse  the  administration  of  our 
party  affairs  under  the  leadership  of  Hon.  Cecil  A.  Lyon  as  being  clean, 
honest,  and  conservative,  that  he  has  given  tone  to  the  party  and 
brought  into  its  ranks  the  best  citizens  of  the  State  and  thereby 
strengthened  the  party  in  a  substantial  and  commendable  way.  W« 
extend  to  him  the  expression  of  our  profound  appreciation  of  hit 
diligent  service  for  the  party,  and  we  hereby  vote  for  the  reelection 
of  Hon.  Cecil  A.  Lyon  as  chairman  of  the  Republican  State  executive 
committee  for  the  next  two  years  and  the  election  of  Bart  Marshall  as 
secretary  of  said  committee. 

[27]  That  the  convention  tender  its  hearty  congratulations  to  Hon. 
Julius  Real,  the  Republican  senator  from  the  twenty-fourth  district, 
and  point  with  liveliest  feelings  of  pride  and  satisfaction  to  his  splen- 
did record  made  in  the  thirty-first  legislature.  He  is  a  type  of  the 
representatives  Republicans  select  to  represent  them,  and  we  most 
heartily  commend  him  to  the  earnest,  loyal,  and  undivided  support  of 
all  the  electors  of  the  twenty-fourth  senatorial  district,  regardless  of 
political  feeling  or  predilection.  He  deserves  such  support  and  in- 
dorsement, for  he  has  "stood  as  a  stone  wall,"  holding  the  balance 
of  power  and  defying  the  partisan,  fanatical,  and  un-American  legisla- 
tion recommended  to  be  passed  by  a  Democratic  chief  executive. 

[28]  That  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  do 
hereby  direct  the  secretary  of  this  convention  to  convey  to  Hon.  and 
Mrs.  O.  B.  Colquitt  our  profound  sympathy  in  this  their  hour  of 
bereavement. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  of  Grayson, 
chairman:  1st  Senatorial  district,  A,  M.  Peebles,  of  Cass;  2. 
August  Huffman,  of  Titus;  3.  Dr.  C.  A.  Gray,  of  Fannin;  4.  0. 
F.  Johnson,  of  Grayson;  5.  W.  N.  Griffin,  of  Collin;  6.  E.  S. 
Thayer,  of  Dallas;  7.  F.  N.  Hopkins,  of  Wood;  8.  D.  H.  Morris, 
of  Harrison ;  9.  Rube  Freedman,  of  Navarro ;  10.  J.  B.  Copeland, 
of  Hill;  11.  J.  W.  Cocke,  of  McLennan;  12.  Frank  A.  Myers,  of 
Brazoria;  13.  George  W.  Burkett,  Sr.,  of  Harris;  14.  E.  G. 
Christian,  of  Hardin ;  15.  William  Watson,  of  Leon ;  16.  Charles 
A.  Warnken,  of  Harris;  17.  Otto  Letzerich,  of  Galvestori;  18.  W. 
Hottman,  of  Fayette;  19.  W.  W.  Edwards,  of  Bastrop ;  20.  Dr. 
E.  P.  Wilmot,  of  Travis;  21.  W.  R.  Kelley,  of  Caldwell;  22.  Max 
P.  Schorre,  of  Karnes;  23.  Ed  C.  Lasater,  of  Starr;  24.  John  E. 
Elgin,  of  Bexar;  25.  Charles  B.  Stevens,  of  El  Paso;  26.  J.  B. 
Lockhart,  of  McCulloch;  27.  Joe  E.  Williams,  of  Hamilton;  28. 
L.  S.  McDowell,  of  Howard;  29.  Lewis  Johnson,  of  Jack;  30. 
Sam  Davidson,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Harry  Karlsburg,  of  Montague. 


Parties  in  Texas  543 

STATE  PROHIBITION  MASS  CONVENTION,  1910 

FORT  WORTH,  December  8 

Assuming  that  the  next  legislature  would  obey  instructions 
and  order  submission,  a  State  prohibition  mass  convention  was 
held  at  Fort  Worth  to  formulate  plans  for  the  prosecution  of  a 
state-wide  campaign.  About  700  delegates  attended.  The  State- 
widers  formally  opened  their  campaign  at  Waco,  April  21s1. 
Another  platform  was  adopted  which  was  a  rejoinder  to  their 
opponents'  declaration  of  principles  of  April  3rd. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  William  Poindexter,  of 
Johnson ;  permanent.  Julius  Germany,  of  Van  Zandt.  Secretary 
wo  lem-pore,  J.  M.  Richards,  of  Parker;  permanent,  Tom  C. 
Perkins,  of  Collin. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  Thomas  H.  Ball,  of  Harris;  Rice 
Maxey,  of  Gray  son ;  Jess  Baker,  of  Hood ;  George  C.  Rankin,  of 
Dallas;  Ben  F.  Looney,  of  Hunt;  J.  B.  Cranfill,  of  Dallas;  A. 
G.  Webb,  of  Callahan. 

PLATFORM1 

As  State-wide  prohibitionists  from  every  section  of  Texas,  assembled 
in  mass  convention,  without  regard  to  personal,  political,  or  party 
differences  upon  other  questions  or  issues,  having  one  purpose  in  com- 
mon, and  that  to  make  Texas  dry,  we  arraign  the  liquor  traffic  before 
the  bar  of  public  opinion  upon  the  specific  charges  which  follow,  and 
submit  them  to  the  people  of  Texas  as  ample  warrant  for  dissolving 
the  alliance  now  existing  between  King  Alcohol  and  our  great  common- 
wealth. 

[1]  The  history  of  the  liquor  traffic  is  a  history  of  crime,  degrada- 
tion, sorrow,  suffering,  poverty,  pauperism,  insanity,  and  woeful 
economic  waste,  without  a  single  virtue  to  its  credit,  or  a  sane  reason 
for  its  license,  toleration,  or  existence. 

[2]  Its  continuance  is  so  indefensible  from  an  economic  standpoint 
as  to  challenge  the  thoughtful  attention  of  the  business  world  and  de- 
mand its  abatement.  It  stands  for  absolute  waste  of  at  least  sixty 
million  dollars  annually,  expended  by  the  people  of  Texas  for  alcoholic 

'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Newt, 
December  9,  1910. 


544  Platforms  of  Political 

beverages,  hurtful  and  not  helpful  to  their  consumers.  It  calls  for 
burdensome  taxes  to  meet  the  cost  of  State  and  local  judicial  and  con- 
stabulary expenditures,  and  maintenance  of  prisoners,  paupers,  and 
lunatics  chargeable  to  its  agency. 

[3]  Its  cost  for  consumption  of  its  products  and  worse  than  wasted 
taxes  due  to  its  existence  is  overshadowed  by  the  fearful  results  of  its 
daily  work  of  sapping  the  moral,  mental,  and  physical  productive  force 
and  energy  of  its  victims.  Minds,  weakened  or  lost — characters,  under- 
mined or  destroyed — bodies,  diseased  or  killed — bear  witness  to  these 
facts,  when  the  cry  from  every  sphere  of  human  activity  is  for  honest, 
sober,  and  industrious  men — a  demand  alike  from  individuals,  cor- 
porations, and  labor  unions. 

[43  It  is  the  prolific  source  of  more  crime  than  any  other  agency, 
if  not  of  more  than  all  other  agencies  combined,  and  its  unfortunate 
patrons  constitute  a  large  majority  of  those  who  fill  our  jails  and  peni- 
tentiaries. It  kills  more  men  every  year  than  all  the  people  of  Texas 
kill,  and,  while  yearly  we  hang  and  imprison  many  of  our  brother  men 
for  murder,  the  liquor  traffic,  as  authority  for  its  dead,  offers  in  evi- 
dence a  license  under  the  great  seal  of  the  State. 

[5]  It  is  provable  by  the  highest  scientific  authority  to  be  without 
a  rival  in  its  contribution  to  our  insane  asylums,  whose  inmates  meet 
the  fate  of  reasoning  men  changed  to  empty-minded  imbeciles,  gibbering 
idiots,  or  raving  maniacs. 

[6]  It  is  the  brutal  parent  of  a  larger  family  of  paupers  than  any 
other  author  can  claim  to  its  discredit,  and  refuses  to  claim  or  pro- 
vide for  its  own. 

[7]  It  brings  shame,  woe,  and  poverty  to  countless  homes,  and  an 
army  of  helpless  women  and  children.  It  absorbs  the  earnings  of  labor, 
is  a  constant  breeder  of  drunkards,  and  is  an  ever-present  snare  for 
men  and  boys,  weak  in  will  power  or  coerced  with  a  diseased  appetite, 
mayhap  inherited  from  alcoholic  forbears. 

[8]  It  is  the  greatest  menace  of  the  twentieth  century  to  civic 
righteousness,  clean  politics,  pure  elections,  and  the  sanctity  of  the 
ballot  box,  upon  which  depends  the  value  and  success  of  popular  gov- 
ernment. 

[9]  It  is  an  enemy  to  the  great  cause  of  universal  education,  de- 
clared by  our  constitution  as  necessary  to  preserve  civil  liberty,  and  a 
foe  to  all  institutions  of  learning,  including  denominational  schools 
and  colleges  and  our  great  related  university  system,  which  has  its 
head  at  the  capital  of  Texas. 

[10]  It  is  the  lion  in  the  pathway  of  the  onward  march  of  the 
Christian  religion  in  its  supreme  struggle  to  uplift  humanity,  save 
men  and  women  from  sin,  and  evangelize  the  world. 

[11]  Regulatory  laws  have  been  enacted  from  the  dawn  of  civilized 
jurisprudence  in  the  vain  attempt  to  control  or  regulate  by  law  an  evil 
per  se,  inherently  vicious  and  without  sense  of  moral  responsibility  to 
constituted  authority.  In  Texas,  it  is  the  only  business  authorized  or 


Parties  in  Texas  545 

permitted  by  law  which,  by  express  constitutional  provisions,  may  be 
outlawed  by  popular  vote  of  any  local  community  in  the  State. 

[12]  In  Texas,  it  is  the  only  business  authorized  or  permitted  by 
law  to  live  which  in  effect  is  declared  by  various  statutes  to  be  danger- 
ous to  the  morals  of  our  youth,  inimical  to  the  cause  of  education, 
repugnant  to  the  Christian  religion,  subversive  of  ths  Sabbath  and 
workmen's  rest  day.  menacing  to  our  homes  and  firesides,  a  foe  to  the 
wives  and  female  relatives  of  its  patrons,  and  so  destructive  of  the 
purity  of  elections  and  the  sanctity  of  the  ballot  box  that  it  must  hide 
its  head  from  twelve  hours  before  until  twelve  hours  after  the  touch  of 
a  ballot  by  a  freeman's  hand. 

[13]  To  the  propounders  of  the  personal  liberty  and  undemocratic 
sophistries,  we  cite  the  decisions  of  all  appellate  courts,  State  and 
National,  and  the  Statutes  of  Texas  before  herein  referred  to,  passed  by 
Democratic  legislatures,  for  the  prohibition,  regulation,  and  suspension 
of  the  liquor  business.  These  laws  occupy  more  pages  in  our  civil  and 
criminal  statutes  than  do  all  capital  felonies  combined,  and  liquor 
sellers  break  them  all. 

[14]  To  the  real  and  pretended  friends  of  local  option,  as  against 
State-wide  prohibition,  we  say:  If  in  the  business,  your  are  insincere; 
if  not,  you  are  deceived.  Before  local  prohibitory  laws,  when  voted, 
become  effective,  brewers,  distillers,  saloons,  and  their  allied  boot- 
leggers and  hirelings  begin  the  work  of  preparing  for  the  introduction 
of  their  vile  decoctions  or  liquor  under  alias  names,  by  the  use  of 
money  and  lawless  emissaries,  into  dry  territory.  They  overthrow  and 
violate  the  law,  until  they  are  a  stench  in  the  nostrils  of  law-abiding 
citizens  and  then,  with  brazen  effrontery,  point  to  their  work  as  evi- 
dence that  prohibition  does  not  prohibit  and  that  the  use  of  liquor  is 
greater  under  prohibition  than  under  license,  a  claim  which,  if  true, 
would  make  every  brewer  and  distiller  a  prohibitionist. 

[15]  To  the  misleading  cry  of  local  self-government,  as  applied  to 
the  whiskey  business,  we  answer  that  the  State  is  sovereign,  and  is  the 
unit  which  should  deal  with  a  State-wide  evil,  which  no  local  community 
can  confine  within  its  borders,  away  from  social  and  commercial  con- 
tact with  the  citizenship  of  the  State,  that  the  principle  of  local  self- 
government  no  more  applies  to  the  liquor  business  than  it  does  to  pistol 
toting,  horse  racing,  gambling,  bucket  shops,  or  any  other  crime  against 
the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  State. 

[16]  To  the  charge  that  State-wide  prohibition  will  not  prohibit  in 
communities  opposed  to  its  passage,  we  reply:  Not  we,  but  you,  insult 
such  communities  in  assuming  that  because  a  majority  therein  may 
oppose  the  passage  of  a  law,  such  majority  are  ready  to  join  the 
criminal  class  by  nullifying  it,  although  it  is,  by  popular  vote,  en- 
grafted in  our  organic  law.  Once  a  part  of  our  constitution,  law- 
abiding,  patriotic  anti-prohibitionists,  with  no  masters  to  serve  and  no 
liquors  to  sell,  will  join  law-abiding  prohibitionists  and  constitute  a 
majority  for  the  majesty  of  the  law,  to  disprove  this  anarchistic  cry. 

35—328 


546  Platforms  of  Political 

[17]  The  liquor  interests,  fearful  that  the  gathering  wrath  of  the 
people  of  Texas  will  overthrow  their  business  by  popular  vote  when 
the  constitutional  amendment  is  submitted,  not  content  to  confine  their 
activities  in  debauching  the  politics  of  some  commercial  centers,  have 
emerged  from  their  lair,  and  now  boldly  undertake  to  turn  loose  their 
ill-gotten  gains  in  perfecting  an  organization,  State-wide  in  its  activi- 
ties, and  thus  protect  their  business  by  controlling  the  politics  of  Texas 
and  shaping  her  future  policies  and  destinies.  To  prevent  this  un- 
speakable calamity,  we  have  gathered  to  call  the  people  of  Texas,  not 
to  arms,  but  to  a  battle  of  ballots,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  applying  the 
only  effective  remedy  to  meet  existing  conditions,  that  of  State-wide 
prohibition. 

[18]  Upon  the  foregoing  declaration  of  self-evident  truths,  we  call 
upon  the  Texas  legislature  to  submit  to  the  qualified  voters  of  Texas, 
upon  the  regular  primary  day,  in  July,  1911,  an  amendment  to  our 
constitution  prohibiting  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating 
liquors  in  our  State,  and  for  its  adoption,  when  submitted,  we  pledge 
our  faith  and  service  and  invoke  the  aid  of  every  Texan,  without 
regard  to  race  or  color,  age  or  sex,  faith  or  creed,  profession  or  occupa- 
tion, personal  or  political  affiliations,  who  honors  God  or  loves  his 
fellow  man. 

Campaign  Executive  Committee:  Thomas  H.  Ball,  of  Harris, 
chairman;  State  at  large,  Cone  Johnson,  of  Smith;  William 
Poindexter,  of  Johnson;  T.  M.  Campbell,  of  Anderson;  W.  H. 
Daugherty,  of  Cooke;  A..  J.  Houston,  of  Jefferson:  Reddin 
Andrews,  of  Smith ;  George  W.  Brackeiiridge,  of  Bexar ;  1st  Con- 
gressional district,  Horace  W.  Vaughan,  of  Bowie,  and  Hardy 
O'Neal,  of  Cass;  2.  J.  C.  Box,  of  Cherokee,  and  S.  W.  Blount, 
of  Nacogdoches;  3.  T.  N.  Jones,  of  Smith,  and  H.  B.  Marsh,  of 
Smith;  4.  Rice  Maxey,  of  Grayson,  and  Lee  Clark,  of  Hunt; 
5.  John  J.  Simmons,  and  Sterling  P.  Strong,  of  Dallas ;  6.  Rich- 
ard Mays,  of  Navarro,  and  T.  S.  Henderson,  of  Milam ;  7.  Ben- 
jamin Greenwood,  of  Anderson,  and  J.  W.  Madden,  of  Houston ; 
8.  0.  E.  Garrett,  of  Harris,  and  Ben  Powell,  of  Walker;  9.  Dr. 
F.  0.  Norris,  of  Colorado,  and  Dr.  Simonds,  of  Matagorda;  10. 
John  W.  Robbins,  of  Travis,  and  Dr.  N.  E.  Shands,  of  Hays; 

11.  Dr.  S.  P.  Brooks,  of  McLennan,  and  J.  Z.  Miller,  of  Bell; 

12.  D.  M.  Alexander,  of  Parker,  and  Dr.  H.  A.  Boaz,  of  Tarrant; 

13.  Walker  Hall,  of  Wilbarger,  and  R.   E.   Gofer,   of   Cooke; 

14.  Arch  Grinnan,  of  Brown,  and  W.  A.  Silvius,  of  Bexar ;  15. 
W.  W.  Canes,  of  Live  Oak,  and  George  Lillard,  of  Guadalupe; 
16.  J.  D.  Sandefer,  of  Taylor,  and  Fred  Freeman,  of  El  Paso. 


Parties  in  Texas  547 

ANTI-STATE-WIDE  PROHIBITION  MEETING,   1911 

HOUSTON,  April  3 

The  executive  committee  of  the  Anti-State-wide  prohibition 
organization  held  a  meeting  at  Houston,  April  3,  1911,  for  the 
purpose  of  outlining  the  campaign  against  State-wide  prohibi- 
tion. .Many  prominent  anti-prohibitionists  were  present.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  draft  a  statement  "that  would  em- 
body the  sentiments  and  principles  of  those  citizens  who  believe 
that  the  adoption  of  the  state- wide  prohibition  policy  would  be 
detrimental  to  Texas."  The  campaign  was  formally  opened 
with  a  grand  rally  at  Fort  Worth,  June  5th.  A  platform  was 
adopted  which  followed  the  lines  of  the  one  here  printed. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  A.  Haidusek,  chairman,  George 
C.  Pendleton,  W.  B.  Collins,  John  G.  Willacy,  Jonathan  Lane. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

WHEREAS,  we  believe  that  any  evil  results  which  may  flow  from  the 
manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  can  best  be  prevented  by 
reasonable,  proper,  and  lawful  regulation,  and  that  the  prohibition  of 
the  manufacture  and  sale  thereof  can  only  be  effective  in  communities 
where  a  majority  of  the  law-abiding  citizens  favor  such  action,  and 
only  by  and  through  the  instrumentality  of  local  option,  where  public 
opinion  will  sustain;  and 

WHEREAS,  in  the  State  of  Texas  we  already  have  upon  our  statute 
books  laws  regulating  the  sale  of  such  liquors;  and 

WHEREAS,  by  provisions  of  the  constitution  of  our  State  the  people 
of  any  section  thereof  are  permitted  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  liquors  in 
their  localities  by  a  popular  vote  of  the  people,  enforced  by  stringent 
statutory  enactments;  we,  therefore,  oppose  the  adoption  of  the  consti- 
tutional amendment  known  as  the  prohibition  amendment,  submitted 
by  the  last  legislature  to  be  voted  upon  on  the  22nd  day  of  July,  1911, 
for  the  following  reasons: 

1.  The  adoption  of  said  amendment  is  an  attempt  to  enforce  un- 
reasonable sumptuary  laws  and  the  abridgement  of  the  personal  liber- 
ties of  the  people,  both  of  which  are  contrary  to  the  well  established 

*The  proceedings  of  this  meeting  are  taken  from  the  Houston  Chronicle, 
April  4,  1911. 


548  Platforms  of  Political 

teachings  of  both  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties  and  are  essen- 
tially un-American. 

2.  Such  legislation  is  in  direct  violation  of  local  self-government — a 
principle  which  is  dear  to  all  liberty-loving  people  and  upon  which  our 
free  government  is  founded. 

3.  The  adoption  of  said  amendment  would  repeal  the  provisions  of 
our  constitution  providing  for  local  option,  as  well  as  all  the  statute 
laws  of  this  State,  putting  in  force  constitutional,  local  prohibition,  said 
body  of  laws  represented  the  earnest  and  faithful  work  of  our  legisla- 
tures and  our  courts  for  the  past  thirty-four  years.     The  consequent 
repeal  of  these  laws  would  leave  our  State  in  a  chaotic  condition  so  far 
as  the  sale  of  intoxicants  is  concerned. 

4.  The  adoption  of  said  amendment  would  throw  out  of  employment 
immediately  approximately  25,000  laborers  and  thus  render  them  un- 
able to  support  100,000  people  dependent  upon  them,  thereby  causing 
ruinous  competition,  greatly  injuring  all  laboring  classes  in  this  State. 

5.  It  would  destroy  the  value   of  many  million  dollars'  worth   of 
property  now  situated  in  this  State,  which  has  been  invested  under  the 
sanction  of  the  laws  of  this  State  and  thereby  materially  reduce  the 
taxable  values  of  property  in  Texas. 

6.  Its  adoption  would  render  vacant  thousands  of  business  houses 
and  many  more   residences   now  occupied  by  people  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  and  thus  reduce  the  rental 
value  of  all  city  property  and  correspondingly  reduce  the  selling  value 
of  real  estate  in  our  cities. 

7.  If  the  amendment  should  be  adopted  the  vain  efforts  of  its  advo- 
cates, under  the  influence  of  zealots  and  extremists,  would  cause  bitter 
strife   and   unfriendly   feeling  among    our  people,   which  would  exist 
beyond  the  life  of  any  person  now  living  and  would  cause  the  enact- 
ment and  attempted  enforcement  of  many  cruel  and  inhuman  laws  in 
direct  violation  of  our  constitutiion. 

8.  The  laws  which  would  be  passed  to  carry  into  effect  the  provisions 
of  the  amendment  could  never  even  substantially  be  enforced  in  the 
State  of  Texas,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  such  laws  have  never 
been  enforced,  but  have  always  proved  a  dismal  failure  in  countries 
inhabited  by  liberty-loving  people.     They  have  always  caused  the  use 
of  more  and  worse  liquors,  thereby  producing  more  intemperance  and 
drunkenness  than  existed  when  the  traffic  was  regulated  by  wise  and 
just  laws  or  prohibited  by  local  option. 

9.  Its  adoption  and  attempted  enforcement  would  create  among  the 
people  a  disrespect  for  the  law  and  a  contempt  for  the  petty  officers 
charged  with   its  enforcement,  and  would  produce  and  cause  perjury, 
hypocrisy,  and  corruption  beyond  the  limit  of  any  one's  imagination. 

10.  It  would  cause  the  loss  of  a  vast  amount  of  revenue  to  the  State, 
counties,  cities,  and  towns,  which  would  have  to  be  supplied  by  in- 
creased taxation  upon  other  property. 

11.  It  would  reduce   materially  the  business  of  railroads,  express 


Parties  in  Texas  549 

companies,  manufacturers,  merchants,  and  hotels,   and  lessen  the  de- 
mand for  agricultural  and  farm  products  to  a  great  extent. 

12.  Its  adoption  would  cause  the  people  of  our  State  to  send  millions 
of  dollars  in  cash  out  of  the  State  to  buy  liquors  to  be  shipped  here  for 
home  use,  permitting  all  profits  of  such  sales  to  remain  away  from  the 
State  and  thereby  depriving  our  people  of  the  profits  and  vastly  deplete 
our  supply  of  ready  money. 

13.  Its   adoption   would   fill   our   offices   with   undesirable   types   of 
meddlesome  and  offensive  politicians  who  would  constantly  seek  their 
own  personal   aggrandizement  and   constantly  grasp   for  more  power 
with  constant   diminution  of  the  liberties  of  the  people,  a  condition 
which  would  be  unbearable,  but  which  could  not  be  relieved  for  many 
years  to  come. 

14.  Its  adoption  would  seriously   diminish  our  public  school  fund 
to  the  great  detriment  of  our  children  and  would  deplete  our  general 
revenue  so  as  to  seriously  cripple  our  eleemosynary  institutions. 

15.  We  assert  that  the  adoption  of  the  amendment  would  make  it 
easier  for  minors  to  obtain.1  liquors  than  under  legal  license  and  regu- 
lation. 

16.  The  agitation  of  the  question  in  this  State,  where  drunkenness 
is   largely   on    the    decrease   and    intemperance    has    been   materially 
lessened,  is  but  an  effort  to  gratify  the  views  of  zealots  who  are  aided 
by  mercenary  interests  out  of  the  State,  who  would  financially  profit 
thereby,,  and  by  enemies  of  both  the  Democratic  and  Republican  par- 
ties who  desire  by  pretensions  of.  great  virtue  to  draw  to  their  support 
honest  people  who  do  not  understand  the  effect  of  such  legislation  with 
the  hope  of  organizing  and  promoting  the  interests  of  a  Prohibition 
National  party,  antagonistic  to  both  Democracy  and  Republicanism. 

17.  We  delight  in  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  in  assuming  the 
position  we  do  we  are  following  the  example  set  by  the1  greatest  and 
most  illustrious  statesmen  and  patriots  which  have  been  produced  by 
the  United  States,  including  among  them  Thomas  Jefferson,  the  father 
of   Democracy;    Abraham   Lincoln,    the  expounder  of  Republicanism; 
Jefferson  Davis,  the  Southern  patriot  and  statesman;  Thomas  F.  Beard, 
the  great  Democratic  leader;    Grover  Cleveland,  the  last   Democratic. 
President;  our  own  beloved  ex-Senator  Coke;   Roger  Q.  Mills,  the  lion 
of  Democracy;  Judge  George  Clark,  who  ranks  with  Jefferson  in  com- 
prehensive knowledge  of  the  principles  of  Democracy;   the  matchless 
John  G.  Carlisle;   our  own  superb  Sam  Houston;   our  splendid  Demo- 
cratic  Texas    governors,    Francis   R.    Lubbock,    O.    M.    Roberts,   John 
Ireland,  Sul  Ross,  James  S.  Hogg,  C.  A.  Culberson,  Joseph  D.  Sayers, 
and  O.   B.   Colquitt;    and  our  present  United   States   senators,  C.   A. 
Culberson  and  Joseph  W.  Bailey;   and  all  of  our  most  eminent  con- 
gressmen. 

18.  In  those  portions  of  the  State  where  public  sentiment  is  largely 
opposed  to  State-wide  prohibition,  it  can  only  be  enforced  by  ignoring 
our  local  officers,  establishing  a  State  constabulary,  and  probably  martial 


550  Platforms  of  Political 

law,  and  sending  alleged  violators  to  distant  places  for  trial,  thereby 
destroying  all  the  basic  principles  of  free  government  in  order  to  en- 
force coercive  temperance. 

We  also  realize  the  fact  that  in  advising  this  State  to  follow  the 
course  we  do  with  reference  to  this  question,  we  are  in  line  with  the 
conduct  of  the  great  statesmen  of  the  governments  of  Great  Britain, 
Germany,  France,  and  others,  and  are  not  following  the  lead  of  Turkey, 
Japan,  and  China. 

For  the  foregoing  and  many  other  reasons  too  numerous  to  mention, 
we  oppose  the  adoption  of  the  amendment,  realizing,  of  course,  that  the 
intemperate  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  like  the  intemperate  use  of 
many  other  things,  and  the  violation  of  the  laws  regulating  the  manu- 
facture and 'sale  of  liquors,  results!  in  harm,  and  that  both  should  be 
by  wise  and  just  laws  prevented  to  the  fullest  extent  possible  without 
working  greater  harm,  but  we  believe  that  the  cause  of  temperance 
and  the  prevention  of  the  violation  of  laws  regulating  the  sale  of 
liquors,  can  best  be  promoted  by  lawful  regulation  where  it  is  per- 
mitted at  all,  and  by  local  option  adopted  by  the  people  of  the  several 
communities  where  it  is  desired  it  shall  be  prohibited. 

Moved  by  these  considerations,  we,  the  executive  committee  of  the 
anti-state-wide  prohibition  organization,  call  upon  all  patriotic  citizens 
who  are  committed]  to  the  cause  of  temperance,  in  all  things,  believe 
that  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  this  commonwealth  are  menaced  and 
that  the  great  principles  of  local  self-government,  a^  established  in  the 
constitution  and  ratified  by  the  people,  are  threatened,  to  come  together 
in  mass  meeting  at  such  time  and  place  as  the  subcommittee  appointed 
for  that  purpose,  may  select  to  launch  a  campaign  to  bring  about  the 
defeat  of  the  amendment. 

State  Executive  Committee:  1st  Senatorial  district.  W.  D. 
Sanders,  of  Bowie ;  2.  M.  G.  Black,  of  Titus ;  3.  John  T.  Dick- 
son,  of  Lamar ;  4.  S.  W.  Porter,  of  Grayson ;  5.  R.  E.  Carpenter, 
of  Collin ;  6.  Hugh  N.  Fitzgerald,  of  Dallas ;  7.  R.  N.  Stafford,  of 
Wood;  8.  Ben  Cook,  of  Harrison;  9.  Carter  Kirven;  Jr.,  of 
Navarro ;  10.  C.  L.  Harpold,  of  Ellis ;  11.  R.  Lyles,  of  Milam ; 
12.  H.  S.  Morehead,  of  Robertson;  13.  W.  B.  Collins,  of  Hous- 
ton; 14.  J.  B.  Bisland,  of  Orange;  15.  E.  B.  Seay,  of  Madison; 
16.  Jonathan  Lane,  of  Harris;  17.  Miles  Crowley,  of  Galveston; 
18.  George  E.  Lenert,  of  Fayette;  19.  J.  P.  Buchanan,  of  Wash- 
ington; 20.  George  W.  Littlefield,  of  Travis;  21.  Adolph  Seide- 
man,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  Alf  McFadden,  of  Victoria;  23.  John  G. 
Willacy,  of  Nueces;  24.  0.  C.  Guessaz,  of  Bexar;  25.  D.  M. 
Payne,  of  El  Paso;  26.  John  F.  Maddox,  of  Runnels;  27.  George 
C.  Pendleton,  of  Bell ;  28.  John  B.  Little,  of  Howard ;  29.  Will 
A.  Miller,  Jr.,  of  Potter;  30.  Bascom  Dunn,  of  Tarrant;  31. 
Sam  Hawkins,  of  Denton. 


Parties  in  Texas  551 

TEXAS  RENTERS'  UNION,  1911 

WACO,  November  4 

The  first  convention  of  Texas  tenant  farmers  was  held  at 
Waco,  November  4,  1911.  Between  seventy-five  and  one  hun- 
dred delegates  from,  sixteen  counties  attended. 

Officers:  Chairman,  Hugh  N.  Moore,  of  Falls.  Secretary, 
A.  G.  Maxey,  of  McLennan. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

WHEREAS,  out  of  165,000,000  acres  of  arable  land  in  Texas  only  27,- 
000,000  acres  were  in  cultivation  in  1910; 

WHEREAS,  white  tenants  have  increased  from  165,000  in  1900  to  219,575 
in  1910,  and  the  number  of  negro  and  Mexican  tenants  and  farm 
laborers  has  greatly  increased; 

WHEREAS,  the  cost  of  machinery  necessary  to  obtain  the  best  results! 
in  farming  has  greatly  increased; 

WHEREAS,  many  landlords  demand  contracts  that  interfere  with  the 
political  and  personal  liberty  of  the  tenants  as  well  as  the  manner  in 
which1  he  cultivates  his  crops; 

WHEREAS,  the  present  tenant  system,  through  lack  of  proper  improve- 
ments, overcropping,  and  single  cropping  is  causing  the  soil  to  lose/  its 
fertility  and  yield  unsatisfactory  returns; 

WHEREAS,  the  increase  in  land  values  has  made  it  impossible  for  the 
tenant  under  ordinary  conditions  to  buy  and  pay  for  land; 

WHEREAS,  these  conditions  are  forcing  the  landless  farmer  to  live  in 
miserable  shacks  and  is  keeping  the  women  and  children  in  the  fields 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  be  exceedingly  detrimental  to  the  mental  and 
physical  well-being  of  our  people  and  a  menace*  to  the  homes  and  social 
institutions  of  our  State;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  [1]  that  we,  the  renters  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
protest  against  the  evils  of  increased  rents,  bonuses,  and  money  rents, 
and  pledge  ourselves  to  use  all  our  strength  to  abolish  them. 

[2]  That  we  advocate  a  tax  up  to  the  limit  on  all  lands  held  for 
speculation  or  exploitation. 

[3]  To  the  end  that  tenantry  and  its  attendant  evils  may  be  abol- 
ished, we  declare  for  use  and  occupancy  as  the  only  title  to  land. 

[4]     WHEREAS,  this  movement  is  seeking  the  good  of  all  the  people 

lfrhe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  New*, 
November  5,  1911,  and  Renters'  Union,  Catechism  and  Constitution. 


552  Platforms  of  Political 

and   we   propose   to    carry    out    our   program   by   orderly   and    lawful 
methods;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we  present  our  demands  to  the  platform  committees 
of  all  political  conventions  held  in  Texas  in  1912  and  to  all  candidates 
for  political  office  regardless  of  party. 

2.  That  we  pledge  opposition  to  all  parties  and  candidates  that  de- 
cline to  advocate  our  demands. 

3.  That  the  officials,  of  our  organization  prepare  and  present  to  the 
citizens  of  our  State  for  signature  a  blank  petition  demanding  of  the 
legislature  which  convenes  in  January,  1913,  to  submit  to  the  people  a 
constitutional    amendment   authorizing  a    tax   on   land   values   to   the 
limit,  and  use  and  occupancy  to  be  the  sole  title  to  land. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Hugh  N.  Moore,  of  Falls;  A. 
G.  Maxey,  of  McLennan;  A.  J.  Rasco,  of  Henderson;  R.  D.  Mil- 
ler, of  Hale;  J.  E.  Hardie,  of  Wood;  E.  0.  Meitzen,  of  Lavaca; 
J.  A.  Smith,  of  Wharton. 

PROHIBITION  STATE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE  MEET- 
ING, 1912 

DALLAS,  May  28 

At  a  meeting  of  the  State  executive  committee  of  the  Prohibi- 
tion party,  the  following  were  chosen  delegates  to  the  National 
convention,  and  presidential  electors  nominated.  A  long  "pro- 
posed platform  was  referred  to  the  Texas  delegation  to  be  con- 
sidered by  them  and  presented  to  the  National  committee." 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  A.  J.  Houston  and 
Thomas  Brown,  of  Jefferson;  I.  E.  Teague,  of  Grayson;  W.  V. 
Groves,  of  Harris;  Mrs.  J.  E.  Grayson,  of  Freestone;  Joe  B. 
Reed,  of  Brazos;  H.  E.  White,  John  L.  Andrews  and  wife, 
Arthur  A.  Everts  and  wife,  P.  F.  Paige,  J.  B.  Cranfill,  Pierre 
L.  Russell,  and  Clarence  A.  Read,  of  Dallas;  A.  W.  Genres,  of 
Fannin;  J.  L.  Campbell  and  Rev.  H.  P.  Bond,  of  El  Paso; 
E.  G.  Cook,  of  Wichita;  John  D.  White,  of  Hall;  and  others 
that  may  be  selected. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  H.  R.  Hughes,  of  Cass; 
J.  Vandaveer,  of  Jefferson;  W.  V.  T.  Murray  of  Van  Zandt; 
D.  E.  Taylor,  of  Fannin;  District,  H.  E.  White  and  Clarence 
A  Read,  of  Dallas;  Jim  Cooper,  of  Brazos;  J.  M.  Meek,  of  Gal- 


Parties  in  Texas  553 

veston;  C.  W.  Ransom,  of  Harris;  John  Sutherland,  of  Mata- 
gorda;  B.  J.  McCarty,  of  Williamson;  J.  M.  Thompson,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; R.  G.  West,  of  Parker;  C.  Goodnight,  of  Armstrong; 
George  H.  Cox,  of  Burnet;  William  Gerhardt,  of  Nueces;  C.  W. 
Cowden,  of  Taylor;  J.  L.  Campbell,  of  El  Paso;  J.  W.  Vogaii, 
of  Brazoria;  W.  F.  Heller,  of  Kandall. 


RESOLUTIONS1 

Be  it  resolved  by  the  State  executive  committee,  in  session  at  Dallas, 
May  28,  1912. 

1.  That  our  delegates  to  the  National  convention  at  Atlantic  City, 
July  10,  go  as  an  uninstructed  delegation,  but  that  we  earnestly  recom- 
mend or  suggest  that  in  the  selection  of  the  National  chairman  and 
executive  committee  the  Texas  delegation  labor  to  have  such  selection 
made  on  the  floor  of  the  convention  by  all  the  delegates  rather  than  by 
the  new  National  committee  to  be  selected  at  the  convention,  believing 
that  this  plan  would  tend  to  bring  harmony,  and  to  the  selection  of 
the  men  that  would  more  nearly  represent  the  sentiment  of  the  entire 
party.     If  impossible  to   carry  out  this   plan   at  this  convention,  by 
reason  of  any  rule  against  it,  that  the  Texas  delegation  labor  to  change 
the  rules  as  to  make  this  plan  possible  at  the  next  National  convention. 

2.  That  the  delegation  is  left  free  to  use  its  best  judgment  in  the 
support  of  presidential  candidates,  suggesting,  however,  that  the  dele- 
gation hold  a  caucus  and,  if  possible,  vote  as  a  unit  on  thjs  matter. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION,  1912 

FORT  WORTH,  May  28 

The  campaign  between  the  Roosevelt  and  Taft  supporters, 
led  by  Cecil  A.  Lyon  and  H.  F.  MacGregor  respectively,  was 
very  warm.  There  were  splits  in  many  county  and  district  con- 
ventions. A  split  in  the  State  convention  was  looked  for.  The 
Roosevelt  supporters  controlled  the  State  executive  committee. 
When  the  contests  before  the  executive  committee  had  been  de- 
termined, MacGregor  with  a  large  portion  of  the  Taft  sup- 
porters declined  to  participate  in  the  regular  convention,  but 
proceeded  to  hold  a  separate  convention. 

xThe  proceedings  of  the  State  executive  committee  are  taken  from  the 
Dalla»  News,  May  29,  1912. 


554  Platforms  of  Political 


ROOSEVELT  CONVENTION 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  R.  E.  Hannay,  of  Waller; 
permanent,  Noah  Allen,  of  Cameron.  Secretary,  O.  I.  Patter- 
son, of  Tarrant. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  Cecil 
A.  Lyon,  Ed  C.  Lasater,  H.  L.  Borden,  Joe  E.  Williams,  Lewis 
Lindsay,  J.  0.  Terrell,  J.  M.  McCormick,  Sam  Davidson;  1st 
Congressional  district,  W.  R.  Smith  and  J.  M.  Singleton;  2.  D. 
H.  Morris  and  E.  G.  Christian;  3.  F.  N.  Hopkins  and  J.  L. 
Jackson;  4.  E,  H.  Crabb  and  R.  F.  Akridge;  5.  W.  B.  Franks 
and  0.  E.  Schawe;  6.  Rube  Freedman  and  J.  Allen  Myers;  7. 
George  W.  Burkett  and  Ed.  McCarthy;  8.  V.  A.  Matthaei  and 
E.  W.  Atkinson;  9.  J.  R,  Kurth  and  J.  M.  Holler;  10.  M.  M. 
Turner  and  H.  C.  Stiles;  11.  C.  C.  Baker  and  J.  Walter  Cocke; 
12.  C.  C.  Littleton  and  Eugene  Greer;  13.  W.  P.  Featherstone 
and  F.  H.  Hill ;  14.  R.  Penninger  and  G.  N.  Harrison ;  15.  J.  C. 
Scott  and  T.  J.  Martin ;  16.  U.  S.  Stewart  and  L.  S.  McDowell. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Tyler  A.  Baker,  C.  W. 
Hutchinson,  T.  M,  Kennerly,  Louis  Johnson;  1st  Congressional 
district,^.  T.  Bartlett,  2.  E.  J.  Love,  3.  J.  H.  Kinkaid,  4.  J.  T. 
Stark,  5.  Wade  B.  Leonard,  6.  Tyler  Haswell,  7.  George,  W. 
Burkett,  8.  William  Watson,  9.  Max  P.  Schorre,  10.  E.  P.  Wil- 
mot,  11.  M.  W.  Reisinger,  12.  J.  E.  B.  Stewart,  13.  W.  F.  Pughes, 

14.  0.  S.  Newell,  15.  Ed  C.  Lasater,   16.  W.   S.  McCutcheon. 
Committee   on   Platform-  and  Resolutions  and  Nominations: 

1st  Congressiontl  district,  G.  T.  Bartlett, .  of  Cass;  2.  H.  B. 
Wilson,  of  Jefferson;  3.  E.  H.  Angell,  of  Gregg;  4.  C.  A.  Gray, 
of  Fannin;  5.  T.  S.  McBride,  of  Dallas;  6.  Tyler  Haswell,  of 
Brazos;  7.  C.  A.  Clinton,  of  Houston;  8.  R,  W.  B.  Gould,  of 
Harris;  9.  Max  B.  Schorre,  of  Karnes;  10.  W.  A.  McElroy,  of 
Hays;  11.  J.  W.  Cocke,  of  McLennan;  12.  Dr.  J.  F.  Tubb,  of 
Erath;  13.. A.  J.  Coombs,  of  Baylor;  14.  J.  0.  Terrell,  of  Bexar; 

15.  T.  J.  Martin,  of  Kinney,  chairman;  16.  H.  A.  Baker,  of 
Shackelford. 


Parties  in  Texas  555 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Resolved,  [1]  that  we,  the  Republicans  of  Texas,  in  State  convention 
assembled,  reaffirming  our  allegiance  to  the  principles  of  the  Republi- 
can party,  and  our  belief  in  the  ability  and  right  of  the  people  to  rule, 
do  hereby  declare  that  we  favor  the  nomination  of  the  people's  friend, 
the  peerless  statesman,  patriot,  and  leader,  Theodore  Roosevelt,  as  our 
candidate  for  President,  and  that  each  and  every  delegate  and  alter- 
nate elected  by  this  convention  to  the  Republican  National  convention 
at  Chicago  be,  and  are  hereby  instructed  and  pledged  to  use  every 
honorable  means,  work  and  vote  as  a  unit  at  all  times  and  upon  all 
questions  to  secure  his  nomination  as  long  as  his  name  remains  before 
the  convention. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[2]  The  Republicans  of  Texas,  the  State  producing  more  raw  ma- 
terial than  any  other  in  the  Union,  in  reaffirming  their  allegiance  to 
their  belief  in  a  protective  tariff,  desire  to  especially  emphasize  their 
faith  in  that  good  Republican  doctrine  which  declares  that  while  pro- 
tection is  given  to  the  laborer  who  works  in  the  factory  that  it  should 
also  be  extended  to  his  worthy  brothers  who  toil  upon  the  farm  and 
ranch,  and  we  invite  all  good  citizens  who  hold  the  same  faith  to  join 
with  us  in  extending  protection  to  the  raw  materials  of  Texas. 

[3]  Realizing  that  an  advancing  civilization  is  dependent  upon  the 
maintenance  of  the  soil  fertility  of  our  farms,  and  that  the  forces  that 
lead  to  its  maintenance  can  be  brought  into  being  by  the  establishment 
of  an  adequate  financial  system  for  our  country,  and/  by  instituting  the 
proper  distributing  agencies  from  country  producing  people  to  urban 
consumers,  we  ask  that  special  attention  be  given  to  these  issues  by 
the  Republicans  of  Texas  and  the  Nation. 

[4]  Resolved,  that  we  do  most  heartily  indorse  the  administration 
of  the  party's  affairs  in  the  State  of  Texas,  by  the  Hon.  Cecil  An  Lyon, 
as  our  National  committeeman  and  State  chairman,  and  as  an  evidence 
of  our  sincerity  and  faith  in  him,  and  approval  of  his  administration  as 
our  leader  for  the  last  twelve  years,  we  recommend  that  this  conven- 
tion now  and  here,  by  the  adoption  of  this  resolution,  declare  him  duly 
reelected  as  our  National  committeeman  for  the  ensuing  four  years. 

MINORITY   REPORT. 

A  minority  report  was  presented  by  J.  W.  Cocke,  of  McLennan,  which 
sought  to  substitute  for  the  indorsement  of  Roosevelt  and  instructions 
to  the  National  delegation  for  him,  an  indorsement  of  the  administra- 
tion of  President  Taft  and  instructions  to  vote  for  his  nomination. 

It  was  tabled  by  a  vote  of  162%  ayes  to  13*4  noes. 

irThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Newt, 
May  29,  1912. 


556  Platforms  of  Political 


TAFT  CONVENTION 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  C.  K.  McDowell,  of  Val 
Verde;  permanent,  Harry  Beck,  of  Hill.  Secretary.  George 
Kockhold,  of  Dallas. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  H.  F. 
MacGregor,  W.  C.  Averill,  C.  K.  McDowell,  J.  E.  Elgin,  J.  E. 
Lutz,  W.  H.  Lowe,  W.  M.  McDonald,  G.  W.  Burroughs.  The  dis- 
trict delegates,  elected  by  district  conventions,  were  indorsed  and 
instructed  for  Taft. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Ira  P.  Jones,  of  Har- 
ris; Dr.  J.  L.  Gaston,  of  Wichita;  J.  C.  Gibbons,  of  Lamar; 
Ben  Sass,  of  Galveston. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  P.  B.  Hunt,  Web- 
ster Flanagan,  Ira  P.  Jones,  S.  A.  Hackworth,  A.  M.  Gray,  F.  C. 
Allen,  M.  H.  Broyles,  J.  H.  Hawley. 

RESOLUTIONS2 

Resolved,  [1]  that  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  accepts  the  great 
cardinal  principles  of  the  National  Republican  party,  which  are  uni- 
versal liberty,  even-handed  justice,  and  equal  political  rights  to  all  law- 
abiding  citizens,  irrespective  of  race,  nationality,  or  condition  of  life. 

[2]  That  the  administration  of  William  H.  Taft,  our  great  Presi- 
dent, has  been  successful  in  that  he  carried  out  the  expressed  wish  of 
his  party  platform  as  laid  down  in  the  National  convention  of  1908. 
He,  by  virtue  of  the  passage  of  the  Payne  tariff  bill  with  the  excise 
clause,  has  removed  a  deficit  which  he  found  when  he  was  inaugurated 
of  $50,000,000,  and  in  one  year  changed  the  deficit  to  a  surplus  of 
$40,000,000  per  annum,  and  because  he  has  acted  as  a  wise,  just,  and 
honest  administrator,  we  not  only  indorse  his  administration  but  de- 
mand and  hereby  instruct  the  delegates  elected  by  this  convention  to 
work  and  vote  for  his  renomination. 

[3]  That  we  indorse  the  able  manner  in  which  the  Hon.  H.  F. 
MacGregor  has  conducted,  President  Taft's  campaign  in  this  State,  and 
we  hereby  instruct  our  delegates  to  the  National  convention  to  support 
and  secure  his  election  as  State  member  of  the  National  Republican 
executive  committee. 

•The  proceeding's  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Newt, 
May  29,  1912. 


Parties  in  Texas  557 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE   CONVENTION,  1912 

HOUSTON,  May  28  and  29 

The  supporters  of  Woodrow  Wilson  controlled  the  convention. 
Following  the  precedent  set  at  the  Fort  Worth  convention,  in 
1908,  this  convention  chose  the  district  delegates  to  the  National 
convention.  The  convention  and  its  platform  present  a  remark- 
able contrast  to  the  Galvestoii  convention  of  1910  and  its  plat- 
form. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Richard  Mays,  cf  Navarro; 
permanent,  Cullen  F.  Thomas,  of  Dallas.  Secretary  pro  tem- 
pore, J.  C.  McNealus,  of  Dallas;  permanent,  S.  L.  Blackwell,  of 
Johnson. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  Cone 
Johnson,  Thomas  W.  Gregory,  C.  A.  'Culberson,  T.  H.  Ball, 
M.  M.  Crane,  T.  M.  Campbell,  Marshall  Hicks,  R.  L.  Henry;  1st 
Congressional  district,  T.  M.  Scott,  of  Lamar,  and  C.  E.  Terry, 
of  Red  River ;  2.  Eugene  H.  Blount,  of  Nacogdoches,  and  T.  W. 
Davidson,  of  Harrison;  3.  James  M.  Edwards,  of  Smith,  and 
R.  T.  Brown,  of  Rusk;  4.  Byron  Mock,  of  Hunt,  and  Clarence 
Merritt,  of  Collin;  5.  Royal  A.  Watkins,  of  Dallas,  and  J.  R. 
Mayhew,  of  Ellis;  6.  Charles  H.  Mills,  of  Navarro,  and  Ed  Hall, 
of  Brazos;  7.  J.  C.  Feagin,  of  Polk,  and  C.  L.  Edmondson,  of 
Houston ;  8.  W.  L.  Hill,  of  Walker,  and  Hood  Boone,  of  Grimes ; 
9.  W.  S.  Holman,  of  Matagorda,  and  Scott  Dilworth,  of  Gon- 
zales ;  10.  Thad  Thompson,  of  Travis,  and  Cooper  Sansom,  of  Wil- 
liamson; 11.  A.  R,  McCollum,  of  McLennan,  and  Church  J. 
Bartlett,  of  Falls;  12.  Clifford  G.  Beckham,  of  Tarrant,  and  B. 
M.  Utterback,  of  Erath;  13.  A.  D.  Rogers,  of  Wise,  and  R,  E. 
Huff,  of  Wichita ;  14.  Perry  J.  Lewis,  of  Bexar,  and  Arch  Grin- 
nan,  of  Brown;  15.  Dr.  A.  H.  Evans,  of  Maverick,  and  R.  W. 
Hudson,  of  Frio;  16.  A.  C.  Hughes,  of  Nolan,  and  Zack  Lamar 
Cobb,  of  El  Paso. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Harry  P.  Lawther,  of 
Dallas;  George  D.  Armistead,  of  Bexar;  Henry  G.  Wagner,  of 
Bell;  Felix  J.  McCord,  of  Gregg;  1st  Congressional  district,  J. 
M.  Henderson,  of  Morris ;  2.  W.  T.  Norman,  of  Cherokee ;  3.  M. 


558  Platforms  of  Political 

D.  Carlock,  of  Wood;  4.  W.  L.  Hay,  of  Grayson;  5.  John  D. 
McRae,  of  Ellis;  6.  J.  K.  Freeman,  of  Milam;  7.  I.  A.  Daniel, 
of  Houston;  8.  Thomas  H.  Stone,  of  Harris;  9.  J.  R.  Kubena, 
of  Fayette ;  10.  J.  M.  Mathis,  of  Washington ;  11.  C.  W.  Taylor, 
of  Bell;  12.  T.  H.  Hiner,  of  Hood;  13.  J.  W.  Sullivan,,  of  Den- 
ton;  14.  M.  Damon  Slator,  of  Llano ;  15.  John  T.  Briscoe,  of 
Medina;  16.  Walter  Scott  Pope,  of  Jones. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  John  M.  Hender- 
son, of  Morris ;  2.  M.  D.  Carlock,  of  Delta ;  3.  W.  F.  Moore,  of 
Lamar;  4.  Andrew  L.  Randell,  of  Grayson;  5.  Lee  A.  Clarke, 
of  Hunt,  chairman;  6.  Yancey  Lewis,  of  Dallas;  7.  Cone  John- 
son, of  Smith;  8.  S.  S.  Baker,  of  Panola;  9.  W.  A.  Tarver,  of 
Navarro;  10.  G.  C.  Groce,  of  Ellis;  11.  0.  L.  Stribling,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; 12.  Scott  Field,  of  Robertson;  13.  T.  M.  Campbell, 
of  Anderson;  14.  Tom  Adams,  of  Jefferson;  15.  W.  A.  Foster, 
of  Montgomery;  16.  Jonathan  Lane,  of  Harris;  17.  Miles  Crow^ 
ley,  of  Galveston;  18.  Clarence  Ousley,  of  Tarrant;  19.  Q.  U. 
Watson,  .of  Lee;  20.  R.  C.  Briggs,  of  Williamson;  21.  Thomas 
McNeal,  of  Caldwell;  22.  W.  B.  Davis,  of  Goliad;  23.  Hugh  R. 
Sutherland,  of  Nueces ;  24.  Samuel  Belden,  of  Bexar ;  25.  Penrose 
N.  Ions,  of  Tom  Green ;  26.  Arch  Grinnan,  of  Brown ;  27.  John 
B.  Durrett,  of  Bell;  28.  W.  H.  Mercer,  of  Palo  Pinto ;  29.  J.  L. 
Penry,  of  Potter;  30.  W.  S.  Kemble,  of  Tarrant;  31.  R.  E. 
Carswell,  of  Wise. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The  Democracy  of  Texas  rejoices  at  the  bright  outlook  for  Demo- 
cratic victory  in  November.  In  the  great  National  contest  to  be  de- 
cided, Democratic  victory  will  be  assured  by  patriotic  action  at  Balti- 
more in  naming  candidates  and  in  adopting  a  platform  of  Democratic 
principles,  reflecting  an  abiding  confidence  in  the  right  and  capacity  of 
the  people  to  rule,  and  thereby  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty,  protec- 
tion of  life  and'  property,  equality  before  the  law,  and  an  honest  admin- 
istration of  public  affairs. 

We  commend  to  the  Baltimore  convention  as  our  party's  candidate 
for  President  that  great  Democrat,  bright  scholar,  profound  student  of 
economics,  Christian  gentleman,  capable  executive,  and  our  foremost 
exponent  of  the  dominant  thought,  that  privilege  must  be  driven  from 
power  and  the  rule  of  the  people  be  established — Woodrow  Wilson. 

xThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Galveston  News, 
May  29  and  30,  1912. 


Parties  in  Texas  559 

We  congratulate  the  people  of  the  country  upon  the  record  of  achieve- 
ments made  by  the  Democratic  party  in  the  recent  session  of  Congress, 
and  especially  upon  the  accomplishment  during  the  present  session 
under  a  Democratic  majority  in  the  lower  house.  We  commend  the 
patriotism  with  which  representatives  of  our  party,  while  in  the  major- 
ity, put  aside  questions  of  party  advantage,  and  with  the  aid  of  some 
of  the  Republicans  enacted  laws  for  the  relief  of  the  people;  and(we 
commend  the  courage  and  patriotism  with  which,  when  in  the  majority, 
they  put  before  the  Republican  administration,  unmindful  of  its  pledges, 
comprehensive  plans  for  relief  from  the  oppressive  Republican  tariff 
exactions. 

2.  The  supreme  issue  before   the  American  people  is  the  issue  of 
Privilege  vs.  the  People.     Privilege  on  the  part  of  the  trusts  to  plunder 
the  people  by  means  of  interstate  commerce,  committed  to  the  Federal 
government,    but    not    sufficiently    governed,    controlled,    or    protected 
thereby;  privilege  of  the  great  combined  interests  to  read  into  the  law 
the   measure   of  their  exactions   from   the  common   people;    privilege 
compacted,  unified  ,and  solidified  to  wrest  government  from  the  hands 
of  the  people  and  administer  it  to  their  own  interest  and  against  the 
common  good. 

3.  We  reaffirm  the  Democratic  platform  promulgated  by  the  Demo- 
cratic convention  at  Denver  in  1908. 

4.  We  demand  an  immediate  revision  of  the  tariff  in  the  interest  of 
the  great  mass  of  the  consumers  of  the  country  in  order  that  tax  con- 
tributions may  be  limited  to  the  necessities  of  the  government  and  that 
they  may  not  be  made  to  pay  tribute  to  any  favored  interest. 

The  protective  tariff  is  founded  on  unjust  discrimination  and  has 
been  perpetuated  by  corrupting  government,  and  under  it  there  has 
been  built  up  a  system  of  pillage  which  has  justly  earned  the  name  of 
"robbery". 

We  believe  in  the  old-fashioned  Democratic  doctrine  of  a  tariff 
levied  solely  to  produce  a  revenue  sufficient  for  the  support  of  the  gov- 
ernment, and  not  levied  for  the  protection  of  any  interests,  incidental 
or  otherwise.  In  applying  this  principle  of  the  revenue  tariff,  articles 
of  prime  necessity  to  the  great  body  of  the  people  should  be  free  of 
duty,  unless  required  to  be  taxed  in  order  to  raise  the  necessary  revenue 
for  the  support  of  the  government,  while  luxuries  and  mere  con- 
veniences should  be  made  to  bear  the  greater  burden  of  necessary 
taxation. 

When  this  principle  is  applied  and  enforced  it  will  put  an  end  to  any 
basis  for  the  contention  that  certain  raw  materials  or  products  should 
be  put  on  the  dutiable  list,  because  other  articles  are  so  placed; 
because  Democrats  would  levy  tariff  duties  solely  in  the  interest  of 
the  body  of  the  people,  and  not  in  response  to  the  appeals  of  the  par- 
ticular interest  to  be  affected. 

No  party,  having  for  its  battle-cry,  "We  demand  our  share  of  the 
spoils,"  can  hope  to  route  the  forces  of  graft  and  greed.  Democracy 


560  Platforms  of  Political 

must  emblazon  on  its  flag,  "We  are  opposed  to  all  protection,  because 
it  is  a  denial  of  the  cardinal  Democratic  principle  of  'equal  rights  to 
all,  and  special  privileges  to  none'." 

5.  We  do  not  abate  one  jot  of  our  opposition  to  trusts,  which  in  a 
large  measure  are  fostered  and  made  possible  by  the  Republican  policy 
of   protection.     We   reiterate   the    Democratic   doctrine   that   trust-con- 
tro%lled  articles  should  be  placed  on  the  free  list.     We  utterly  deny  the 
suggestion  that  there  are  good  trusts  and  bad  trusts,  to  be  determined 
by  the  privilege  or  favor  of  some  officer.     This  is  a  'doctrine  full  of 
menace  to  property  and  threatening  to  the  continuance  of  the  Republic 
when  in  the  hands  of  reckless  and  imperious  men. 

We  demand,  instead,  a  firm,  impartial,  and  uninterrupted  execution  of 
laws  for  the  dissolution  and  utter  destruction  of  all  trusts,  and  the 
criminal  prosecution  of  all  offenders,  and  the  strengthening  of  trust 
laws  wherever  necessary.  To  this  end  we  suggest  that  all  corpora- 
tions engaged  in  interstate  commerce  be  subjected  to  the  inspection  of 
their  books,  records,  and  transactions  by  officers  of  the  government, 
as  our  National  banks  now  are,  and  that  all  corporations  engaged  in 
interstate  commerce  be  required  to  secure  a  license  from  the  Federal 
government  upon  conditions  definitely  stated  by  Congress,  which 
license  shall  be  forfeited  upon  lawful  ascertaining  of  the  violation  of 
the  law. 

6.  We  favor  presidential  primary  elections  in  the  respective  States 
in  order  that  the  people1  by  a  majority  vote  may  register  their  prefer- 
ence in  the  nomination  of  candidates  for  the  presidency. 

7.  We  congratulate  the  Democratic  party  in  its  progress  in  forcing 
upon  the  Republican  administration  a  law   limiting  the  expenditures 
of   a  member   of  Congress  to   secure  his  election  and  heartily  favor 
stringent  regulations  prohibiting  contributions  by  corporations  to  cam- 
paign  funds  and  limiting  the  amount  which  an  individual  may  con- 
tribute and  providing  for  publicity  both  before  and  after  election,  with 
the  names  of  contributors,  the  amounts  contributed,  and  purposes  for 
which  expended,  with  strict  and  efficient  penalties  for  a  violation  of 
such  law. 

If  the  Republic  is  to  be  preserved,  active  steps  must  be  taken  to 
prevent  the  debauching  of  elections,  and  this  is  one  of  the  chief  public 
concerns,  requiring  prompt  and  adequate  action. 

8.  We  favor  the'  nomination  and  election  of  United  States  senators 
by  the  direct  vote  of  the  people  of  the  States. 

9.  We  favor  a  tax  upon  incomes  as  a  part  of  the  revenue  system  of 
the  Federal  government,  as  a  just  measure  for  equalizing  the  burdens 
of  taxation,  and  as  an  additional  means  of  affording  relief  from  tariff 
exactions. 

10.  We  are  opposed  to  the  Aldrich  currency  scheme  as  a  dangerous 
consolidation  of  the  money  power,  and  we  demand  the  rehabilitation 
of  our  monetary  system  by  such  revision  of  the  National  banking  law 
as  will  decentralize  the  control  of  the  Nation's  money  and  commercial 


Parties  in  Texas  561 

credit,  providing  such  a  system  as  will  safeguard  it  from  domination 
by  sectional  or  particular  financial  or  political  influences,  and  whilt 
it  will  be  fair  for  the  honest  business,  farming,  and  laboring  interest* 
of  the  whole  country. 

11.  The   Democratic   party  has  been  the  constant  friend   of  labor, 
both  in  the  State  and  in  the  Nation,  in  securing  adequate  laws  for  its 
protection  and   the  advancement   of   its   interests.     Injunctions   ought 
not  to  issue  in  any  cause  in  which  an  injunction  would  not  properly 
issue  if  no  industrial  dispute  was  involved,  and  we  adhere  to  the  right 
of  trial  by  jury  in  the  Federal  courts  in  cases  of  indirect  complaint. 

We  recognize  the  right  of  labor  and  agricultural  organizations  to  met 
together  for  the  proper  benefit  of  the  membership,  and  such  organiza- 
tions should  not  be  deemed  illegal  combinations  in  restraint  of  trade. 

We  favor  a  National  board  of  arbitration  and  consultation,  but  not 
for  compulsory  arbitration;  a  board  clothed  with  powers  with  which 
it  can  be  legally  clothed  to  investigate  and  adjust  disputes1  and  differ- 
ences between  the  corporations  engaged  in  interstate  commerce  and 
their  employes,  when  invoked  by  the  parties  at  interest. 

12.  We  hold  the  platform  pledges  of  the  party  to  be  the  covenant 
between  such  party  and  all  of  the  people,  binding  on  all  officers  and 
representatives    of   such  party,   and   we    regard  the  honest    platforms 
thereof  as  "the  indispensable  foundation  of  party  government,  while  a 
disregard   thereof  necessarily   leads   to  party  destruction   and  to  ma- 
chine rule. 

We  arraign  the  Republican  administration  for  its  flagrant  disre- 
gard of  its  pledges  in  its  platform  to  give  relief  to  the  people  from 
tariff  burdens  that  have  made  the  cost  of  living  intolerably  high  and 
we  declare  that  by  such  wanton  breach  of  faith  and  abuse  of  public 
confidence  the  Republican  party  deserves  the  condemnation  of  all 
patriotic  men. 

13.  Subject  to  the  limitations  that  the  government  shall  be  republi- 
can in  form,  we  reaffirm  the  right  of  the  people  of  each  State  to  mold 
and  change  their  institutions  at  pleasure  according  to  their  own  judg- 
ment of  what  is  to  their  best  interests. 

We  agree  with  the  candidates  for  the  Democratic  nomination  for 
President  which  have  expressed  themselves,  and  with  Mr.  Bryan,  that 
the  question  of  theMnitiative  and  referendum  as  a  mode  of  legislation, 
and  the  recall,  is  not  in  this  election  a  Federal  question,  but  that  it  is  ft 
question  to  be  determined  by  the  people  of  each  State  for  themselves. 

We  believe  in  the  rule  of  the  people  as  the  source  of  all  political 
power  and  their  right  to  an  effective  control  of  all  the  departments  of 
government. 

A  representative  Democracy  will  be  preserved  by  the  representative 
representing  the  people  alone,  and  he  ought  not,  during  his  term  of 
office,  to  accept  employment  from  favor-seeking  corporations  or  inter- 
ests, and  this  principle  should  be  enacted  into  the  law. 

14.  The  delegates  at  large  and  the  district  delegates  and  all  alter- 

36—328 


562  Platforms  of  Political 

nates  to  the  Baltimore  convention  are  hereby  instructed  to  vote  as  a 
unit  for  Woodrow  Wilson  as  the  Democratic  nominee  for  President  so 
long  as  his  name  is  before  the  convention,  and  to  use  all  honorable 
means  to  secure  his  nomination  and  voice  the  convictions  of  the  Texas 
Democracy  that  "with  some  other  candidate  we  might  win,  but  vith 
Woodrow  Wilson  we  are  sure  to  win." 

Said  delegates  are  instructed  to  vote  as  a  unit  on  all  questions  com- 
ing before  said  convention,  the  majority  of  the  members  of  the  delega- 
tion entitled  to  vote  being  authorized  to  decide  how  the  vote  shall  be 
cast  and  to  have  it  cast  accordingly. 

L.  A.  CLARKE,  Chairman,  R.  C.  BEIGGS, 

T.  M.  CAMPBELL,  YANCEY  LEWIS, 

P.  N.  IONS,  W.  F.  MOOEE, 

ABCH  GBINNAN,  W.  A.  FOSTER, 

JOHN  M  HENDERSON,  ANDREW  L.  RANDELL, 

W.  H.  MERCER,  G.  C.  GROCE, 

CONE  JOHNSON,  SAMUEL  BELDEN, 

R.  B.  CARSWELL,  SCOTT  FIELD, 

M.  D.  CARLOCK,  W.  A.  TARVER, 

W.  S.  KEMBLE,  O.  L.  STRIBLING, 

Q.  U.  WATSON,  S.  S.  BAKER, 

THOMAS  MCNEAL, 

Resolutions 

[15]  Resolved,  that  we  indorse  the  movement  for  the  development 
of  the  intercoastal  canal,  and  pledge  the  Texas  Democracy  to  that 
Improvement  of  our  waterways. 

[16]  That  the  resolution  of  Congressman  Smith,  introduced  in  the 
lower  house  of  Congress,  calling  for  the  appointment  by  the  state 
department  of  an  official  to  investigate  and  report  upon  the  personal 
injuries  sustained  by  citizens  of  the  State  of  Texas  from  the  fire  from 
the  Mexican  side  of  the  Rio  Grande  during  the  late  battle  of  Juarez, 
be  recommended  and  indorsed. 

[17]  That  we  urge  the  thirty-third  legislature  of  Texas  to  make 
prompt  appropriations  to  pay  deficiency  warrants  issued  or  to  De 
issued  for  the  repair  of  the  main  building  and  mess  hall  recently 
suffered  from  fire  at  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College. 

MINORITY  REPORT. 

We,  a  minority  of  the  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions,  ap- 
pointed by  this  convention  upon  yesterday,  beg  leave  to  submit  the 
following  minority  report,  to  wit: 

1.  We  recommend  that  in  lieu  of  all  expressions  in  the  majority 
report  concerning  the  tariff  that  the  following  be  inserted:  "We  favor 
a  tariff  for  revenue  only,  sufficient  to  honestly  and  economically  admin- 


Parties  in  Texas  563 

ister  the  affairs  of  the  Federal  government,  so  laid  as  not  to  discriminate 
against  any  section  or  class  of  our  common  country." 

2.  We  move  the  convention  that  the  latter  part  of  paragraph  No.  5 
of  the  platform  report  by  the  majority,  which  reads  as  follows:  "To 
this  end  we  suggest  that  all  corporations  engaged  in  interstate  com- 
merce, be  subjected  to  the  inspection  of  their  books,  records,  and 
transactions  by  officers  of  the  government,  as  our  National  banks  now 
are,  and  that  all  corporations  engaged  in  interstate  commerce  be  re- 
quired to  secure  not  a  charter,  but  a  license  from  the  Federal  govern- 
ment upon  conditions  definitely  stated  by  Congress,  which  license  shall 
be  forfeited  upon  lawful  ascertainment  of  the  violations  of  the  law," 
be  not  adopted,  for  the  reason,  among  others,  that  to  demand  such  course 
is  equivalent  to  demanding  that  the  United  States  government  take 
jurisdiction  over  all  trading  corporations  in  the  State  of  Texas  or  in 
any  other  State  which  sells  all  or  any  part  of  its  products  in  any  State 
other  than  the  one  in  which  they  are  situated;  and,  further,  that  it 
requires  all  transportation  lines,  including  railroads,  telegraph  and 
telephone  lines,  which  do  an  interstate  business,  to  be  under  the  con- 
stant supervision  and  control  of  such  officer  or  tribunal,  which  might 
under  such  demands  be  created  by  the  acts  of  Congress,  and  under 
such  conditions,  if  a  large  trunk  line  entering  Texas  should  be  denied 
by  such  tribunal  or  officer  a  license  to  do  business,  or  after  having  been 
allowed  such  license  the  same  should  be  revoked,  serious  results  would 
follow,  not  only  to  such  transportation  company,  but  to  all  the  people 
of  the  State  or  country  through  which  such  transportation  line  might 
pass  and  whose  commerce  it  handled.  If,  as  suggested  in  such  a  case, 
a  Federal  receiver  might  be  appointed  to  operate  such  line  or  lines 
pending  adjustment,  it  would  mean  that  our  transportation  lines  would 
be  handled  by  numerous  petty  officials,  ranging  from  the  general 
manager  to  the  section  hands,  and  equally  serious  results  would  follow 
from  the  handling  of  the  general  commerce  and  industry  of  the  country 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Federal  government. 

JONATHAN  LANE, 
Q.  U.  WATSON, 
CLARENCE  OUSLET, 
W.  B.  DAVIS, 
J.  T.  ADAMS. 

The  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  viva  voce  vote. 
National  Committeeman:     Cato  Sells,  of  Johnson. 


564  Platforms  of  Political 

SOCIALIST  STATE  CONVENTION,  1912 

WACO,  August  13 

About  one  hundred  Socialists  from  different  parts  of  the 
State  met  at  Waco  to  adopt  a  platform  and  canvass  the  returns 
of  the  recent  referendum  vote  for  nominees  for  the  various 
State  offices. 

Officers:  Chairman,  W.  S.  Noble,  of  Milam.  Secretary,  E. 
0.  Meitzen,  of  Lavaca. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Dan  C.  Crider,  S.  A. 
Brinkley,  A.  B.  Clayton,  Morgan  S.  Graham;  1st  Congressional 
district,  J.  B.  Triplett,  2.  John  B.  Yarbrough,  3.  John  F.  Hunt, 
4.  W.  P.  Bickley,  5.  F.  V.  Evans,  6.  H.  F.  Simpson,  7.  Carl 
Blaser,  8.  F.  Meyer,  9.  T.  J.  Haynes,  10.  Jack  Cahill,  11.  W.  A. 
Walker,  12.  A.  M.  Dobbs,  13.  M.  A.  Anderson,  14.  H.  H.  Ed- 
wards, 15.  J.  R.  Boyd,  16.  J.  R,  Echols. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Reddin  Andrews,  of 
Smith ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  T.  A.  Hickey,  of  Lavaca ;  Attorney- 
General,  Henry  Faulk,  of  Travis ;  Comptroller,  G.  W.  M.  Taylor, 
of  Parker ;  Treasurer,  W.  J.  Bell,  of  Smith ;  Commissioner  of  the 
General  Land  Office,  W.  R.  Browning,  of  -  — ;  Superin- 

tendent of  Public  Instruction,  J.  E.  Hamilton,  of^^-  — ; 
Railroad  Commissioners,  Joe  Beer,  of  Harris,  and  Wm.  Thordy, 
of—  — ;  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  P.  A.  Eichblatt,  of 

Harrison;  Supreme  Court,  E.  0.  Meitzen,  of  Lavaca;  Court  of 
Criminal  Appeals,  J.  R.  Brown,  of  Bowie ;  Congressmen  at  large, 
D.  D.  Richardson,  of  Hunt,  and  J.  M.  Haggard,  of  Cooke. 

PLATFORM1 

Preamble 

The  Socialist  party  of  the  State  of  Texas  declares  that  the  capitalist 
system  has  fulfilled  its  historic  mission  and  has  become  utterly  in- 
capable of  meeting  the  problems  now  confronting  society.  We  de- 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  State  mass  meeting  are  taken  from  the  Dallas 
News,  August  14,  1912.  The  platform  is  copied  from  a  broadside  issued  by 
the  party  during  the  campaign  of  1912. 


Parties  in  Texas  565 

nounce  this  capitalist  system  as  incompetent  and  corrupt  and  the  source 
of  unspeakable  misery  and  suffering  to  the  entire  working  class  of  the 
Lone  Star  State. 

Under  this  system  the  land  of  the  State  of  Texas  has  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  few.  According  to  the  1910  census  out  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty-five  million  acres  of  tillable  land  in  Texas  only  twenty-seven  mil- 
lion acres  were  in  cultivation,  while  tenantry  has  increased  to  the  point 
where  209,000  tenants  are  tilling  the  soil,  men  and  women  who  are  as 
impoverished  as  the  rack-rented  tenant  in  the  Galty  Mountains  of  Ire- 
land or  the  poor  miserables  of  Southern  Europe.  Negro  and  Mexican 
tenants  and  farm  laborers  have  greatly  increased.  The  cost  of  ma- 
chinery necessary  to  obtain  the  best  results  in  farming  has  grown 
enormously.  Landlords  demand  contracts  that  interfere  with  the 
political  and  personal  liberty  of  the  tenant,  as  well  as  the  manner  in 
which  he  cultivates  his  crop.  Through  this  system  of  tenantry  that  is 
inherent  in  the  capitalist  system,  overcropping  and  single  cropping  is 
causing  the  soil  to  lose  its  fertility  and  thereby  the  present  and  future 
generations  are  robbed.  The  increase  in  land  values  has  made  it  im- 
possible for  the  tenant  under  ordinary  conditions  to  buy  and  pay  for 
land.  These  conditions  have  forced  the  landless  farmer  to  live  in  miser- 
able hovels  and  keep  the  women  and  children  in  the  fields  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  be  exceedingly  detrimental  to  the  mental  and  physical  well- 
being  of  our  people  and  a  menace  to  the  homes  and  future  progress  of 
our  State. 

Under  this  capitalist  system  the  industrial  equipment  of  the  State 
has  passed  into  the  absolute  control  of  the  plutocracy  which  exacts  an 
annual  tribute  of  millions  of  dollars  from  the  producers.  Unafraid  of 
any  organized  resistance  it  stretches  its  greedy  hands  over  the  still 
undeveloped  resources  of  the  State  and  has  grabbed  the  land  and  is  now 
acquiring  the  mines,  the  oil  wells,  the  forests,  and  water  power  sites 
in  every  part  of  the  State. 

Under  this  system  multiplication  in  labor-saving  machines  and  inv 
proved  methods  of  industry  find  the  share  of  the  producers  growing  ever 
less  and  the  price  of  the  necessities  of  life  ever  higher.  The  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  wage  workers  in  the  State  have  seen  the  purchasing 
.  power  of  their  wages  decrease  until  life  has  become  a  desperate  battle 
for  mere  existence.  Farmers  in  every  part  of  the  State  are  plundered 
by  increasing  prices  exacted  for  tools  and  machinery  and  by  extortionate 
rents,  freight  rates,  and  storage  charges. 

We  denounce  this  capitalist  system  as  responsible  for  the  increasing 
burden  of  armaments,  poverty,  slums,  child  labor,  and  most  of  the 
insanity,  crime,  and  prostitution  that  afflicts  mankind,  and  we  look 
with  scorn  upon  alleged  reformers  who  seek  to  abolish  the  profits  ot 
saloon  keepers  while  allowing  trust  magnates  to  riot  in  their  profits. 

This  capitalist  system  in  Texas  has  developed  hypocrisy  to  that  point 
where  its  upholders  boast  of  their  chivalry  while  compelling  the  wives, 
mothers,  sisters,  daughters,  sweethearts,  of  the  agricultural  workers 


566  Platforms  of  Political 

to  toil  under  the  blazing  sun  with  cotton  sack,  chopping  hoe  and,  often 
plow,  thus  dwarfing  physically  and  mentally  our  womanhood  and  deny- 
ing our  children  the  education  that  is  their  natural  heritage. 

In  the  face  of  these  evils  so  manifest  that  all  thoughtful  people  are 
appalled  at  them,  we  find  that  the  plutocracy  in  Texas'  has  seized  the 
courts,  the  legislature,  the  railroad  commissioners,  and  the  governor, 
to  the  end  that  their  interests  be  protected  even  though  the  interest  of 
the  vast  majority  of  producers  suffer  from  this  usurpation  of  power. 

Realizing  this  deplorable  condition  of  affairs,  the  Socialist  party  of 
the  State  of  Texas  declares  that  society  is  divided  into  warring  groups 
and  classes,  based  upon  material  interest.  In  this  fight  we  declare  our- 
selves unhesitatingly  upon  the  side  of  the  wealth  producers.  We  point 
out  that  the  working  class  greatly  outnumber  their  exploiters  and  call 
upon  them  to  recognize  their  material  interest  and  develop  a  spirit  of 
class  solidarity  that  will  enable  it  to  enforce  its  will.  Given  such  solid- 
arity, the  workers  on  farms,  in  mine,  railroad,  mill,  and  factory  in 
Texas  will  have  the  power  to  make  all  laws  and  control  all  industry  in 
their  own  interest. 

The  Socialist  party  is  the  political  expression  of  the  economic  inter- 
ests of  the  workers.  Its  defeats  have  been  their  defeats  ana  Its  vic- 
tories their  victories.  It  is  a  party  founded  on  the  science  and  laws 
of  social  development.  It  proposes  that  since  all  social  necessities 
today  are  socially  produced,  the  means  of  their  productive  distribution 
shall  be  socially  owned  and  controlled  and  democratically  managed. 

The  Socialist  party  stands  for  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  capital- 
ist system  and  the  installation  of  the  Socialist  republic  in  its  stead. 
In  the  meantime  as  measures  of  relief  for  the  workers  now  groaning 
under  the  system  of  capitalism,  we  present  the  following 

Demands 

T.  A  constitutional  amendment  authorizing  a  tax  on  land  to  the 
limit. 

2.  We  declare  that  use  and   occupancy  should  be  the  sole  title  to 
land    and   pledge   ourselves    to    engage   in    a   continuous   campaign    of 
education  to  secure  by  constitutional  amendment  the  legality  of  such, 
title. 

3.  That  the  State  encourage  the  establishment  of  co-operative  farms 
by  individual  associations;  that  the  State  rent  lands  to  landless  farm- 
ers  at  a    nominal   rent,   the   land   so   appropriated   to   be   secured   by 
purchase  of  all  land  sold  for  taxes  or  otherwise  acquired. 

4.  That  land  occupied  and  used  in  a  useful*  and  bona  fide  manner 
without  exploitation  be  subject  to  a  minimum  tax  and  conversely  all 
land    used    for    exploitation    and    speculation    shall    be    taxed    to    the 
maximum. 

5.  All    tools    necessary   to    the    cultivation    of    land    used    without 
exploitation  or  speculation  shall  be  exempt  from  taxation. 


Parties  in  Texas  567 

6.  We  demand  the  State  ownership  of  cotton  gins,  cotton  seed  mills, 
compresses,  grain  elevators,  warehouses,  irrigation   canals,   etc. 

7.  We   recommend   the    loaning  of  money    at   the   lowest  possible 
rate  of  interest  by  the  State  on  cotton  and  other  imperishable  farm 
products. 

8.  The    establishment   of   an   eight-hour   work   day   among   all   day 
laborers.     The  passage  of  sanitary  laws  and  a  rigid  enforcement  in  all 
public  works;   strict  State  inspection  of  mills,  mines,  factories,  etc. 

9.  We  demand  the  prohibition  of  the  employment  of  children  under 
sixteen  years  in  all  wage  paying  industries. 

10.  We  indorse  State  fire,  life,  storm,  drouth,  and  sick  insurance. 

11.  A  constitutional  amendment  providing  for  the  initiative,  refer- 
endum, and  recall  including  the  judiciary. 

12.  Compulsory  education;   free  night  schools  for  adults;    free  teit- 
books   for   all   pupils   in   public   schools;    vocational   education   in  all 
public  schools;  adequate  public  maintenance  for  all  destitute  and  semi- 
destitute  children. 

13.  Free  and  equal  suffrage  for  both  men  and  women,  unrestricted 
by  poll  tax,  educational  or  property  qualifications. 

14.  The  absolute  freedom  of  press,  speech,  and  assemblage. 

15.  Humane  and   scientific  treatment  of  the   inmates  of  the  Statt 
penitentiaries;   all  the  value  of  their  labor  above  an  economical  cost 
of  maintenance  to  go  to  their  families  or  dependents. 

16.  The  erection  by  the  State  of  as  many  as  three  sanitariums  to  be 
located  equianguarly  or  as  nearly  as  may  be;   board  and  treatment  of 
inmates  to  be  furnished  by  the  State. 

17.  An   increased   State   inheritance    tax,    graded   in   proportion   to 
amount  of  bequest,  and  to  nearness  of  kin. 

18.  Graduated  income  tax. 

19.  Abolition   of  the  State  senate  and  the  gubernatorial  veto. 

20.  The  abolition  of  the  fee  system  as  to  all  public  officials. 

21.  A  stringent  employers'  liability  and  employes'  compensation  act 
and  a  more  stringent  law  against  blacklisting. 

State  Executive  Committee:  W.  S.  Noble,  of  Milam,  chair- 
man; 1st  Congressional  district,  J.  S.  Willard,  of  Bowie;  2.  J. 
H.  Freeland,  of  Cherokee:  3.  blank;  4.  C.  E.  Obenchain,  of 
Hunt ;  5.  blank ;  6.  W.  H.  Wilson,  of  Limestone ;  7.  J.  C.  Har- 
rett.  of  Trinity;  8.  blank;  9.  W.  W.  Fitzgerald,  of  Victoria;  10. 
blank;  11.  C.  G-.  Davidson,  of  McLennan;  12.  Clarence  Nugent, 
of  Erath;  13.  to  15.  blank;  16.  W.  R.  Pritchard,  of  Shackelfordi 


568  Platforms  of  Political 

PROHIBITION  STATE  CONVENTION,  1912 

DALLAS,  August  13 

Between  fifty  and  sixty  delegates  attended  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  A.  J.  Houston,  of  Jefferson.  Secretary, 
E.  C.  Heath,  of  Rockwall. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  A.  J.  Houston,  of  Jef- 
ferson ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  L.  M.  Hewitt,  of  Brazos ;  Congress- 
man at  large,  E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  L.  M.  Hewitt,  chair- 
man, W.  V.  Graves,  E.  H.  Conibear,  H.  W.  Clark. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We,   the    Prohibition   party   of   Texas,   in   convention   at  Dallas, 
August  13,  1912,  recognize  God  as  the  source  of  all  government,  indorse 
the  platform  and  nominees  of  the  National  Prohibition  convention  at 
Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  and  commend  them  to  the  people  of  Texas  as  a 
splendid   expression    of   progressive,    Christian,    civilized   government. 
We  urge  upon   the  good  people  of  Texas  the  necessity  of  an  active 
campaign  and  a  strong  vote  for  the  only  candidates  who  represent  a 
principle  of  honorable,  honest  government  of  and  for  all  the  people. 

2.  We  favor  a  complete  revision  of  the  jurisprudence  of  this  State, 
both  civil  and  criminal,  which  will  eliminate  useless  and  costly  delays 
to  litigants  and  in  many  ways  a  miscarriage  of  justice. 

3.  •  We  declare  the  licensed  liquor  trade  a  crime  and  not  a  business 
and   declare  that  no-  government,   State  or  National,   has  a  right  to 
license  or  regulate  it.    The  only  right  attitude  for  the  government  is 
an  unrelenting  war  of  extermination.     Today  the  leading  prohibition- 
ists, so-called,  within  the  Democratic  party,  are  advocating  regulation 
and  declaring  that  they  do  not  stand  for  prohibition  in  the  platform. 
To  change  the  policy  of  the  State  from  license  to  prohibition,  there  is 
only  one  effective  way  and  that  is  to  elect  a  party  to  power  that  by  its 
platform  and  its  nominees  is  committed  to  that  change.    The  Prohibi- 
tion party  of  Texas   pledges    itself,   if  intrusted  with   power  in  this 
State,  to  repeal  the  liquor  license  laws  of  Texas.    We  pledge  ourselves 
to  deal  then  with  the  outlawed  liquor  traffic  as  with  any  other  crime 
against  government,  and  to  carry  into  effect  such  police  measures  as 
may  be  necessary  for  the  carrying  out  of  this  program,  as  far  as  it 

lfrhe   proceedings   of   this    convention    are    taken    from    the    Dallas   Newt, 
August  14,  1912. 


Parties  in  Texas  569 

can  be  carried  out  in  opposition  to  the  license  policy  of  the  Federal 
government,  until  such  time  as  the  National  government,  also,  is 
committed  to  the  prohibition  policy. 

4.  We  favor  the  policy  of  publicity  of  contributions  and   expendi- 
tures of  all  campaign  funds  of  every  nature. 

5.  We  favor  the  most  liberal  appropriations  to  our  educational  in- 
stitutions and  especially  to  the  agricultural   institutions,   and  would 
extend  the  agricultural  departments  to  all  rural  schools. 

6.  We  pledge  the  party  to  a  progressive  plan  for  the  encouragement 
and  development  of  the  commercial  and  industrial   resources  of  the 
State  by  an  intelligent  protection  of  all  the  various  interests  of  this 
broad  domain. 

7.  We  believe  that   the  agricultural   development   can   best  be  en- 
couraged and  extended  by  an  intelligent  extension  of  the  transporta- 
tion facilities  through  a  more  liberal  State  good  roads  system;    and 
we  pledge  the  party  to  the  construction  of  a  system  of  State  roads 
through  the  several  counties  which  will  best  serve  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  people  for  the  most  economical  expenditure;   these  State  roads 
to  be  so  constructed  that  the  several  counties  may  add  to  them  and 
make  a  complete  system  of  good  highways. 

8.  We  condemn  the  system   of  convict  labor-made  goods  for  com- 
mercial trade  and  recommend  that  all  convict  labor  that  may  be  spared 
from  State  farms  be  used  for  State  road,  building,  and  that  all  con- 
victs be  credited  for  their  labor  upon  a  basis  of  the  prevailing  rate  for 
labor,  that  the  difference  of  maintaining  the  convict  and  the  value  of 
his  labor  be  used  for  the  maintenance  of  those  dependent  upon  the 
convict  for  support. 

9.  We  condemn  the  present  insurance  laws,  which  created  the  in- 
surance rating  board  of  the  State,  as  a  vicious  trust,  generally  supposed 
to  have  been  instigated  by  the  fire  insurance  companies  for  the  pur- 
pose of  eliminating  possible  competition  in  the  fire  insurance  business, 
and  thus  creating  a  burdensome  tax  upon  the  people  of  the  State,  and 
we  demand  the  repeal  of  the  law  and  the  abolition  of  the  rating  board. 

10.  We  believe  that  the  present  system  of  State  elections  every  two 
years   creates  an  unnecessary  and  wasteful  use  of  time,  money,  and 
energy,  and  we  recommend  that  all  State  officers  be  elected  for  four 
years,  and  that  State  elections  alternate  with  National  elections. 

11.  We  do  not  believe  that  it  is  an  economical  policy  to  appraise  the 
railroads  of  the  State  above  their  actual  value  for  stock  and  bond  pur- 
poses, but  we  believe  that  the  valuation  as  made  by  the  commission  for 
such  purposes  should  prevail  with  all  boards  of  assessors  for  the  pur- 
pose of  taxation,  and  we  recommend  the  enactment  of  a  law  to  this 
effect. 

12.  As   the   extension  of   our   agricultural    resources   must  precede 
the  development  of  our  commercial  resources,  and  as  every  legitimate 
effort  should  be  made  to  a  more  extensive  educational  system  among 
rural  residents,  we  favor  a  law  permitting  railroads  to  issue  free  trans- 


570  Platforms  of  Political 

portation  to  all  agents  of  the  Agricultural  Department  of  the  State 
and  to  all  secretaries  of  commercial  organizations  engaged,  wholly  or 
in  part,  in  the  extension  of  farm  products  within  the  State. 

13.  We    believe    to    deny   intelligent,   refined,   chaste,    and    sensible 
women  the  privilege  of  the  ballot  while  extending  this  privilege  to  the 
illiterate,   immoral,  vicious,  and  corrupt  men  is  not  only  nonsensical 
and  criminal,  but  that  it  is  an  insult  to  womanhood  as  well  as  a  re- 
flection upon  our  intelligence;  we,  therefore,  pledge  the  party  to  equal 
rights  of  suffrage  for  women  and  men. 

14.  We  condemn  the  treatment  of  the  Americans  in  Mexico  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  in  arousing  prejudice  against  them  by 
his  un-American  proclamation  and  then  failing  to  defend  them  against 
outrages. 

15.  We  denounce  the  reign  of  lynch  law  as  one  of  the  many  curses 
for  which  the  liquor  traffic  is  responsible. 

State  Executive  Committee:  State  at  large,  Edward  Owens, 
of  Tarrant,  and  H.  A.  Taylor,  of  El  Paso;  1st  Congressional 
district,  Miss  M.  I.  Taylor,  of  Marion;  2.  A.  J.  Houston,  of 
Jefferson;  3.  E.  B.  Tuggle,  of  Kaufman;  4.  J.  F.  McFarland, 
of  Fannin;  5.  D.  P.  Williams,  of  Dallas;  6.  L.  M.  Hewitt,  of 
Brazos;  7.  J.  M.  Meek,  of  Galveston;  8.  W.  V.  Graves,  of  Harris; 
9.  L.  J.  Winters,  of  Refugio;  10.  E.  P.  Laney,  of  Caldwell;  11. 
J.  D.  Knapp,  of  McLennan;  12.  S.  R.  McElreath,  of  Tarrant; 
13.  C.  S.  Rice,  of  Gray ;  14.  A.  L.  Home,  of  Lampasas ;  15.  Mrs. 
L.  B.  Wiseman,  of  Wilson ;  16.  J.  L.  Campbell,  of  El  Paso. 

PROGRESSIVE  STATE  CONVENTION,  1912 

DALLAS,  August  13  and  14 

The  delegates  of  the  Roosevelt  convention  of  May  last  were 
turned  down  by  the  Republican  National  convention.  State 
Chairman  Lyon  and  a  number  of  the  members  of  the  State  ex- 
ecutive committee  attended  the  Progressive  National  convention, 
August  5,  1912.  They  still  controlled  the  Republican  State  ex- 
ecutive committee,  and  were  thus  in  position  to  determine  the 
contests  preliminary  to  the  State  convention,  August  13.  The 
Taft  supporters  declined  to  participate  in  this  convention.  There 
were  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  delegates  present:  of  this 
number  only  five  were  negroes.  The  great  question  before  the 


Parties  in  Texas  571 

convention  was  the  change  of  the  party's  name.     It  was  decided 
by  the  adoption  of  the  following  resolution: 

Eesolved,  that  the  political  organization  in  Texas  heretofore 
and  now  known  as  the  Republican  party  of  Texas  is  now  and 
shall  hereafter  be  known  as  the  Progressive  party  of  Texas,  and 
that  the  duly  elected  delegates  and  alternates  of  the  Regular 
Republican  organization  of  Texas,  in  regular  State  convention 
assembled,  hereby  resolve,  affirm,  and  decree  that  the  Republican 
party  of  Texas  has  ceased  to  exist  and  in  its  place  and  stead  is 
the  Progressive  party  of  Texas,  of  which  the  delegates  and  alter- 
nates here  assembled  are  the  duly  elected  and  legal  representa- 
tives, clothed  with  full  authority  to  do  all  work  and  acts  for 
which  this  convention  was  assembled,  and  we  hereby  invite  all 
true  and  loyal  citizens  of  whatever  political  name  or  creed  to 
join  the  Progressive  party  of  Texas  and  help  us  procure  "a 
square  deal  for  everybody"  and  special  privileges  for  none. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tem,pore,  J.  M.  McCormick.  of  Dal- 
las; permanent,  Lewis  Lindsay,  of  Cooke.  Secretary,  Bart  Mar- 
shall, of  Grayson. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  F.  H.  Hill,  of  Carson, 
C.  W.  Hutchison,  of  Tarrant,  T.  J.  Martin,  of  Kinney,  and  Dr. 
C.  A.  Gray,  of  Fannin ;  1st  Congressional  district,  J.  M.  Single- 
ton, of  Marion;  2.  E.  G.  Christian,  of  Bowie;  3.  Z.  T.  Jackson, 
of  Smith;  4.  J.  T.  Stark,  of  Collin ;  5.  A.  C.  Wilson,  of  Dallas; 
6.  Tyler  Haswell,  of  Brazos ;  7.  George  W.  Burkett,  of  Anderson ; 
8.  W.  B.  Sharp,  of  Harris;  9.  Max  P.  Schorre,  of  Karnes;  10. 
Ed.  H.  East,  of  Hays;  11.  M.  W.  Reisinger,  of  Coryell :  12.  W. 
P.  Hallmark,  of  Erath ;  13.  Pat  Darling,  of  Hardeman;  14.  W. 
Z.  Stiles,  of  Bexar :  15.  J.  C.  Scott,  of  Nueces ;  16.  H.  A.  Baker, 
of  Shackelford. 

Xominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Ed  C.  Lasater,  of 
Brooks;  Lieutenant-Governor,  W.  H.  Featherston,  of  Clay; 
Attorney-General,  Henry  Lee  Borden,  of  Harris;  Comptroller, 
George  E.  Kepple,  of  Harris ;  Treasurer,  T.  S.  McBride,  of  Dallas ; 
Railroad  Commissioner,  0.  S.  Newell,  of  Bexar;  Commissioner 
of  Agriculture,  Harvey  C.  Stiles,  of  Hays;  Supreme  Court,  J. 
M.  McCormick,  of  Dallas,  and  IT.  S.  Goen,  of  El  Paso ;  Congress- 
men at  large,  Z.  T.  White,  of  El  Paso,  and  F.  M.  Etheridge,  of 
Dallas. 


572  Platforms  of  Political 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  M.  Singleton, 
E.  G.  Christian,  J.  T.  Palmer,  W.  J.  Minter,  T.  S.  McBride,  R. 
L.  Ferguson,  P.  J.  Hays,  H.  L.  Borden,  George  Ireland,  M.  C. 
Kelly,  Joe  E.  Williams,  Otto  Patterson,  0.  P.  Maricle,  E.  S. 
Thayer,  Ed  C.  Lasater,  chairman,  J.  W.  Boynton. 

PLATFORM1 

The  convention  adopted  the  National  platform  in  its  entirety,  and 
added  thereto  the  following: 

[1]  We  condemn  the  weak  and  vacillating  policy  of  the  Taft  ad- 
ministration in  its  dealing  with  the  Mexican  situation.  We  believe 
the  American  citizen  should  be  protected  by  his  government  in  what- 
ever foreign  land  he  may  reside;  and  the  killing  of  nine  and  wounding 
of  twenty-three  citizens  of  the  United  States  on  Texas  soil  at  El  Paso, 
Texas,  on  May  10  and  11,  1911,  by  Mexican  soldiers,  from  Mexican  soil, 
should  have  called  for  vigorous  protest  and  demand  for  reparation  from 
the  Mexican  government  by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  his 
failure  so  to  do  is  just  cause  for  this  declaration  of  protest. 

[2]  We  favor  more  liberal  appropriations  by  the  legislature  on 
behalf  of  higher  education  and  insist  that  in  this  respect  Texas  put 
herself  in  line  with  Wisconsin  and  other  progressive  States.  We  be- 
lieve that  money  so  spent  should  be  regarded  as  an  investment  and 
not  as  a  charge  upon  the  people. 

[3]  In  legislation  we  advocate  a  policy  extending  the  powers  of 
municipal  corporations  giving. them  larger  charter  rights  to  control 
sanitary,  housing,  street,  and  all  other  conditions  affecting  their  moral 
and  economic  welfare. 

[4]  We  recommend  that  the  legislature  of  the  State  of  Texas  pro- 
ceed to  reform  the  court  procedure  of  the  State  without  delay. 

[5]  We  approve  the  attitude  of  Colonel  Roosevelt  in  respect  to  the 
rights  and  political  status  of  the  American  negro,  as  outlined  in  hla 
speech  delivered  in  Chicago,  August  6,  1912. 

[6]  The  present  anti-trust  laws  of  Texas  are  unjust  alike  to  business 
and  consumers.  Honest  business  is  made  to  suffer,  on  the  one  hand, 
while  illegitimate  combinations  go  practically  unpunished,  on  the 
other.  As  a  corrective  of  these  conditions,  we  favor  the  creation  of  a 
State  industrial  commission,  similar  in  character  and  function  to  tha 
State  railroad  commission,  with  full  power  to  supervise,  regulate,  and 
give  full  publicity  to  the  acts  of  all  corporations  (not  subject  to  the 
Federal  anti-trust  laws)  doing  business  in  Texas. 

On  these  principles  and  on  the  recognized  desirability  of  uniting  the 

1PThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  13-1S,  1912.  The  platform  was  obtained  from  the  secretary  of  th« 
convention. 


Parties  in  Texas  573 

progressive  forces  of  the  State  into  an  organization  which  shall  un- 
equivocally represent  the  progressive  spirit  and  policy,  we  appeal  for 
the  support  of  all  Texas  citizens,  without  regard  to  previous  political 
affiliations. 


Executive  Committee:  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  of  Graysonr 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  J.  M.  Singleton,  of  Marion; 
2.  Yehner  Antle,  of  Hopkins;  3.  Dr.  C.  A.  Gray,  of  Fannin;  4. 
0.  F.  Johnson,  of  Grayson;  5.  R,  F.  Akridge,  of  Hunt;  6.  J.  M. 
McCormick,  of  Dallas;  7.  J.  L.  Jackson,  of  Smith;  8.  Cooper 
Shetfall,  of  Gregg;  9.  Rube  Freeman,  of  Navarro;  10.  W.  B. 
Franks,  of  Ellis;  11.  F.  W.  Stallworth,  of  Falls;  12.  John  Daly, 
Jr.,  of  Brazos;  13.  George  W.  Burkett,  Sr.,  of  Anderson;  14. 
O.  S.  Hunter,  of  Jefferson;  15.  blank;  16.  Henry  Lee  Borderu 
of  Harris;  17.  Ed  McCarthy,  of  Galveston;  18.  W.  A.  Matthaei, 
of  Austin;  19.  M.  M.  Turney,  of  Bastrop;  20.  J.  C.  Bierbower, 
of  Caldwell;  21.  W.  B.  Kelley,  of  Caldwell;  22.  Max  P.  Schorre, 
of  Karnes;  23.  Ed  C.  Lasater,  of  Brooks;  24.  J.  D.  Dodson,  of 
Bexar;  25.  J.  T.  Martin,  of  Kinney;  26.  W.  P.  Hallmark,  of 
Erath;  27.  Joe  E.  Williams,  of  Hamilton;  28.  H.  A.  Baker,  of 
Shackelford  ;  29.  K.  M.  Hopgood,  of  Clay  ;  30.  F.  M.  Wright,  of 
Tarrant;  31.  Harry  Karlsburg,  of  Montague. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1912 

DALLAS,  August  13  and  14 

The  delegates  of  the  Taft  convention  of  May  last  were  seated 
by  the  National  convention.  When  the  State  executive  com- 
mittee met  at  Dallas,  August  12,  the  members  of  that  committee 
supporting  Taft  refused  to  recognize  Cecil  A.  Lyon  as  State 
chairman,  and  proceeded  to  elect  C.  A.  Warnken  to  that  posi- 
tion. However,  the  members  supporting  Lyon  outnumbered 
his  opponents,  so  the  latter  changed  their  place  of  meeting,  and 
proceeded  with  their  convention  independently.  About  three 
hundred  delegates  attended;  of  this  number  about  one-third 
were  negroes. 

Officers:  Chairman,  Eugene  Marshall,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
Sam  L.  Gross,  of  Harrison.  « 

Presidential  Electors:     State  at  large,  Ira  P.  Jones,  Dr.  J.  L. 


574  Platforms  of  Political 

Gaston,  J.  C.  Gibbons,  Lewis  Johnson,  of  Jack;  District  electors, 
Will  E.  Singleton,  Jr.,  of  Marion;  S.  H.  Pedigo,  of  Tyler;  R.  C. 
Spence  and  C.  A.  Duck,  of  Hunt;  A.  M.  Morrison,  of  Ellis; 
Seth  W.  Hamilton,  of  Limestone;  W.  C.  Kendall,  of  Anderson; 
I.  M.  Limbocker,  of  Harris;  J.  F.  McCan  and  E.  P.  Wilmot, 
of  Travis;  D.  P.  Baker,  of  McLennan;  J.  E.  B.  Stewart,  of  Par- 
ker; L.  M.  Kealy,  of  Denton;  John  Hall,  of  Lampasas;  F.  Van- 
dervoort,  of  Dimmit ;  M.  F.  Burns,  of  Midland. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  C.  W.  Johnson,  of 
Young;  Lieutenant-Governor,  W.  C.  Averill,  of  Jefferson;  At- 
torney-General, Tyler  Baker,  of  Johnson;  Comptroller,  Fred- 
erick Hofheinz,  of  Comal;  Treasurer,  W.  C.  Kenyon,  of  Pot- 
ter; Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  W.  H.  Love,  of 
Collin ;  Railroad  Commissioners,  T.  M.  Barret,  of  Bexar,  and 
George  W.  Eason,  of  Nacogdoches;  Commissioner  of  Agricul- 
ture, Joseph  F.  Green,  of  San  Patricio ;  Supreme  Court,  Eugene 
Marshall,  of  Dallas,  J.  Walter  Cocke,  of  McLennan,  and  T.  M. 
Kennerly,  of  Harris;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  Nathan  Pat- 
ten, of  McLennan ;  Congressmen  at  large,  J.  E.  Elgin,  of  Bexar, 
and  R.  B.  Harrison,  of  Bowie. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  W.  J.  Baker,  of 
Lamar;  George  W.  Eason,  of  Nacogdoches;  George  C.  Hopkins, 
of  Wood;  R.  S.  Legate,  of  Grayson;  W.  H.  Atwell,  of  Dallas, 
chairman;  Claude  P.  McGregor,  of  Milam;  M.  M.  Rogers,  of 
Fayette;  John  L.  Burke,  of  Bastrop;  Dan  Emerson,  of  Falls; 
C.  B.  Milliken,  of  Parker;  C.  W.  Johnson,  of  Young;  M.  D. 
Townley,  of  Lampasas ;  Harvey  Finch,  of  Callahan ;  L.  D.  Roach ; 
H.  F.  McGregor,  of  Harris;  C.  P.  Jones;  T.  W.  Johnson;  R.  B. 
Stite. 

PLATFORM1 

[1]  The  Republican  party,  in  State  convention  assembled,  at  Dallas, 
Texas,  August  13,  1912,  reaffirms  the  cardinal  principles  and  tenets  that 
gave  it  birth  and  strength  and  that  have  marked  the  administration  of 
its  respective  leaders  as  they  have  successfully  and  successively  admin* 
istered  the  affairs  of  this  Republic  from  Abraham  Lincoln  to  the  pres- 
ent hour.  Incited  by  its  faith,  high  aim,  and  purposes,  the  people  be- 
lieved, and  believing,  embraced. 

1PThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  Newt, 
August  13-15,  1912. 


Parties  in  Texas  575 

Not  unlike  the  rest  in  faithfulness,  statesmanship,  and  fidelity  has 
been  the  administration  of  President  William  Howard  Taft,  who  for 
the  last  four  years,  despite  bickerings  from  within  and  opposition  from 
without,  has  guided  honorably  and  nonpartisanly  the  destinies  of  our 
matchless  Republic.  In  recognition  of  this  service  and  because  the 
people  believed  in  the  reward  of  the  faithful  servant,  they  renominated 
him  at  Chicago,  and  we  here  and  now  approve  and  indorse  his  admin- 
istration, his  renomination,  and  the  platform  that  our  representatives 
at  Chicago,  in  June,  1912,  fashioned  and  framed  as  a  renewed  promise 
to  the  American  people,  and  in  this  connection  we  call  attention  to  the 
fact  that  the  Republican  party  makes  no  promise  to  be  broken. 

We  are  satisfied  with  our  form  of  government  and  are  against  its 
destruction.  We  believe  the  Declaration  of  Independence  is  right;  we 
believe  that  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  of  America  is  not 
out  of  date.  We  believe  in  individual  liberty;  we  believe  in  the  pro- 
tection of  life;  and  we  believe  in  the  protection  of  property.  As  long 
as  any  of  these  beliefs  are  assailed  the  mission  and  work  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  is  unfinished. 

2.  We  have  always   stood  for  fair  elections,  and  while  there  are 
many  good  features  in  the  so-called  Terrell  primary  election  law,  there 
are  many  features  that  are  not  understandable,  and  tend  to  keep  the 
Democratic  party  and  its  machines  and  bosses  in  power,  when,  if  the 
same  were  remedied  so  as  to  include  a  direct  primary  law,  the  voice 
of  the  people  would  be  substituted  for  the  rule  of  the  boss. 

3.  We  favor  a  reformation  of  Texas  court  procedure. 

4.  We  condemn  the  present  stock  and  bond  law,  and  demand  that 
such  legislation  be  had  as  shall  be  fair  to  the  people  and  permit  the 
business  interests  to  develop  the  resources  of  the  State. 

5.  Profligate  expenditure  of  the  people's  taxes  is  as  indefensible  as 
unjust  taxation,  and  we  criticise  any  system  of  government,  county,  or 
State,  which  is  not  economical  and  that  is  not  regardful  of  the  purse 
of  the  people;  and  we,  therefore,  condemn  the  present  Democratic  State 
administration,  and  call  the  attention  of  the  people,  specifically,  to  the 
$2,000,000  deficit  and  to  the  increase  in  the  burden  of  taxation. 

6.  We   favor   the   provision    by  the   State  for  a  full   nine  months 
public  free  school  and  free  textbooks,  and  we  believe  that  such  school 
should  embrace  as  a  part  of  their  fundamental  work  the  teaching  and 
demonstration  of  agriculture  and  the  proper  acquaintance  with  indus- 
trial and  mechanical  arts;   and  we  favor  a  compulsory  school  law  re- 
quiring at  least  six   months  attendance  in  each  year  of  every  child 
between  the  age  of  eight  and  sixteen. 

7.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  that  shall  authorize  the  Gover- 
nor to  appoint  a  highway  commission,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  super- 
vise  the   construction    of  all   permanent   roads   and  bridges;    and  we 
further  recommend  that  the  present  road  law  shall  be  so  amended  that 
a  majority  vote  shall  carry,  instead  of  a  two-thirds  vote,  in  the  issue  of 
all  road  bonds. 


576  Platforms  of  Political 

8.  We  favor  the  abolition  of  the  office  of  county  treasurer  where  a 
county  has  a  depository. 

9.  We  demand  the  reduction  of  the  present  exorbitant  freight  and 
express  rates  on  fruit  and  vegetables  grown  in  the  State  of  Texas. 

10.  We  do  not  believe  that  free  labor  should  compete  with  convict 
labor,  and  we,  therefore,  favor  the  use  of  the  convict  in  the  betterment 
of  the  public  roads  rather  than  on  the  farm,  in  the  factory,  or  in  the 
mine. 

11.  We   demand   the  strengthening   and    rigid   enforcement   of   the 
present  barratry  statute,  to  the  end  that  the  burden  of  the  damage 
suit  evil  may  be  removed. 

State  Executive  Committee:  C.  K.  McDowell,  of  Val  Verde, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  W.  E.  Singleton,  Jr.,  2.  W. 
J.  Ingram,  3.  Phil  E.  Baer,  4.  R.  S.  Legate,  5.  D.  W.  Ryan,  6. 
George  F.  Rockholt,  7.  J.  H.  Parker,  8.  D.  H.  Morris,  9.  blank; 
10.  J.  B.  Copeland,  11.  M.  M.  Patton,  12.  P.  D.  Daniels,  13. 
W.  B.  Rogers,  14.  blank,  15.  George  W.  Jones,  16.  C.  A.  Warn- 
ken,  17.  E.  C.  Webster,  18.  George  F.  Steiner,  19.  Charles  B. 
Ziegenhalz,  20.  John  Hall,  21.  blank,  22.  H.  C.  Adler,  23.  blank, 
24.  Julius  Oppenheimer,  25.  C.  L.  McDowell,  26.  George  H. 
Wray,  27.  J.  H.  Burnett,  28.  L.  S.  McDowell,  29.  E.  E.  Diggs, 
30.  G.  A.  Tomlinson,  31.  T.  A.  Robison. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE   CONVENTION,  1912 

SAN  ANTONIO,  August  13  and  14 

The  convention  was  completely  controlled  by  the  supporters 
of  Governor  Colquitt.  He  submitted  a  draft  of  the  platform, 
which  with  a  few  alterations  was  adopted  by  the  convention. 
The  convention  took  a  radical  step  in  that  it  treated  the  -selec- 
tions made  by  the  districts  for  the  various  committees  as  "recom- 
mendations, ' '  which  were  disregarded  wherever  the  recommenda- 
tion did  not  suit  the  majority. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Will  A.  Hanger,  of  Tar- 
rant;  permanent,  Claude  B.  -Hudspeth,  of  El  Paso.  Secretary, 
Dayton  Moses,  of  Burnet. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  0.  B.  Colquitt,  of 
Kaufman;  Lieuten ant-Governor,  Will  H.  Mayes,  of  Brown ; 
Attorney-General,  Ben  F.  Looney,  of  Hunt;  Comptroller,  W.  P. 


Parties  in  Texas  577 

Lane,  of  Tarrant ;  Treasurer,  J.  M.  Edwards,  of  Runnels;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  James  T.  Robison,  of 
Travis;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  F.  M.  Bralley, 
of  Fannin;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Earl  B.  May  field,  of  Bell, 
and  William  D.  Williams,  of  Tarrant ;  Commissioner  of  Agri- 
culture, Ed  R.  Rone,  of  Hays;  Supreme  Court,  T.  J.  Brown,  of 
Grayson,  Nelson  Phillips,  of  Dallas,  and  William  E.  Hawkins, 
of  Cameron;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  A.  C.  Prendergast, 
of  McLennan;  United  States  Senator,  Mprris  Sheppa'rd,  of 
Bowie;  Congressman  at  large,  Hatton  W.  Sumners,  of  Dallas, 
and  Daniel  E.  Garrett,  of  Harris. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, T.  D.  Rowell,  of  Marion;  2.  P.  H.  Fosque,  of  Franklin; 
3.  E.  E.  Nunn,  of  Fannin ;  4.  Cecil  H.  Smith,  of  Grayson,  chair- 
man; 5.  W.  H.  Clendennin,  of  Rains;  6.  M.  T.  Lively,  of  Dal- 
las; 7.  Cone  Johnson,  of  Smith;  8.  C.  L.  Brachfield,  of  Rusk; 
9.  John  L.  Davis,  of  Henderson;  10.  William  Poindexter,  of 
Johnson;  11.  E.  W.  Bounds,  of  McLennan;  12.  Robert  Hanns, 
of  Limestone;  13.  Wyatt  Norman,  of  Cherokee,  secretary;  14. 
E.  A.  McDowell,  of  Jefferson;  15.  J.  Lewellyn,  of  Montgomery; 
16.  Jonathan  Lane,  of  Harris;  17.  James  B.  Stubbs,  of  Galves- 
ton;  18.  J.  J.  Mansfield,  of  Colorado;  19.  J.  P.  Buchanan,  of 
Washington;  20.  Charles  Rogan,  of  Travis;  21.  Emil  Mosheim, 
of  Guadalupe;  22.  Ben  W.  Fly,  of  Victoria;  23.  Walter  F. 
Simon,  of  Nueces;  24.  A.  W.  Houston,  of  Bexar;  25.  James  Cal- 
lan,  of  Menard;  26.  W.  C.  Woodward,  of  Coleman;  27.  C.  E. 
Clark;  28.  S.  P.  Hardwicke,  of  Taylor;  29.  A.  L.  Anderson; 
30.  Hunter  P.  Lane,  of  Tarrant;  31.  Alvin  C.  Owsley,  of  Denton. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We  earnestly  approve  the  platform  of  principles  enunciated  by 
the  National  Democratic  party  in  convention  assembled  in  Baltimore, 
and  ratify  and   indorse   the  nomination   of  Woodrow  Wilson  of  New 
Jersey  for  President  and  Thomas  R.  Marshall  of  Indiana  for  Vice  Presi- 
dent,  and   pledge  the   cooperation    and   assistance   of   the   Democratic 
party  of  Texas  in  securing  their  election. 

2.  We   hold   the   Constitution    to   be    a  solemn   chart,   defining  and 

'The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Son  Antonio  Ex- 
press. August  14  and  15.  1912. 

37 — 328 


578  Platforms  of  Political 

limiting  the  powers  of  government  and  insuring  the  protection  of  in- 
dividuals and  minorities  against  oppression,  and  we  insist  upon  the 
observance  of  it  in  letter  and  spirit.  Ours  is  a  government  regulated 
by  law  and  local  self-government  is  a  cardinal  Democratic  principle 
in  perfect  accord  with  the  limitations  of  government  established  by 
the  Constitution. 

We  believe  that  a  representative  Democracy  is  the-most  perfect  form 
of  government  ever  devised  by  the  wisdom  of  man.  We  are  unalter- 
ably opposed  to  every  attempt  to  destroy  or  impair  the  excellent  system 
established  by  our  wise  and  patriotic  forefathers.  We  hold  it  to  be 
the  highest  duty  of  a  representative  to  faithfully  execute  the  will  of 
liis  constituency,  intelligently  and  honestly  ascertained. 

3.  A  general  diffusion  of  knowledge  being  essential  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  liberties  and  the  rights  of  the  people,  we  recommend  that 
our  educational  system,  from  the  primary  school  to  the  University, 
shall  not  longer  suffer  from  faulty  organization  and  insufficient  finan- 
cial support.  The  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  therefore,  pledges  the 
Thirty-third  Legislature  to  make  liberal  appropriations  for  the  support 
and  development  of  our  entire  educational  system. 

We  reiterate  the  demand  made  in  the  State  Democratic  platform 
adopted  at  Galveston,  in  August,  1910,  that  adequate  provision  by  con- 
stitutional right  be  made  for  a  liberal  and  independent  income  to  sup- 
port the  State  institutions  of  higher  learning,  including  the  University, 
the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  the  State  Normal  Schools 
and  the  College  of  Industrial  Arts.  We  favor  more  efficient  county 
supervision,  and  the  extension  and  betterment  of  our  rural  schools,  and 
the  teaching  in  them  of  industrial  and  agricultural  subjects.  We  favor 
the  submission  of  an  amendment  to  our  Constitution  which  will  provide 
that  any  county  may  levy,  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  taxpayers  thereof, 
a  ceunty  tax  for  the  better  maintenance  of  the  schools  of  such  county. 
We  further  favor  that  the  legislature  propose  and  submit  an  amend- 
ment to  Section  11,  of  Article  16,  of  the  Constitution,  providing  for  the 
complete  divorcement  of  the  University  and  the  Agricultural  and  Me- 
chanical College  and  remove  the  inhibition  against  making  appropria- 
tions out  of  the  general  revenue  for  the  erection  of  buildings  for  tha 
University,  and  that  a  just  and  equitable  division  of  the  permanent 
University  fund  be  made  as  between  the  University  and  the  Agricul- 
tural and  Mechanical  College. 

We  indorse  the  proposed  amendment  to  Article  16  of  the  Constitution 
providing  for  six-year  terms  of  office  for  University  Regents,  and  boards 
of  managers  and  trustees  of  other  State  colleges,  schools,  eleemosynary 
and  penal  institutions,  and  we  call  upon  all  good  Democrats  through- 
out the  State  to  vote  for  this  amendment  to  the  end  that  a  law  may  be 
enacted  by  the  legislature  providing  that  the  terms  of  members  of  such 
boards  may  be  arranged  so  that  the  terms  of  office  of  one-third  of  each 
board  may  expire  every  two  years,  thus  insuring  those  institution! 
against  frequent  changes  of  management  to  their  detriment. 


Parties  in  Texas  579 

Under  existing  laws  it  is  provided  that  school  trustees  of  districts 
which  levy  a  special  local  tax  may  extend  the  scholastic  age  in  such 
district.  We  recommend  the  amendment  of  this  law  so  as  to  give  to 
school  trustees  in  all  districts  in  the  State  authority  to  extend  the 
scholastic  age  in  their  discretion  or  on  vote  of  the  people  of  such  dis- 
trict or  community,  up  to  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  We  also  recom- 
mend that  the  legislature  pass  a  law  giving  boards  of  school  trustees  in 
districts  that  may  vote  a  special  tax  authority  to  supply  textbooks  to 
children  attending  school  in  such  districts,  and  to  pay  for  the  books  thus 
furnished  out  of  revenues  derived  from  local  taxation. 

We  recommend  that  the  Thirty-third  Legislature  shall  promptly  pass 
a  bill  appropriating  money  to  pay  the  emergency  authorized  by  the 
Governor  for  the  erection  of  a  mess  hall  and  a  main  building  for  the 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  and  for  the  building  for  the  use 
•f  the  medical  branch  of  the  University  at  Galveston. 

4.  We  protest  against  the  tendencies  of  economical  thought  and  of 
political  policies  to  sacrifice  the  welfare  of  the  producer,  who  is  th« 
only  creator  of  wealth,  and  whose  success  is  the  very  base  of  the  State's 
prosperity.  In  order  that  the  producer  of  cotton  may  be  enabled  to 
market  his  crop  gradually  and  in  such  manner  as  will  realize  for  him 
the  value  thereof,  it  is  necessary  that  he  have  secure,  adequate  and 
inexpensive  warehouse  facilities  which  will  enable  him  to  hold  his 
cotton  and  the  receipt  issued  therefor  shall  carry  on  its  face  such  undis- 
puted evidence  of  validity  and  solvency  that  it  can  be  negotiated  not 
only  in  the  locality  of  its  issue,  but  in  the  commercial  centers  of  the 
world.  To  realize  these  essential  advantages  to  the  maximum  degree, 
it  is  necessary  that  a  strong,  stable  and  comprehensive  warehousing 
system  be  established  in  this  State,  and  in  order  that  such  system  may 
not  fall  Into  the  hands  of  private  interests,  which  might  utilize  it  to 
the  detriment  of  the  producers,  a  strong  public  power  of  control  is 
advisable. 

We  earnestly  recommend  that  the  next  legislature  shall  pass  a  law 
establishing  an  efficient  warehouse  system  for  this  State  with  proper 
provision  for  regulating  the  sampling  and  grading  of  cotton. 

Without  discussing  the  merits  of  pending  proposals  for  monetary 
reform,  we  recommend  that  in  any  legislation  which  Congress  may 
enact  for  emergency  currency  based  upon  commercial  paper  under- 
written by  banks  or  associations  of  banks  provision  should  be  made 
for  including  bonded  or  public  warehouse  cotton  receipts,  and  we  call 
upon  our  senators  and  representatives  in  Congress  to  urge  the  incor- 
poration of  such  provision  in  any  act  which  Congress  may  pass  pro- 
viding for  emergency  currency. 

We  recommend  that  the  next  legislature  shall  make  adequate  appro- 
priation for  the  agricultural  department  of  the  State  government  to 
enable  said  department  to  carry  on  the  work  for  which  it  was  created 
and  to  enable  that  department  in  connection  with  its  crop  reporting 
system  to  cooperate  with  the  agricultural  departments  of  other  cotton- 


580  Platforms  of  Political 

growing  States  and  with  the  Federal  government  in  securing  and  pub- 
lishing reliable  statistics  of  cotton  consumption  and  manufacturing  and 
other  useful  information  from  all  cotton-consuming  countries,  to  the 
end  that  the  public  may  have  reliable  information  concerning  the 
:-•!'•>  Mnt.  of  i  otton  required  for  consumption,  as  well  as  the  amount 
which  will  probably  be  produced. 

5.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  by  the  next  legislature  which 
will  require  every  saloon  in  the  State  to  close  its  place  of  business  at 
9:30  p.  m.  each  week  day  and  to  keep  the  same  closed  until  6  a.  m.  the 
following  day,  and  from  9:30  p.  m.  Saturday  until  6  a.  m.  Mondays,  and 
empower  any  incorporated  city  or  town  to  close  saloons  earlier  after 
sunset  if  the  people  of  such  city  or  town  deem  it  advisable. 

We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  by  the  next  legislature  empowering 
the  city  commission  or  city  council  of  each  and  every  city  or  town  In 
the  State  to  prescribe  the  district  within  which  the  sale  of  intoxicating 
liquors  may  be  licensed  within  such  city  or  town  and  empowering  such 
city  commission  or  city  council  to  prohibit  the  location  of  saloons  in 
residence  districts  where  not  inconsistent  with  the  general  laws  en- 
acted by  the  legislature. 

We  favor  amendment  to  the  local  option  system  which  will  provide 
that  the  people  of  any  county  or  subdivision  thereof  may  order  an 
election  in  like  manner  that  an  election  on  prohibition  is  ordered  and 
may  vote  to  confine  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  to  unbroken  pack- 
ages and  prohibit  the  drinking  of  same  on  the  premises  where  sold. 
Provided  this  section  shall  not  apply  to  those  counties  and  subdivisions 
of  counties  where  local  option  has  been  adopted  and  is  in  force. 

6.  We  favor  a  general  revision  of  the  so-called  election  law,  to  the 
end  that  the  individual  voter  may  be  fully  protected  in  his  right  to 
cast  an  untrammeled  ballot  and  have  it  honestly  counted  as  he  casts 
it.     We  especially  favor  an  amendment  to  Section  110  of  said  law  s»  rs 
to  provide  that  the  will  of  the  greatest  number  of  voters  of  any  i»re- 
cinct,  county,  or  district  in  a  primary  election  shall  be  reflected  by  the 
delegates  elected  by  such  precinct,  county,  or  district  to  a  State   or 
district  convention. 

The  provision  now  prohibiting  campaign  contributions  by  corpora- 
tions to  any  candidate  or  to  any  election  should  be  extended  to  apply 
to  all  persons  and  corporations  required  to  obtain  a  permit  or  license 
from  the  State  to  do  business,  and  we  further  declare  for  the  enact- 
ment of  a  law  requiring  the  publicity  of  all  campaign  contributions 
and  expenditures  in  all  elections,  both  before  and  after  all  elections. 

We  favor  the  passing  of  a  law  prohibiting  the  acceptance  of  money 
for  the  making  of  political  speeches  in  all  elections,  and  prescribing 
severe  penalties  for  the  circulation  of  campaign  lies  and  slanders  for 
the  purpose  of  injuring  persons  who  may  be  aspirants  for  public  office. 

7.  We  recommend  that  the  next  legislature  pass  a  bill  providing  for 
the  appointment  of  a  commission  of  five  competent  attorneys,  whose 
duty  is  shall  be  to  take  our  Civil  and  Penal  Codes  and  session  laws  and 


Parties  in  Tc.ras 

exclude  from  them  surplus  words  and  phrases,  reduce  their  bulk 
and  yet  retain  the  meaning  and  purpose  of  the  law,  aricl  to  recommend 
reform  in  the  practice  and  procedure  of  our  courts.  This  commission 
should  be  nonpartisan,  and  its  members  should  be  required  to  devote 
all  their  time  to  the  work  imposed  upon  them.  The  salary  should  be 
sufficient  to  justify  the  best  lawyers  in  the  State  to  accept  the  appoint- 
ment upon  the  commission,  and  appointments  should  be  confined  to  a 
list  of  names  recommended  by  the  indorsement  of  the  Supreme  Court 
and  the  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals. 

We  favor  a  change  in  the  practice  which  will  require  trial  judges 
to  charge  a  jury  on  the  law  before  attorneys  make  any  argument.  This 
will  afford  a  chance  to  discuss  the  charge  and  its  application  to  the 
facts  before  the  jury  and  avoid  many  reversible  errors  in  the  lower 
courts. 

8.  We  favor  the  unconditional  repeal  of  what  is  known  as  the  firt 
rating  board  law. 

We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  for  the  protection  of  the  insuring 
public  against  wildcat  insurance  companies,  and  a  law  for  the  regulat- 
ing of  benevolent  and  mutual  insurance  companies,  to  the  end  that 
members  carrying  policies  of  insurance  shall  be  protected  against  the 
extravagance  and  waste  of  mutual  and  benevolent  isurance  funds. 

Section  6,  of  Article  12,  of  the  Constitution  declares:  "No  corpora- 
tion shall  issue  stocks  or  bonds  except  for  money  paid,  labor  done,  or 
property  actually  received." 

We  favor  the  enactment  of  a  law  which  will  carry  this  provision  of 
the  Constitution  into  effect  and  protect  the  public  from  issuance  and 
sale  of  fictitious  stocks  or  bonds  of  fire  insurance  companies  or  banking 
or  trust  companies  or  other  corporations.  We  pledge  the  enactment 
of  the  law  for  controlling  and  regulating  the  organization  of  profit- 
sharing  corporations  and  providing  that  the  expense  of  such  organiza- 
tion may  be  fixed  and  that  the  commission  or  compensation  for  the  sale 
of  stock  or  subscriptions  thereto  in  such  corporations  or  contemplated 
corporations  be  fixed  at  a  reasonable  amount  and  providing  that  such 
organization  shall  be  conducted  under  the  general  supervision  of  the 
appropriate  State  department,  and  persons  selling  such  stock  or  taking 
subscriptions  thereto  shall  be  duly  authorized  so  to  do  only  on  a  permit 
from  the  department. 

9.  We  have  a  law  in  Texas  providing  for  the  arbitration  of  disputes 
between  labor  and  their  employers  resulting  in  strikes.     If  called  into 
use  the  law  affords  a  fair  method  of  adjustment  of  differences  between 
striking  employes  and  their  employers.     The  law   should  be  widened 
in  its  scope  so  as  to  allow  the  public  through  some  constituted  author- 
ity to  invoke  its  provisions  and  invite  the  disputants  to  arbitrate  their 
differences  when  the  good  of  the  public  as  well  as  the  contending  par- 
ties justify  and  demand  it. 

10.  The  new  penitentiary  law  imposes  an  extra  burden  of  expense 
in  the  way  of  management  of  approximately  $300,000  per  annum,  and 


582  Platforms  of  Political 

we  favor  a  revision  of  the  statutes  so  as  to  eliminate  such  unnecessary 
expense. 

We  further  favor  the  passage  of  an  act  making  it  a  penal  offense  for 
any  person  to  aid,  abet,  or  encourage  a  mutiny  amongst  the  prisoners. 

11.  We  favor  the  passage  of  a  law  by  the  next  legislature  creating  a 
State  board  of  charities,  whose  terms  of  office  shall  be  six  years  and 
who  shall  have  the  business  supervision  of  all  the  asylums  and  other 
eleemosynary  institutions  in  the  State. 

12.  All  clerical  positions  in  any  of  the  departments  or  State  insti- 
tutions should  be  filled  on  the  test  of  merit,  and  the  rules  of  civil 
service  applied  to  them.     The  merit  system  would  enable  the  State  to 
have  its  work  done  with  fewer  clerks  and  consequently  with  less  ex- 
pense.    There  would  be  no  partisan  service  expected  of  those  holding 
clerical   positions   under  civil   service   regulations;    neither  would  the 
head  of  a  department  or  institution  keep  an  incompetent  person  through 
political  influence.     The  public  service  would  be  greatly  benefited,  and 
we  recommend  that  the  next  legislature  enact  such  a  law. 

13.  We  indorse  the  bill  recommended  to  the  Special  Session  of  the 
thirty-second  legislature  by  the  Governor,  which  proposed  an  amend- 
ment to  the  stock  and  bond  law  so  as  to  authorize  railroad  companies 
to  issue  improvement  bonds  under  the  restriction  and  control  of  the 
railroad  commission  so  that  railroad  properties  in  uncompleted  condi- 
tion or  in  a  state  of  decay  may  be  improved  and  made  more  serviceable 
and  safe  to  the  traveling  public. 

14.  We  believe  in  the  wisdom  of  the  railroad  commission  act  and 
the  laws  regulating  the  issuance  of  stocks  and  bonds  of  railway  cor- 
porations in  this  State.     It  is  evident,  however,  that  the  present  trans- 
portation  facilities  are  not  adequate  to  the  proper  transaction  of  its 
business.     To  the  end,  therefore,  that  new  mileage  may  be  constructed 
and  the  facilities  of  all  lines  be  extended  and  improved,   the  party 
pledges  itself  to  the  enactment  of  such  laws  as  shall  permit  the  issu- 
ance of  bonds  or  other  evidences  of  indebtedness  secured  by  lien  upon 
the  properties  of  suchi  railways,  not  to  exceed  the  actual  present  value 
of  the  property  at  the  time  of  the  issuance  of  the  securities,  and  the 
railroad  commission  shall  be  authorized  upon  its  own  motion  and  re- 
quired upon  the  application  of  any  railway  company  to  value  or  revalue 
any  railway  line  to  ascertain  its  just  present  value,  the  amount  of  the 
securities  to  be  issued  thereon  in  no  case  to  exceed  the  actual  present 
value  of  such  property,  as  same  shall  be  ascertained  by  the  railroad 
commission.     Laws  shall  likewise  be  passed   permitting  the   issuance 
by  railway  carriers  of  bonds  or  other  evidences  of  debt,  secured  by  lien 
on  the  property,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  and  constructing  equip- 
ment,  addition,   improvements,   and  betterments,   not  in   any  way  to 
exceed  the  cost  thereof  as  ascertained  by  the  railroad  commission  of 
Texas. 

15.  There  is  no  internal  improvement  that  will  advance  the  welfare 


Parties  in  Texas  583 

of  our  people  more  rapidly  than  the  construction  of  substantial  public- 
highways. 

We  recommend  to  the  next  legislature  the  passage  of  a  law  creating: 
the  position  of  public  highway  engineer  to  cooperate  with  county 
officers  in  laying  out  and  building  better  public  roads.  We  also  favor 
an  amendment  of  the  law  so  as  to  authorize  the  voting  of  bonds  for 
good  roads  by  a  majority  of  the  property  taxpayers. 

16.  We  recommend  that  the  next  legislature  make  ample  appropria- 
tion to  provide  asylum  room  for  every  insane  person  in  the  State. 

17.  We  indorse  the  proposed  amendment  to  the  Constitution  to  b« 
voted  on  in  the  general  election  in  November,  which  proposes  a  special, 
tax  not  to  exceed  five  cents  on  the  $100  to  pay  Confederate  pensions. 

18.  We  commend  the  efforts  of  the  administration  to  preserve  and 
protect  the  fish,  oysters,  and  game  of  the  State,  and  recommend  such 
amendments  and  changes  in  the  laws  for  the  protection  of  game,  fiih, 
and  oysters  as  will  make  them  more  effective. 

19.  We  commend  the  efforts  designed  to  secure  greater  efficiency  in 
the  public  health  of  the  State  and  favor  such  further  legislation  and. 
appropriations  as  will  more  effectively  accomplish  this  purpose. 

20.  We   indorse  the   action  of  the  Governor  of  this  State  in  th«- 
prompt  and  efficient  exercise  of  his  constitutional  powers  in  preventing, 
the  destruction  of  life  and  protecting  property  from  depredations  by 
marauders  from  Mexico  and  call  upon  the  Federal  government  to  ful- 
fill its  obligation  to  maintain  order  along  the  Rio  Grande  border  andi 
safeguard  the  rights  of  Americans  residing  in  Mexico  or  doing  business 
in  that  country. 

21.  We  favor  the  passage  of  such  thorough,  wise,  and  constructive 
legislation  in  aid  of  the  great  interests  and  subjects  of  irrigation,  min- 
ing, and  drainage  and  for  the  conservation  of  our  natural  resources  as 
these  great  subjects  demand.     These  laws  as  to  irrigation  should  be  so 
liberal  as  to  encourage  and  promote  development,  and  yet  so  carefully 
guarded  as  to  prevent  monopoly  and  illegal  exactions;    to  protect 
the  riparian  owner  and  also  give  assurance  of  care  and  protection 
of  the  interests  of  both  upper  and  lower  land  owners.     Our  present 
law  should  be  amended  so  as  to  authorize,  by  vote  of  land  owners, 
to   be   affected,   more  liberal  bond   issues,    thereby  making  possible 
the   development  and   improvement  of   rich   sections   of   our   semir 
arid  lands  and  greatly  adding  to  their  productiveness  and   to  the 
wealth    and   well-being   of   our   citizenship.      Encouragement   of  the 
proper   development   of   our   mining   wealth   should   find    expression, 
in  fair  and  liberal  legislation,  with  the  same  safeguards. 

22.  We  favor  the  passage  and  adoption  of  additional  laws  for  the 
greater  protection  of  the  stock  and  sheep-raising  interests  of  Texas 
and   for   a   substantial   allowance   in    the   way   of   appropriations   to 
carry  on  the  work  of  inspection. 

23.  We  favor  the  passage  of  a  law  with  adequate  penalties  making  it 


584  Platforms  of  Political 

an  offense  to  abandon  the  wife  or  minor  children  under  sixteen  years 
of  age,  or  to  neglect  or  refuse  to  support  them. 

24.  We  favor  the  enactment  of  an  employes'  compensation  law  afford- 
ing adequate  indemnity  for  injury  to  body  or  loss  of  life  applicable  to 
employes  in  this  State  engaged  in  hazardous  avocations. 

[25]  We  cordially  commend  the  wise,  firm  and  conservative  policies 
of  Governor  O.  B.  Colquitt,  who  has  kept  faith  with  the  people  under 
trying  circumstances  and  whose  administration  has  been  indorsed  by 
the  Democratic  voters  of  this  State,  and  we  invoke  for  him  and  other 
nominees  of  the  July  primary  election  the  hearty  cooperation  of  the 
entire  Democracy  of  this  State,  to  the  end  that  Texas  may  move  for- 
ward together  in  achievements  in  moral,  social,  and  material  develop- 
ment. We  invite  investment  for  the  utilization  of  our  great  resources 
and  pledge  fair  treatment  under  the  law  to  every  honorable  and  help- 
ful enterprise,  and  we  commit  ourselves  anew  to  the  historic  principles 
of  our  great  party  and  to  the  continuation  of  its  unblemished  record  of 
economical,  honest,  and  intelligent  administration  of  public  affairs. 
We  submit  that  the  policies  announced  in  this  platform  will  restore  to 
our  party  the  harmony  that  distinguishes  citizens  of  common  political 
faith  and  will  bring  to  this  State  a  long  period  of  legislative  rest  and 
political  peace,  which  will  permit  the  people  under  Providence  to  pro- 
mote the  prosperity  and  happiness  which  is  the  supreme  object  of  civil 
government. 

CECIL  H.  SMITH,  Chairman,  for  the  Committee. 
We  sign  subject  to  objections  in  minority  report. 

W.   POINDEXTEB, 

CHAS  L.  BRACHFIELD, 
WALTER  C.  WOODWARD, 
CONE  JOHNSON, 
W.  H.  CLENDENNIN, 
T.  D.  ROWELL, 
E.  W.  BOUNDS. 

Resolutions 

Following  resolutions,  submitted  by  the  majority  of  the  committee 
on  platform  and  resolutions,  were  adopted  by  the  convention: 

1.  WHEREAS,  a  merchant  marine  owned  by  citizens  of  the  United 
States  is  necessary  for  the  development  of  our  foreign  trade  and  the 
expansion  and  protection  of  our  commerce;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that,  in  the  opinion  of  this  convention,  the  citizens  of  the 
United  States  should  have  the  right  to  buy  ships  in  the  markets  of  the 
world  and  to  sail  them  under  our  flag,  untrammeled  by  restrictive  laws. 

2.  Resolved,  that  we  recommend  to  the  legislature  the  continuation 
of  the  levee  and  drainage  work  in  Texas  and  the  simplifying  of  the 
law  authorizing  the  creation  of  levee  and  drainage  districts,  and  sug- 
gest the  enactment  of  a  statute  creating  a  levee  and  drainage  depart- 


Parties  in  Texas  585 

ment  with  necessary  appropriations  to  make  it  effective  and  efficient 
in  the  reclamation  of  the  overflowed  lands  of  our  creek  and  river  bot- 
toms, the  undrained  lands  of  the  coastal  plains,  and  the  storage  of 
waters  in  the  semi-arid  portions  of  our  State. 

3.  Recognizing  the  importance  of  military  posts   along  the   South- 
western  border  of  Texas  and  especially  that  post  at  the  city  of  San 
Antonio,  and  the  advantage  and  economy  of  having  free  passage  be- 
tween these  posts  and  the  border  of  this  State,  this  convention  declares 
in  favor  of  a  government  road  leading  from  Fort  Sam  Houston  in  the 
city  of  San  Antonio  to  Fort  Mclntosh  in  the  city  of  Laredo,  and  we 
urge  upon   our  senators  and  congressmen  to  work  and   vote  for   an 
appropriation  to  establish  this  needed  passageway  under  such  condi- 
tions as  are  deemed  wise. 

4.  WHEREAS,  Hon.   J.  W.  Bailey  will  soon  voluntarily  retire  from 
public  life  after  a  service   of  more  than  twenty  years,   during  all  of 
which  time  he  rendered  brilliant  and  conspicuous  service  to  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  to  the  State  and  Nation;  and 

WHEREAS,  we  desire  to  assure  him  of  our  deep  appreciation  thereof 
and  of  our  confidence  in  him;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  by  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  State  convention  assembled, 
that  we  extend  to  him  the  great  appreciation  of  the  militant  Democracy 
of  imperial  Texas,  wishing  him  godspeed  and  a  life  of  happiness  and 
prosperity;  and  that  the  chairman  of  this  convention  be  directed  to 
promptly  transmit  this  message  to  our  junior  senator. 

5.  We  favor  such  reforms  in  judicial  procedure  as  will  enable  the 
causes  of  litigants  to  be  disposed  of  with  the  greatest  expedition  con- 
sistent with  the  administration  of  justice,  the  purpose  for  which  our 
courts  were  formed. 

To  that  end  we  favor  the  securing  of  the  most  efficient  judges,  ade- 
quately compensated,  to  decide  questions  of  law. 

As  far  as  possible,  the  selection  of  judges  should  be  severed  from  the 
strife  engendered  in  the  selection  of  other  officers,  and  we  favor  their 
selection  at  separate  primaries. 

We  believe  that,  in  order  to  fairly,  justly,  and  expeditiously  dispose 
of  the  litigation  in  the  courts,  the  best  moral  and  intelligent  juries  to 
decide  questions  of  fact  should  be  secured,  and  to  that  end  we  favor 
the  reduction  of  the  class  of  exemption  from  jury  service,  the  strength- 
ening of  the  laws  to  enforce  their  attendance  and  service. 

We  favor  a  law  that  will  exclude  parties  on  appeal  as  to  all  questions 
not  raised  in  the  trial  court,  with  a  provision  that  no  case  on  appeal 
shall  be  reversed  on  account  of  irregularities  that  do  not  affect  thto 
rights  of  the  parties,  and  giving  to  the  appellate  tribunals  enlarged 
powers  to  do  justice  between  the  parties,  and  require  them  to  consider 
cases  after  they  have  accepted  the  submission  thereof,  regardless 
whether  they  are  presented  in  a  formal  way  or  not. 

We  favor  a  provision  restricting  statements  of  facts  and  bills  of 
exception  to  that  part  of  the  evidence  which  bears  upon  the  disputed 


586  Platforms  of  Political 

issues  of  fact  raised  by  proper  bill  of  exception  in  the  trial  court, 
thereby  shortening  records  on  appeals  and  enabling  the  appellate  courts, 
when  they  find  improper  judgments  rendered  below,  to  reverse  ana 
render  proper  ones. 

We  favor  the  jurisdiction  of  the  courts  of  original  jurisdiction  as  to 
cases  arising  beyond  this  State,  as  far  as  is  consistent  with  the  con- 
venience of  the  citizens  of  this  State. 

We  favor  the  reduction  of  the  original  jurisdiction  of  the  supreme 
court  as  far  as  is  consistent  with  due  administration  of  public  affairs 
and  we  favor  an  increase  of  the  membership  of  that  court. 

6.  [Thanks  the  San  Antonio  Chamber  of  Commerce.] 

7.  WHEREAS,  Colonel  R.  M.  Johnston,  of  Houston,  Texas,  has  served 
the   Democracy  of   Texas  as  National   committeeman   with    great  dis- 
tinction for  more  than  twelve  years  and  his  great  energy,  faithfulness, 
and  ability  won  for  himself  and  the  State  of  Texas  a  high  place  of 
honor  in  the  councils  of  all  the  members  of  the  Democratic  executive 
committee  of  the  Nation;  therefore,  be  it 

Resiolved,  that  we,  the  members  of  the  Democratic  executive  com- 
mittee of  Texas,  assembled  in  the  city  of  San  Antonio,  Texas,  August 
13,  1912,  ratify  and  indorse  the  able,  faithful,  and  efficient  course  of 
Colonel  R.  M.  Johnston  as  a  member  of  the  National  executive  com- 
mittee and  tender  him  a  sincere  vote  of  thanks  for  his  long  and  splen- 
did service  as  a  member  of  the  highest  council  of  the 'Democratic  party 
In  the  Nation. 

CECIL  H.  SMITH,  Chairman. 

We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  platform  committee,  subscribe 
to  and  most  heartil^  indorse  the  foregoing  majority  report  with  the 
exception  of  plank  No.  5  which  we  do  not  approve. 

P.  H.  FOSQUE, 
JONATHAN  LANE, 
WALTER  F.  TIMON, 
E.  A.  MCDOWELL, 
J.  P.  BUCHANAN, 
BEN  W.  FLY. 

MINORITY    REPORTS 

I 

We,  the  undersigned  members  of  your  committee  on  platform  and 
resolutions,  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  minority  report: 

In  lieu  of  plank  No.  5  contained  in  the  majority  report  and  as  a 
substitution  therefor,  we  submit  the  following: 

1.  We  recommend  to  the  legislature  the  passage  of  such  laws  as 
will  reduce  to  a  minimum  the  recognized  evils  of  the  sale  of  intoxicat- 


Parties  in  Texas  587 

ing  liquors   in    territory  where   such   sale  is   not  prohibited  and   par- 
ticularly the  following: 

(1)  A  law  closing  all  saloons  and  other  houses  where  intoxicating 
liquors  are  sold  from  7  p.  m.  to   7  a.  m.  during  each  week  day  and 
from  Saturday  evening  until  Monday  morning,  and  inhibiting  the  sale 
of  and  drinking  of  such  liquor  upon  such  premises  during  such  hours. 

(2)  A  law  prohibiting  treating  in  all  intoxicating  liquors  on  prem- 
ises where  sold. 

(3)  A  law  increasing  the  occupation  tax  of  retail  liquor  dealers  to 
such  an  extent  as  will  tend  to  discourage  the  lawless  and  irresponsible 
liquor  dealer. 

2.  We  solemnly  protest  against  that  part  of  the  platform  demand- 
Ing  the  unconditional  repeal  of  what  is  known  as  the  fire  rating  board 
law.     In  lieu  thereof  we  would  recommend  such  amendments  of  that 
law  as  will  make  same  effective,  and  that  after  such  amendments  the 
law  as  amended  be  given  a  fair  trial  before  same  is  repealed,  to  the 
end  that  the  people  of  Texas  may  be  protected  against  discriminating 
and  excessive  rates  for  fire  protection. 

3.  We  most  solemnly  protest  against  those  planks  in  the  majority 
platform  declaring  in  favor  of  the  amendment  of  the  stock  and  bond 
law  to  the  extent  therein  recommended.     Because  in  our  opinion  amend- 
ments to  that  law  should  be  limited  to  the  necessities  of  the  occasion, 
whereas,  the  amendments  proposed  are  so  wide  in  their  scope  as  to 
seriously  impair  the  protection  intended  to  the  people  against  a  flood 
of  railroad  securities  issued  without  the  consideration  provided  for  in 
the  constitution  and  laws  of  this  State. 

W.    POINDEXTER, 

CHARLES  L.  BEACHFIELD, 
WALTER  C.  WOODWARD, 
CONE  JOHNSON, 
W.  H.  CLENDENNIN. 

This  report  was  tabled  by  a  viva  voce  vote. 

II 

The  undersigned  member  of  your  committee  on  platform  begs  leave 
to  submit  the  following  minority  report: 

That  all  parts  of  the  platform  concerning  the  party's  belief  in 
measures  regulating  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  be  stricken  from 
the  platform,  as  having  no  place  in  the  declaration  of  the  principles 
of  the  party. 

CHARLES  L.  BRACHFIELD. 

This  report  was  tabled  by  766  ayes  to  10  noes. 

Slate  Executive  Committee:     Walter  E.  Collins,  oi  Hill,  chair- 


588  Platforms  of  Political 

man;  1st  Senatorial  district,  J.  C.  Fant,  of  Cass;  2.  W.  P.  Cor- 
nelius, of  Bed  River;  3.  J.  Sheb  Williams,  of  Lamar;  4.  George 
H.,Culp.  of  Cooke;  5.  William  Bacon,  of  Hunt;  6.  J.  J.  Sim- 
mons, of  Dallas;  7.  J.  R.  Warren,  of  Upshur;  8.  A.  H.  Baker, 
of  Panola;  9.  J.  S.  Grinnan,  of  Kaufman;  10.  Earl  Fain,  of 
Ellis;  11.  W.  T.  Hefley,  of  Milam;  12.  J.  E.  Wood,  of  Freestone; 
13.  P.  H.  Hughes,  of  Anderson ;  14.  Thomas  N.  Hill,  of  Jeffer- 
son; 15.  L.  C.  Eastham,  of  Walker;  16.  B.  F.  Bonner,  of  Harris; 
17.  James  B.  Stubbs,  of  Galveston;  18.  E.  J.  Weber,  of  Fayette; 
19.  J.  R.  Heslep,  of  Burleson ;  20.  John  L.  Brunner,  of  William- 
son; 21.  Clint  L.  Hopkins,  of  Hays;  22.  0.  A.  McCracken,  of 
Wilson;  23.  Archie  Parr,  of  Duval;  24.  R,  P.  Coon,  of  Bexar; 
25.  G.  B.  Fenley,  of  Uvalde;  26.  Hilton  Burks,  of  Comanche; 
27.  D.  R.  Bailey,  of  Coryell ;  28.  Tom  Trammell,  of  Nolan ;  29. 
D.  E.  Decker,  of  Hardeman;  30.  Paul  Waples,  of  Tarrant-,  31. 
J.  W.  Chancellor,  of  Bowie. 

SOCIALIST  LABOR  STATE  CONVENTION,  1914 

HOUSTON,  August  11 

Presidential  Electors.-     Carl  Schmidt  and  G.  H.  Royal. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  K.  E.  Choate,  of  Har- 
ris ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Robert  Strach,  of  Bexar ;  Comptroller, 
N.  S.  Wilson,  of  Harris;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land 
Office,  G.  H.  Royal,  of  Lampasas ;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Frank 
Maiorana,  of  Harris;  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  Adolph 
Joppich,  of  Atascosa. 

PLATFORM1 

i 

The  Socialist  Labor  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  this 
llth  day  of  August,  1914,  in  the  city  of  Houston,  Texas,  hereby  indorses 
the  National  platform  and  tactics  of  the  Socialist  Labor  party  of  the 
United  States. 

W©  indorse  the  following  to  be  offered  as  an  amendment  to  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  and  recommend  that  same  be  adopted 
as  part  of  the  permanent  platform  of  the  Socialist  Labor  party: 

"1.  That  all  socially  used  plants  of  production,  transportation,  and 

*The  platform  is  taken  from  the  Dallas  News,  August  30,  1914. 


Parties  in  Texas  589 

distribution,  and  the  land,  within  the  confines  of  the  United  States  and 
its  insular  possessions,  shall  pass  into  the  collective  ownership  and 
control  of  the  Industrial  Workers  of  the  World,  headquarters  Detroit, 
Michigan. 

"2.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  the  provisions  of  this 
article  by  appropriate  legislation. 

"3.     This  amendment  shall  become  effective  on  and  after  its  passage." 

The  Socialist  Labor  party  of  Texas  declares  there  is  but  one  issue 
before  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  today: 

Labor  claims  priority  rights  and  access  to  the  means  of  life — the 
land  and  tools. 

Capital  claims  priority  rights  and  access  to  the  means  of  life — the 
land  and  tools. 

That  and  that  only  is  the  issue,  and  this  issue  gives  rise  to  the  class 
struggle,  which  struggle  rages  around  ownership  and  control  of  the 
means  of  life^the  land  and  tools. 

We  declare  that  because  of  the  private  ownership  and  control  of  the 
means  of  life — the  land  and  tools— by  the  few,  the  workers  of  the  land 
are  disinherited  and  enslaved. 

We  declare  that  to  gain  permission  to  exchange  their  labor  power 
for  food,  clothing,  and  shelter  for  themselves,  their  wives,  and  babies, 
they  are  compelled  to  yield  to  the  master  class  their  industrial  free- 
dom. 

We  declare  that  through  this  method  of  production,  the  private  own- 
ership of  the  means  of  life — the  land  and  tools — by  the  few,  the  work- 
ers are  rendered  unsafe,  insecure  and  in  constant  fear  of  want  and 
death  by  starvation,  not  alone  for  themselves,  but  for  their  wives  and 
children. 

We  declare  that  this  constant  fear,  this  constant  dread,  renders  it 
impossible  for  the  Nation  to  produce  men  and  women,  but  that,  due  to 
this  private  ownership  of  the  means  of  life — the  land  and  tools — by 
the  few  it  can  only  produce  a  race  of  slaves,  bereft  of  knowledge, 
ideals,  and  hope. 

We,  therefore,  call  upon  the  workers  of  this  State  and  Nation  to 
vote  for  that  party  which  points  the  way  to  safety,  which  declares 
that  the  workers '  shall  no  longer  toil  and  slave  for  the  benefit  of  a 
master  class,  but  that  says  to  the  workers:  "Place  the  control  of  the 
means  of  life  in  an  economic  organization  which  has  the  strength,  the 
intelligence,  and  the  courage  to  conduct  production  for  the  benefit  and 
use  of  the  workers." 

In  thus  providing  a  depositary  for  the  political  demands  of  labor, 
the  Socialist  Labor  party  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  American 
politics  definitely  points  the  way  to  the  worker. 

We,  therefore,  call  upon  all  workers  more  seriously  deliberate  than 
ever  before  to  vote  for  the  proposed  amendment  to  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States,  and  to  join  that  organization,  the  only  organiza- 
tion, wherein  for  the  worker  and  his  wife  and  babies  lies  safety,  secur- 
ity against  starvation  and  want,  the  Industrial  Workers  of  the  World, 
headquarters  Detroit,  Michigan. 


590  Platforms  of  Political 

SOCIALIST  STATE  MASS  MEETING,  1914 

YOAKUM,  AugUSt  11 

According  to  the  custom  of  the  Socialist  party,  the  candidates 
for  State  offices  were  nominated  by  a  referendum.  The  nomina- 
tions were  "legally"  made  at  a  State  mass  meeting  at  Yoakum, 
August  11,  1914. 

Officers:     Chairman,  Patton  McCord. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  E.  R.  Meitzen;  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, W.  S.  Noble;  Attorney-General,  Henry  Faulk; 
Comptroller,  G.  W.  M.  Taylor;  Treasurer,  W.  J.  Bell;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  C.  Smith;  Superin- 
tendent of  Public  Instruction,  Emma  G.  Kelsey;  Railroad 
Commissioner,  G.  A.  Lambreth;  Supreme  Court,  E.  Bellinger; 
Court  of  Criminal  Appeals.  W.  T.  Flowers;  Congressmen  at 
large,  Nat  B.  Hunt  -and  W.  S.  Noble. 

Committee  on  Platform:  W.  J.  Bell,  Nat  B.  Hunt,  and  W. 
S.  Noble. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  the  Socialist  party  of  Texas,  realize  that  all  political  parties  are 
the  expression  of  economic  class  interests.  All  other  parties  than  the 
Socialist  party  represent  one  or  another  group  of  the  ruling  capitalist 
class.  Their  political  conflicts  reflect  merely  superficial  rivalries  be- 
tween competing  capitalist  groups.  However  they  result,  these  con- 
flicts have  no  issue  of  real  value  to  the  workers.  Whether  the  Demo- 
crats, Republicans  or  the  factions  within  those  parties  win  politically, 
it  is  the  capitalist  class  that  is  victorious  economcally. 

The  Socialist  party  is  the  expression  of  the  economic  interests  of  the 
working  class.  Its  defeats  have  been  their  defeats;  its  victories,  their 
victories.  It  is  a  party  founded  on  the  science  and  laws  of  social  de- 
velopment. It  proposes  that,  since  all  social  necessities  today  are 
socially  produced,  the  means  of  their  production  and  distribution  shall 
be  socially  owned  and  democratically  controlled. 

In  the  face  of  the  economic  and  political  aggressions  of  the  capitalist 
class,  the  only  reliance  left  the  workers  is  that  of  their  economic 
organizations  and  their  political  power.  By  the  intelligent  and  class- 

1(This  platform  is  printed  in  the  Houston  Post,  May  11,  and  The  Rebel, 
May  16,  1914. 


Parties  in  Texas  591 

conscious  use  of  these  they  may  resist  successfully  the  capitalist  class, 
break  the  fetters  of  wage  slavery,  and  fit  themselves  for  the  future 
society,  which  is  to  displace  the  capitalist  system.  The  Socialist  party 
appreciates  the  full  significance  of  class  organization  and  urges  the 
wage  earners,  the  working  farmers,  and  all  other  useful  workers  every- 
where to  organize  as  the  Renters'  Union  does  on  industrial  lines,  all  to 
the  end  that  class  division  in  the  ranks  of  labor  be  abolished,  and  we 
pledge  ourselves  to  support  the  toilers  of  the  fields  as  well  as  those 
in  the  shops,  factories,  and  mines  in  their  struggle  for  economic 
justice. 

We  call  to  the  memory  of  organized  labor,  both  of  the  agricultural 
-and  industrial  field,  the  betrayal  of  both  by  the  using  of  the  Farmers' 
Union  to  defeat  the  full  crew  bill;  then  the  affiliated  railroad  unions 
were  inveigled  into  defeating  the  reduction  in  cotton  tariffs.  Thus  the 
Democratic  polticians  simply  put  clubs  in  the  hands  of  both  and  laughed 
as  the  ignorant  workers  clubbed  each  other;  and  are  even  now  using 
the  head  officials  of  both  organizations  to  keep  the  workers  divided  on 
both  the  industrial  and  political  fields,  thus  preventing  their  uniting 
forces.  We,  therefore,  ask  all  workers  to  join  hands,  both  industrially 
and  politically,  thus  meeting  the  enemy  with  a  solid  front  on  the  in- 
dustrial field  and  at  the  ballot  box. 

The  custom  of  one  nation  landing  a  portion  of  its  war  forces  upon 
the  soil  of  another  nation,  on  the  pretense  of  safeguarding  the  mythi- 
cal interests  of  their  citizens  of  one  nation  upon  the  soil  of  another,  is 
a  practice  pregnant  with  possibilities  of  involving  such  nations  in  con- 
flict and  should  be  abolished. 

Persistence  in  this  unwarrantable  custom  has  brought  this  country 
to  the  point  of  armed  conflict  with  our  sister  republic  of  Mexico,  whose 
internal  troubles  have  only  been  augmented  by  the  meddlesome  inter- 
ference of  this  Nation. 

We  condemn  the  strife  breeding  customs  of  war  crazed  nations  in  the 
interest  of  international  capitalists,  and  advocate  a  policy  o'f  hands  off 
of  the  internal  affairs  of  Mexico. 

The  Mexican  situation  is  a  repetition  of  the  inside  story  of  all  wars, 
augmented  by  a  grim  determination  among  the  people  to  wrest  from 
syndicates  the  land  that  has  been  grabbed  by  them  with  the  con- 
nivance of  the  officials  of  Mexico,  reducing  the  people  to  peonage  and 
forcing  millions  of  them  to  seek  homes  in  a  strange  land  and  become 
wanderers  over  the  earth. 

We,  therefore,  condemn  the  use  of  the  armed  forces  and  other  pow- 
ers of  the  United  States  in  aiding  to  hold  those  people  in  bondage  and 
demand  that  all  citizens  and  soldiers  of  the  United  States  be  with- 
drawn from  Mexico  to  the  end  that  that  nation  may  settle  its  ques- 
tions untrammeled  by  outside  interference. 

As  important  steps  in  constructive  preparation  for  industrial  de- 
mocracy, we  advocate  and  pledge  ourselves  and  our  elected  officers  to 
the  following  program: 


592  Platforms  of  Political 

1.  To  tax  all  land  in  excess  of  that  required  for  personal  or  indi- 
vidual use  without  the  exploitation  of  the  labor  of  other  persons,  in  an 
amount  equal  to  its  rentals,  exempting  entirely  from  taxation  all  home- 
steads actually  occupied  and  used  without  exploitation  of  the  labor  of 
others,  thus  compelling  the  owners  of  unused  land  to  throw  such  land 
on  the  market  at  its  real  value. 

2.  To    empower   the    State    to    acquire    lands,    public   utilities,    and 
industries  at  their  rendered  taxable  value,  and  to  exercise  this  power 
as  rapidily  as  resources  permit. 

3.  It  is  a  principle  of  Socialism  that  "'all  property  privately  used 
should  be  privately  owned."     In  accord  with  this  principle  we  pledge, 
that  the  land,  publicly  owned  or  acquired  by  the  State  shall  be  sold 
without  profit  or  rented  in  parcels  not  larger  than  may  be  usecl  with- 
out exploitation  of  the  labor  of  others,  to  persons  seeking  homes,  and 
when  the  rent  shall  equal  the  cost  of  acquirement,  rents  shall  cease 
and  title  be  vested  in  the  renter,  making  occupancy  and  use  the  sole 
title;    no  land  to   be  otherwise  disposed   of  if  needed  to   supply  such 
applicants. 

4.  It  is   also  a   principle  of  Socialism   that  "all   property  publicly 
used    should  be  publicly    owned  and  operated."     In  accord  with  this 
principle,  we  pledge  that  the  land  in  excess  of  what  is  demanded  for 
private  use  as  homes,  etc.,  shall  be  tilled,  mined,   quarried,  or  other- 
wise put  in  use  at  the  instance  of  the  State,  with  the  most  perfected 
labor  saving  machinery  and  tools  furnished  by  the  State.     That  public 
utilities,   mills,  mines,   warehouses,  and   other   industries   acquired  by 
the  State  be  also  put  in  operation.     Tha't  the  land  and  industries  thus 
used  shall  be  thrown  open  to  the  employment  of  persons  desiring  such 
public  employment.     That  such  land  and  industries  shall  be  adminis- 
tered without  profit  to  the  State  and  democratically  managed  by  the 
workers  therein,  industrially  organized. 

By  this  program  will  the  curse  of  unemployment  be  abated,  the 
existence  of  landlords  and  tenants  be  abolished,  the  workers  provided 
with  homes,  the  population  of  Texas  increased  by  the  influx  of  a  multi- 
tude of  self-supporting  actual  workers,  the  State  made  to  blossom  as 
a  rose,  and  the  foundation  implanted  for  industrial  democracy. 

[5]  We  recommend  an  appropriation  by  the  State  to  cover  the 
expense  of  an  investigation  by  the  attorney-general  of  all  reported  land 
and  timber  steals.  All  land  acquired  fraudulently  shall  be  restored  to 
the  State,  and  the  full  value  of  all  timber  secured  by  fraudulent  means 
be  collected  for. 

[6]  We  favor  the  straightening  and  leveying  of  the  water  courses 
of  Texas  to  prevent  both  the  destruction  of  land  and  crops,  also  the 
establishment  of  irrigation  plants  for  the  purpose  of  irrigating  State 
lands. 

[7]  The  horror  of  the  shambles  of  Ludlow,  Colorado,  is  over- 
whelming. Not  since  the  days  when  pitiless  red  men  wreaked  ven- 
geance upon  intruding  frontiersmen  and  upon  their  women  and  chil- 


Parties  in  Texas  593 

dren  has  our  country  been  stained  by  so  foul  a  deed.  This  crime 
against  humanity  is  but  one  of  a  long  chain  of  similar  crimes  in  .every 
State  in  which  there  has  been  large  development  of  the  mining  and 
lumber  industries,  privately  and  autocratically  managed.  This  is  evi- 
denced by  the  frightful  loss  of  life  in  avoidable  coal  mine  and  saw 
mill  accidents.  A  loss  that  is  greater  than  in  any  other  country  in 
the  world,  and  also  the  loss  of  life  that  has  resulted  from  the  bestial 
methods  of  the  private  owners  in  the  conflicts  with  their  wage  slaves, 
as  is  shown  by  the  recent  events  in  West  Virginia,  Michigan,  Colorado, 
Merryville,  and  Grabow,  Louisiana.  Therefore,  we  recommend  that  all 
mineral  and  lumber  industries  and  all  timber  and  mineral  lands  neces- 
sary for  their  operation  shall  be  taken  over  by  the  State  of  Texas  and 
operated  by  the  State  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  citizens  of  same. 

[8]  We  favor  compulsory  insurance  for  all  workers  as  a  necessity 
for  the  protection  of  the  people  against  the  many  failures  of  private 
companies  as  well  as  the  extortionate  rates  charged  by  them,  and 
demand  that  the  State  maintain  and  conduct  a  department  of  insur- 
ance on  a  safe  basis,  that  all  necessary  insurance  may  be  furnished 
the  people  at  cost. 

[9]  One  of  the  acts  of  our  Democratic  politicians,  proving  their 
disregard  for  humanity,  is  the  passage  of  a  humane  law  for  the  pro- 
tection of  dumb  brutes,  while  aged  and  decrepit  men  and  women  are 
forced  to  struggle  for  a  pittance  or  be  bundled  off  to  the  county  farm, 
where  they  must  endure  the  odium  of  being  paupers.  We,  therefore, 
commit  ourselves  to  the  passage  of  a  law  to  pension  old  and  indigent 
workers. 

[10]  Many  poor  or  unfortunate  people,  on  account  of  poverty,  are 
compelled  to  suffer  and  see  their  children  die  or  go  through  life  crip- 
pled and  deformed  for  lack  of  funds  to  secure  proper  surgical  or  medi- 
cal treatment.  For  this  reason  we  pledge  the  establishment  of  a  sufficient 
number  of  sanitariums  to  furnish  free  medical  and  surgical  treatment 
to  all  unfortunate  citizens  of  Texas. 

[11]  The  numerous  preventable  accidents  occurring  in  our  trans- 
portation and  industrial  departments  remind  us  of  the  necessity  of  a 
real  employers'  liability  act.  We,  therefore,  pledge  such  needed  legis- 
lation along  these  lines  as  will  furnish  protection  both  as  to  safety 
appliances  and  sanitary  conditions  for  the  workers  and  public  at 
large. 

[12]  A  normal,  healthful,  and  educated  citizenship  is  necessary  for 
the  safeguarding  of  society.  We  condemn  the  working  of  children  in 
places  tne  nature  of  which  makes  such  employment  injurious  to  health 
and  morals.  And  pledge  further  enactment  of  law  to  the  end  that  all 
child  slavery  shall  cease  in  Texas. 

[13]  It  being  a  notorious  fact  that  individuals  and  corporations 
evade  the  law  against  blacklisting,  refusing  to  employ  men  who  are 
members  of  a  labor  union  and  maintain  a  system  of  tracing  men  to 
learn  whether  or  not  they  are  members  of  labor  unions,  and  inasmuch 

38—328 


594  Platforms  of  Political 

as  no  labor  union  ever  demands  more  than  a  fraction  of  what  the 
workers  are  rightfully  entitled  to,  we  pledge  the  passage  of  laws  guar- 
anteeing to  all  citizens  the  right  of  organization  and  peaceful  assembly 
and  the  establishment  of  an  eight-hour  work  day,  with  a  rest  period 
for  each  worker  of  at  least  one  and  one-half  days  each  week. 

[14]  We  pledge  the  repeal  of  all  laws  classing  any  man  as  a  vag- 
rant who  is  willing  to  work,  but  out  of  employment,  or  that  would 
force  any  man  under  our  present  system  of  capitalism  to  work  for  less 
than  the  union  scale  of  wages  and  hours. 

[15]  Inasmuch  as  the  history  of  private  detective  agencies  is  the 
history  of  crime  of  every  character,  and  these  inhuman  assassins  stop 
at  nothing  to  gain  their  nefarious  ends,  and  inasmuch  as  they  are 
recruited  from  the  very  lowest  elements  of  society,  we  believe  that 
Texas  should  follow  the  lead  made  in  other  States  and  abolish  them 
from  within  our  borders.  Accordingly  we  propose  that  no  armed  force 
of  men  shall  ever  be  employed  in  this  State  except  by  local  peace 
officers,  and  then  only  when  necessary  for  preservation  of  peace  and 
order,  and  only  citizens  of  Texas  of  good  repute  shall  then  be  em- 
ployed. 

[16]  We  pledge  the  repeal  of  the  poll  tax  amendment  that  the 
voters  of  Texas  may  be  restored  to  their  constitutional  right  in  a  free 
and  untrammeled  ballot. 

[17]  We  pledge  equal  suffrage  for  both  men  and  women  without 
property  qualification  in  all  elections. 

[18]  We  declare  for  a  revision  of  our  election  laws  that  will  enable 
all  absentee  voters  that  are  qualified  to  participate  in  all  elections  by 
mailing  their  ballots  to  the  proper  election  officers. 

[19]  In  view  of  the  fact  that  Article  17,  Section  1,  of  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  State,  makes  it  necessary  for  "a  two-thirds  vote  of  all  the 
members  elected  to  each  house"  in  order  to  submit  a  constitutional 
amendment,  making  it  possible  for  a  small  minority  to  defeat  an 
amendment,  and  inasmuch  as  only  eighty-four  members  of  the  house 
voted  for  the  submission  of  the  referendum  measure  now  before  the 
voters,  its  submission  is  plainly  a  joke — a  ruse  to  deceive  the  people 
into  a  belief  that  they  have  acquired  self  government — and  shows  the 
utter  futility  of  expecting  any  genuine  measure  of  democracy  from  a 
capitalist  political  party;  we,  therefore,  pledge  to  amend  said  article 
and  section  to  provide  that  any  constitutional  amendment  or  law 
initiated  by  six  per  cent  of  the  voters  shall  be  submitted  for  adoption 
by  a  majority  of  the  qualified  votes  cast  in  an  election. 

[20]  We  demand  the  right  of  recall  of  all  officials,  including  the 
judiciary,  abolition  of  the  senate,  and  the  veto  power  of  the  governor, 

[21]  We  declare  our  unalterable  opposition  to  the  convention  sys- 
tem in  all  of  its  phases  as  acting  other  than  an  advisory  board  and 
pledge  the  passage  of  laws  annulling  legislative  and  elective  powers  in 
conventions,  to  the  end  that  democracy  be  established. 

[22]     We  pledge  an  amendment  to  Article  11,  Section  1,  of  the  con- 


Parties  in  Texas  595 

stitution  of  the  State,  giving  the  several  counties  and  cities  recogni- 
tion as  legal  subdivisions  of  the  State  and  the  right  to  transact  any 
commercial  business,  such  as  is  granted  to  any  private  individual  or 
corporation. 

[23]  We  pledge  ourselves  to  a  complete  reorganization  of  the 
judicial  system  by 

(a)  Abolishing  the  grand  jury  system; 

(b)  The  election  of  a  common  counsellor,  and  such  other  reforms 
as  to  establish  free  justice  for  all,  so  our  poor  will  not  be  made  to 
suffer  while  the  rich  and  powerful  escape  on  technicalities,  but  all  will 
stand  equal  before  the  courts. 

[24]  We  are  unalterably  opposed  to  the  present  fee  system  and 
declare  for  the  placing  of  every  officer  upon  a  salary  commensurate 
with  the  duties  performed. 

One  of  the  most  infamous  things  in  the  statutes  of  Texas  is  the  pro- 
vision for  the  officers  of  the  law  being  remunerated  by  fees  to  be  paid 
by  litigants  and  in  criminal  and  misdemeanor  cases  to  be  paid  by  the 
defendant  upon  his  plea  of  guilty  or  conviction,  thus  compelling  officers 
of  the  law  to  seek  conviction  in  order  that  they  may  benefit,  and  forc- 
ing innocent  persons  to  plead  guilty  in  order  to  escape  with  a  small 
fine  and  trimmings  rather  than  take  chances  on  having  to  pay  a  big 
fee  bill. 

The  fee  system  in  large  counties  is  making  office  holders  rich  at  the 
expense  of  litigants,  and  many  of  these  officers  are  receiving  tenfold 
what  they  deserve  or  could  honestly  earn. 

We  wish  to  abolish  the  fee  system  and  with  it  the  special  privilege 
of  taxing  up  costs  for  the  sole  benefit  of  officials  frequently  corrupted 
thereby. 

[25]  In  view  of  the  fact  that  our  present  system  of  handling  State 
and  county  convicts  does  a  great  injustice  in  many  instances  to  the 
dependent  ones  who,  being  deprived  of  their  support,  are  forced  to 
suffer  for  a  crime  of  wliich  they  are  innocent,  we  pledge  that  convicts 
who  have  no  means  of  support  shall  be  allowed  wages  for  their  support 
which  shall  be  remitted  monthly  to  the  dependent  ones,  and  in  case 
no  such  dependent  ones  exist  that  all  in  excess  of  the  cost  to  the  State 
of  keeping  said  convict  be  set  aside  for  him  to  have  something  upon 
which  to  begin  a  new  life. 

Also  that  our  parole  system  be  extended  as  much  as  practicable,  and 
that  humane  treatment  be  given  all  prisoners  in  convict  camps,  re- 
formatories, prisons  and  other  places  of  detention,  and  the  use  of 
the  bat  or  other  inhuman  means  of  punishment  or  torture  in  Texas 
or  any  political  subdivision  of  the  State  be  abolished. 

[26]  We  believe  in  the  widest  possible  diffusion  of  knowledge  and 
that  our  officials  are  paid  to  serve  all  alike.  Therefore,  we  seriously 
object  to  the  highhanded  act  of  the  thirty-third  (Democratic)  legisla- 
ture, which  forbids  the  attorney-general  from  giving  any  citizen  of  a 
county,  except  the  district  or  county  attorney,  any  advice  on  the  legal 
phases  of  public  affairs;  thereby  centering  the  power  of  public  infor- 


596  Platforms  of  Political 

mation,  which  was  formerly  free  to  all,  into  the  hands  of  one  official 
who  may  himself  be  seriously  in  need  of  correction,  yet  is  the  sole 
custodian  of  the  very  information  needed  to  undo  him. 

After  forty  years  of  administration,  the  disgraceful  inefficiency  of 
the  Democratic  party  is  manifest  in  their  conduct  of  the  educational 
affairs  of  the  State,  by  the  astounding  fact  that  Texas  ranks  first  in  the 
amount  of  its  permanent  school  fund,  yet  it  is  thirty-eighth  in  attend- 
ance, expenditure  per  wealth,  expenditure  per  child,  teachers'  salaries, 
length  of  term,  and  value  of  school  properties. 

Realizing  that  permanence  and  advancement  in  civilization  rest 
upon  an  enlightened  citizenship,  we  pledge: 

(1)  Compulsory  attendance  of  schools. 

(2)  Free  textbooks,  medical  attendance,  and  nourishment  to  needy 
children. 

(3)  A    bureau   of   education   segregated    from   the    control    or    in- 
fluence of  politicians   by  civil  service  rules,   with  authority  to   com- 
pletely   systematize    all    our    educational    institutions    and   forces   by 
planning  and  classifying  the  work,  avoiding  duplication  of  effort,  em- 
ploying suitable   persons  to  execute  the  work,  conserving  funds  and 
energies,  correlating  to  economize  pupils'  time,  adjusting  the  work  of 
schools  to  the  next  higher,  and  consolidation  of  rural  schools  by  means 
of  transportation. 

(4)  The  addition  of  vocational  training. 

(5)  Increasing  the  salaries  of  teachers,  and  limiting  the  number 
of  pupils  per  teacher  to  increase  efficiency. 

[27]  It  being  a  well  known  scientific  and  sociological  fact  that 
poverty  has  caused  more  intemperance  than  intemperance  has  caused 
poverty,  we  ask  all  to  assist  us  in  abolishing  poverty  by  placing  in 
the  hands  of  the  workers  the  economic  and  political  powers  of  our 
State.  Then  we  can  settle  the  liquor  question  with  other  questions 
that  are  inherent  in  the  "capitalist  system."  As  the  first  step  we  will 
take  the  13-cent  profit  out  of  a  15-cent  drink.  Having  done  this  we 
are  sure  society  will  control  the  sale  and  manufacture  of  liquor  in  a 
way  that  will  be  to  the  best  interests  of  all. 

In  presenting  the  above  platform  to  the  people  of  Texas  the  member- 
ship of  the  socialist  party  believes  that  it  breathes  the  spirit  of  social- 
ism around  whose  banner  30,000,000  people  have  assembled  in  all  the 
civilized,  nations  of  the  earth.  It  speaks  for  the  solidarity  of  the  work- 
ing class  in  every  line.  It  does  this  because  the  Socialist  party  has  no 
other  function  upon  the  political  field  than  that  of  improving  the  con- 
ditions of  the  working  class  at  the  moment,  while  they  are  organizing 
to  secure  their  complete  freedom  by  the  seizure  of  all  the  public  pow- 
ers in  the  very  near  future. 

As  Socialists  we  will  point  out  to  you  the  great  fact  that  is  written 
in  the  record  of  daily  events  that  no  matter  in  what  part  of  the  world 
the  Socialist  party  may  exist,  our  interests  are  the  interests  of  th$ 
working  class  and  that  class  alone.  If  you  believe  in  the  platform 
outlined  above,  join  our  organization,  and  then  the  day  of  deliverance 
will  be  at  hand. 


Parties  in  Texas  597 

PROGRESSIVE  STATE  CONVENTION,  1914 

SAN  ANTONIO,  August  11 

About  two  hundred  delegates  attended  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  Nat  M.  Washer,  of  Bexar.  Secretary, 
Bart  Marshall,  of  Grayson. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  F.  M.  Etheridge,  of 
Dallas;  Lieuteiiant-Governor,  George  E.  Kepple,  of  Harris; 
Attorney-General,  U.  S.  Goen,  of  El  Paso;  Comptroller,  T.  S. 
McBride,  of  Dallas ;  Treasurer,  J.  N.  Winters,  of  Tarrant ;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  I.  W.  Carhart,  of  Donley; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  H.  A.  Baker,  of  Shackel- 
ford;  Railroad  Commissioner,  0.  S.  Newell,  of  Bexar:  Commis- 
sioner of  Agriculture,  Harvey  C.  Stiles,  of  Hays;  Supreme 
Court,  Noah  Allen,  of  Bexar;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  J.  X. 
Woods,  of  Guadalupe;  Congressmen  at  large,  J.  E.  Williams,  of 
Hamilton,  and  H.  L.  McQuiston,  of  Lamar. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  J.  E.  Williams,  of 
Hamilton;  R.  E.  Goree,  of  Harris;  Noah  Allen,  of  Bexar;  F. 
M.  Wright,  of  Tarrant ;  W.  P.  Hallmark,  of  Erath ;  C.  A.  Boyn- 
ton,  of  McLennan ;  and  T.  J.  Martin,  of  Kinney. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  We  reaffirm  and  indorse  the  principles  of  the  Progressive  party 
as  laid  down  in  the  platform  adopted  by  the  National  Progressive  con- 
vention,  at  Chicago,  August,   1912,  especially  its  program  looking  to 
the  realization  of  social  and  industrial  justice. 

2.  We  denounce  as  insincere  and  political  hypocrisy  the  campaign 
promises   made   by  the   Democratic   party   to   impartially   and   intelli- 
gently revise  the  tariff  and  thereby  reduce  the  cost  of  living,  and  the 
enactment  of  a  tariff  law  placing  the  raw  materials,  which  are  the 
source  of  wealth  in  this  State,  upon  the  free  list,  while  retaining  a 
tariff  without  corresponding  reductions  on  the  manufactured  product, 
of  each  of  such  raw  materials,  and  which  tariff  revision  has  not  re- 
sulted in  reducing  the  cost  of  living.    We  declare  such  revision  is  not 

JThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Son  Antonio 
Express,  August  12,  1914.  The  platform  was  obtained  from  the  secretary 
of  the  convention; 


598  Platforms  of  Political 

only  violative  of  every  precampaign  pledge  and  promise  made  by  the 
Democratic  party,  but  is  founded  on  no  wise  or  safe  economic  prin- 
ciple and  that  such  policies  have  been  pursued  by  the  Democratic 
party  solely  as  political  expediency.  And  we  believe,  and  so  declare 
ourselves,  such  revision  of  the  tariff  should  be  made  for  the  benefit 
of  all  the  people  of  the  United  States  and  can  only  and  be  best  effected 
and  accomplished  by  an  experienced  nonpartisan  tariff  commission. 

3.  We   condemn   the   proposed   treaty   with   Colombia   whereby   the 
United  States  government,  under  its  present  political  domination,  un- 
dertakes  to    restore   to   that  country   by    monetary   consideration    the 
alleged  violation   of  its   national   rights.     We  believe   that   the  action 
of  the  government  in  acquiring  the  canal  site  was  right  and  that  this 
country  now   neither   owes   financial   payment  nor   a  humiliating  na- 
tional apology  to  Colombia.     We  charge  that  this  treaty  is  an  effort 
to  use  public  money  for  political  purposes  of  the  Democratic  party; 
and  if,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Democratic  party,  it  was  wrong  to  ac- 
quire the  site  by  the  methods  used  then  it  should  go  on  record  now  as 
offering  to  return  the  canal  zone  to  Colombia.    We  deplore  the  repeal 
of  the  toll  exemption  enactment,  and  declare  that  as  the  canal  is  on 
American  territory,  was  engineered  and  built  by  American  genius  and 
capital,  therefore,  it  should  be  governed  and  controlled  by  the  United 
States  without  deference  to  the  demand  of  any  foreign  power. 

4.  We  deplore  war  at  any  and  all  times,  excepting  when   our  Na- 
tional honor  and  the  safety  of  our  citizenship  in  foreign  lands  are  at 
stake.     We   condemn  the   present  National  administration  for   its   in- 
competent and   un-American  method  of  handling  the   Mexican   situa- 
tion.    We  stamp  as  inhuman  and  unworthy  of  the  high  ideals  of  our 
Nation  the  lifting  of  the  embargo  on  American  arms  and  munitions 
of   war,  which  act  necessitated  our  own  men  when  landing  at  Vera 
Cruz  to  face  shot  and  shell  supplied  Mexico  by  the  commerce  of  our 
own   country.     We  call  upon   our  National  government  to  take    such 
steps,  not  only  in  Mexico  but  in  all  other  foreign  countries,  to  the  end 
that  our  flag  and  our  people  and  our  property  shall  be  respected  at  all 
times  and  in  any  and  all  places. 

5.  We  hereby   reaffirm  our  faith  and  allegiance  in  the  patriotism, 
wisdom,  and  integrity  of  Theodore  Roosevelt,  America's  greatest  and 
grandest  representative,  who  stands  before  the  people  of  all  nations  as 
the  central  world  figure  of  our  time — the  "man  who  does  things." 

6.  We  declare  that  the  Progressive  party  in  Texas  shall  be  officered, 
controlled,  and  governed  by  white  voters  exclusively  and  denounce  the 
insincerity    of    the    Democrats   in    inviting  negroes   into   their   recent 
primaries  in  Bexar  and  other  counties  in  this  State. 

7.  We  arraign  the   State    Democratic  administration    for   its  utter 
failure  to  carry  out  its  platform  pledges,  given  to  the  people  at  its  last 
convention  assembled;   to  give  to  the  people  efficient,  economical,  and 
capable  government;  for  its  failure  to  give  the  proper  aid  and  support 
to  our  eleemosynary  institutions;  for  its  palpable  neglect  of  our  public 


Parties  in  Texas  599 

school  system  and  our  higher  educational  institutions;  for  its  gross 
mismanagement  of  our  penal  institutions,  whereby  a  debt  of  more 
than  a  million  dollars  has  been  created  in  the  name  of  the  State  of 
Texas,  and  the  penitentiaries  of  the  State  having  been  transformed 
from  public  reformatories  into  asylums  for  the  care  of  political  hench- 
men of  the  successful  candidate  in  the  Democratic  primaries;  for  its 
indefensible  extravagance,  without  corresponding  compensation  or 
benefit,  whereby  the  State  tax  rate  has  been  exploited  from  four  cents 
to  twenty  cents  on  the  one  hundred  dollars  ad  valorem  valuation;  for 
its  bitter  partisanship  and  its  brazen  policy  of  rewarding  political 
satelites  at  the  expense  of  the  interest  of  all  the  people.  Therefore, 
we  would  favor  the  elimination  of  partisan  politics  from  the  adminis- 
tration of  our  educational,  eleemosynary,  penal,  and  other  public 
institutions. 

8.  We  view  with  alarm  the  committal  of  the  Democratic  party  in 
Texas  to  the  policy  of  State  regulation  of  private  property  owned  by 
individuals  in  matter  of  contract,  which  principle  we  declare  is  mani* 
festly  more  menacing  to  the  genius  of  our  government  than  the  Social- 
istic doctrine  of  State  regulation.     The  foundation  of  all  free  govern- 
ment is  home  ownership  by  our  rural  population.     We  believe  that  all 
constitutional  help  should  be  extended  to  the  farmers  to  aid  them  in 
acquiring  their  own  homes,  and  we  pledge  the  party  to  enact  such  laws 
as  will  properly  devote  the  credit  ^f  the  State  to  the  accomplishment 
of  that  end. 

9.  We  favor   a  constitutional  amendment  reducing  the  number  of 
senators  and    representatives,   composing  our   State   legislature,    to   at 
least  one-half  of  its  present  number,  and  correspondingly  increasing 
the  compensation  of  the  membership  of  said  body,  so  as  to  secure  the. 
offering  for  election  of  the  best  men  available  in  each  district. 

10.  We   favor  the   separation    of  the  University   of  Texas  and  the 
Agricultural  and   Mechanical  College,  and  to   extend  to  each  the  aid 
necessary  to  carry  out  their  respective  phases  in   the  educational  life 
of  Texas. 

11.  In  order  to  secure  more  efficient  administration  of  justice,  we 
favor  an  amendment  to  our  State  constitution  providing,  first,  a  non- 
partisan  nomination  and  election  of  all  judicial  officers  entirely  separate 
from  nomination  and  election  of  other  officers;   second,  for  the  aboli- 
tion of  our  present  cumbersome  system  of  appellate  jurisdiction  and 
substituting  in  lieu  thereof  a  supreme  court  composed  of  five  or  more 
divisions,  with  an  appropriate  number  of  judges  assigned  to  each,  one 
to  be  known  as  the  central  division  located  at  the  State  Capital,  the 
remaining  in  different  localities  to  best  serve  the  public,  convenience, 
said  courts  to  have  such  original  and  appellate  jurisdiction  that  may 
be  provided  by  law,  the  decision  of  any  division  of  said  court  to  be 
final,  excepting  in  cases  involving  constitutional  questions  and  caaes 
wherein  two-  of  the  divisions  trying  any  case  therein  shall   disagree 
with  and  dissent  from  the  opinion  of  a  majority  thereof,  in  which  case 


600  Platforms  of  Political 

the  same  may  be  reviewed  by  the  central  division;  third,  prohibiting 
a  judge  of  any  court  from  active  participation  in  partisan  political 
conventions  or  controversies. 

12.  We  favor  a  law  prohibiting  injunctions  in  cases  arising  out  of 
labor  disputes  when  such  injunction  would  not  apply  when  no  labor 
dispute  existed,  and  providing  for  trial  by  jury  in  contempt  cases  and 
labor    disputes,    except    when    such    contempt   was    committed    in    the 
actual  presence  of  the  court  or  in  such  a  way  that  it  might  interfere 
with  the  proper  administration  of  justice. 

13.  We  demand  a  change  in  the  election  laws  that  will  provide  for 
a  short  and  simple  ballot,  prohibiting  the  use  of  partisan  names  or 
labels  upon  official  ballots,  and  placing  the  names  of  all  candidates  for 
any  particular  office  in  a  column,  one  below  the  other  in  alphabetical 
order  under  the  name  of  the  office  sought,  with  a  proper  place  in  front 
of  said  name  of  each  candidate* where  the  voter  shall  be  required  to 
designate  for   whom  he  wishes  to  vote,  and  prohibiting  any  election 
officer  from  assisting  an  elector  in  preparing  his  ballot,  except  in  cases 
of  physical  inability  of  the  elector  to  prepare  the  same.    We  favor  an 
amendment  "to  our  State  constitution  providing  for  nonpartisan  nomi- 
nation and  election  of  all  city  and  county  officials. 

14.  We  favor  the  construction  of  a  National  highway,  and  the  crea- 
tion of  a  State  highway  commission  designed  to  promote  the  improve- 
ment of  public  highways  throughout  the  State. 

We  denounce  as  un-American,  inhuman,  and  a  broad  field  for  fraud, 
corruption,  and  brutality,  the  convict  contract  labor  system  and  favor 
the  employment  of  all  State  convicts  upon  public  highways. 

15.  Campaign  expenses,  as  evidenced  by  the  public  report  made  by 
candidates,  as  required  by  law  by  the  present  pripary  system,  have 
become  a  crime  against  public  morals.     Legislation  should  be  enacted 
limiting  the  personal  expenditures  of  each  candidate,  and  all  expendi- 
tures to  be  made  -through  the  candidate  himself.    We  believe  that  the 
State  should  undertake  to  print  and  distribute  at  its  own  expense  to 
every  voter  in  the  State  the  platform  of  principles  advocated  by  each 
candidate   of   all  parties,   under    reasonable    restrictions,   thus   giving 
every   man   desiring   office,   whether  rich,  powerful,  or  poor,  oppor- 
tunity to  reach  all  the  people. 

16.  We  favor  an  amendment  to  our  State  constitution  in  further- 
ance of  the  principles  set  out  in  the  Chicago  National  platform  incor- 
porating the  principles  of  initiative,  referendum,  and  recall,  providing 
for  submission  of  any  proposed  amendment  to  the  constitution,  or  any 
proposed  new  law  or  proposed  amendment  or  repeal  of  an  existing  law, 
or  proposed  recall  of  a  public  official,  upon  petition  signed  by  one-third 
of  the  voters. 

17.  We  believe  in  America  and  that  its  government  and  institutions 
should  be   sacred  to  and  controlled  by  the  intelligent  citizenship  of 
America.    We,  therefore,  believe  the  suffrage  laws  of  Texas  should  be 
so  amended,  by  constitutional  amendment,  that  the  right  of  ballot  be 


Parties  in  Texas  601 

secured  to  real  citizens  only,  men  and  women,  either  native  born  or 
fully  naturalized,  and  to  such  of  those  only  who  have  manifested 
sufficient  interest  in  and  concern  for  our  government  and  its  institu- 
tions as  to  have  learned  to  speak,  read,  and  write  the  English  language. 
18.  We  believe  the  chief  aim  of  every  political  party  to  be  so  to  act 
as  to  best  serve  the  interests  and  welfare  of  the  country  and  its  people. 
To  this  end,  we  tender  to  all  good  citizens,  irrespective  of  former  or 
present  party  lines  and  affiliations,  this  declaration  of  principles  which 
we  consider  embodies  those  policies  universally  recognized  to  be  neces- 
sary and  earnestly  solicit  them  to  join  with  us  in  securing  same. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Cecil  A.  Lyon,  of  Grayson, 
chairman;  1st  Senatorial  district,  J.  M.  Singleton,  of  Marion; 
2.  Velmer  Antle,  of  Fannin;  3.  E.  M.  Mulkey,  of  Grayson;  4. 
blank;  5.  B.  W.  Fields,  of  Hunt;  6.  J.  M.  McCormick,  of  Dallas; 
7.  J.  L.  Jackson,  of  Smith;  8.  J.  B.  Campbell,  of  Johnson;  9. 
and  10.  blank;  11.  J.  R.  Ferrell,  of  McLennan;  12.  John  Daley, 
Jr.,  of  Brazos;  13.  G.  W.  Burkett,  Sr.,  of  Anderson;  14.  0.  S. 
Hunter,  of  Jefferson;  15.  blank;  16.  H.  L.  Borden,  of  Harris; 
17.  blank;  18.  W.  A.  Matthaei,  of  Austin;  19.  M.  M.  Turney,  of 
Bastrop;  20.  J.  C.  Bierbower,  of  Lampasas;  21.  Eugene  Nolte, 
of  Guadalupe;  22.  Max  P.  Schorre,  of  Karnes;  23.  S.  W.  Divor- 
man,  of  Cameron;  24.  J.  D.  Dodson,  of  Bexar;  25.  T.  J.  Martin, 
of  Kinney;  26.  W.  P.  Hallmark,  of  Erath;  27.  Joe  E.  Williams, 
of  Hamilton;  28.  J.  B.  Baker,  of  Walker;  29.  K.  N.  Hapgood; 
30.  F.  M.  Wright,  of  Tarrant;  31.  T.  A.  Ball,  of  Wise. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1914 
WACO,  August  11 

About  two  hundred  delegates  attended  this  convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  George  F.  Rockhold,  of  Dallas.  Secre- 
tary, Julius  Oppenheimer,  of  Bexar. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  John  W.  Philp,  of 
Dallas ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  John  Hall,  of  Lampasas ;  Attorney- 
General,  Jack  E.  Elgin,  of  Bexar;  Comptroller,  Austin  Callan, 
of  Val  Verde;  Treasurer,  John  C.  Gibbons,  of  Lamar;  Commis- 
sioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  E.  E.  Misener,  of  Hamilton; 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  B.  F.  Crews,  of  Ellis; 
Railroad  Commissioner,  W.  F.  Connor,  of  Dallas;  Commissioner 


602  Platforms  of  Political 

of  Agriculture,  G.  W.  Eason,  of  Nacogdoches ;  Supreme  Court> 
J.  Walter  Cocke,  of  McLennan;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals, 
0.  S.  York,  of  Galveston;  Congressmen  at  large,  E.  E.  Diggs, 
of  Childress,  and  Charles  A.  Warnken,  of  Harris. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Congressional 
district,  Tom  Daley,  2.  G.  W.  Eason,  chairman,  3.  C.  D.  Duck, 
4.  G.  I.  Barlow,  5.  W.  F.  Connor,  6.  S.  Daniels,  7.  H.  L.  Price, 
8.  C.  A.  Warnken,  9.  P.  D.  Daniels,  10.  W.  B.  Brush,  11.  Dr. 
W.  B.  Renfro,  12.  Lon  Barkley,  13.  T.  A.  Robinson,  14.  J.  D. 
Townley,  15.  Austin  Callan,  16.  W.  C.  Kenyon. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Republican  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  at  Waco, 
Texas,  on  August  11,  1914,  hereby  reaffirms  its  faith  in  the  sound  poli- 
cies of  government  as  expressed  in  the  platform  of  the  party  and  as 
carried  out  by  the  Republican  National  administrations.  Its  record 
of  resistance  to  popular  error  has  been  as  conspicuous  as  its  con- 
structive performance  in  developing  the  greatest  Republic  in  all  his- 
tory. Today  it  reasserts  its  belief  that  the  stability  of  a  republican 
form  of  government  is  dependent  upon  the  preservation  of  the  consti- 
tutional guarantee  of  individual  liberty  and  the  protection  of  indi- 
viduals in  the  enjoyment  and  ownership  of  property  independent  of 
any  political  administration  in  control  cf  this  government,  socialistic 
or  otherwise. 

The  Republican  party  opposes  the  subjecting  of  individual  rights, 
granted  under  the  Constitution,  to  the  caprices  and  tyranny  of  tem- 
porary majorities;  and  it  opposes  changing  the  constitution  so  as  to 
abridge  individual  property  rights.  It  believes  in  a  self-controlled, 
representative  democracy  which  is  a  government  of  laws  and  not  of 
men  and  in  which  order  is  the  prerequisite  of  progress.  The  Republi- 
can party  favors  the  continuation  of  policies  of  protection  for  Ameri- 
can farmers,  American  wage  earners,  and  American  industries  under 
which  the  country  has  grown  prosperous  and  rich.  We  believe  in  the 
policy  of  keeping  our  money  at  home;  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  pace 
with  the  development  of  the  country  it  favors  the  agencies  of  develop- 
ment; laws  resulting  in: 

(a)  A  tariff  commission   to   investigate  and  recommend  just  rates 
that  business  may  be  free  from  political  and  selfish  influences  as  far 
as  practicable. 

(b)  The  enforcement  and  administration  of  Federal  laws  govern- 

xThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Waco  Times-Herald, 
August  12,  1914.  The  platform  was  obtained  from  the  secretary  of  the 
convention. 


Parties  in  Texas  603 

ing  interstate  commerce  by  a  Federal  trade  commission,  with  clearly 
defined  powers. 

(c)  An  amendment  to  our  anti-trust  law  clearly  defining  legal  and 
illegal  acts  under  same. 

(d)  The  revival  of  our  merchant  marine,  the  necessity  of  which  is 
forcibly  demonstrated  by  the  situation  created  by  the  war  in  Europe. 

(e)  The  safeguarding  of  life  and  property  by  land  and  sea  and  the 
protection  of  our  citizens  wherever  they  may  be  found. 

(f)  The  prevention  of   involuntary  service  by  seamen. 

(g)  The  continuation  of  a  conservation  policy  to  prevent  waste  and 
monopoly. 

(h)     The  protection  of  wage   earners  in  dangerous  trades. 

(i)     Limiting  hours  and  wages  for  labor  of  children. 

(j)     Limiting  and  safeguarding  the  labor  of  women. 

(k)     Just  workmen  compensation  laws. 

(1)     Laws  to  encourage  homeseekers,  miners,  and  prospectors. 

(m)  The  reclamation  of  arid  lands  and  the  protection  of  bottom 
lands  from  flood  waters. 

(n)     The  further  development  of  rivers  and  harbors. 

(o)  The  gradual  development  of  government  lands  by  lease  in  such 
manner  as  to  prevent  monopoly. 

(p)  Courts  as  established  under  the  constitution  and  laws  to  have 
their  authority,  integrity,  and  independence  maintained. 

(q)  The  reform  of  the  civil  service  laws;  abolishment  of  bureaucracy 
form  of  government  service;  development  of  individuality  among  em- 
ployes; prevention  of  perpetual  office  holding  class  interested  only  in 
positions,  promotions,  and  pensions;  limitations  to  periods  of  service 
in  same  position. 

(r)  Limiting  officeholders  to  two  successive  terms  in  same  office, 
eligible  for  reappointment  or  reelection  after  the  lapse  of  one  term, 
or  promotion  to  another  office  for  two  terms  without  any  lapse  of  one 
term. 

Under  the  constitution,  adopted  under  Republican  rule  in  Texas,  the 
land  was  conserved  for  actual  settlers  and  for  school  purposes.  For 
forty  years  the  Democratic  party  has  controlled  the  affairs  of  the 
State  of  Texas  under  the  constitution  and  laws  adopted  by  the  De- 
mocracy, and  the  result  is  the  land  has  been  disposed  of  in  large 
quantities.  The  most  valuable  part  of  the  Texas  domain  is  now  in  the 
hands  of  landlords  with  no  constructive  effort  being  made  to  develop 
the  remaining  lands  belonging  to  the  State.  Legislation  for  the  benefit 
of  farmers  and  stockmen  has  been  lacking.  Opportunity  for  tenant 
farmers  becoming  home  owners  have  not  been  fostered.  The  mineral 
resources  of  the  State  have  been  wasted.  The  oil  lands,  worth 
billions  of  dollars,  have  accrued  to  private  owners.  Politicians  have 
run  riot  with  the  revenues  of  the  State.  Extravagant  fees  have  been 
paid.  The  penitentiary  system  has  been  mismanaged.  Schools  have 
been  neglected.  Proper  provision  has  not  been  made  for  the  insane. 


604  Platforms  of  Political 

The  paramount  political  issue  for  many  years  has  been  prohibition  and 
anti-prohibition,  to  the  material  neglect  of  the  interests  of  our  State. 
Therefore,  the  Republican  party  favors  laws  producing: 

1.  A  thorough  and  economical  system  of  handling  public  funds. 

2.  Enabling  Texas  to  keep  pace  with   other  States  in  educational 
progress,  and  becoming  the  great  State  of  Texas,  and  for  the  separation 
and  divorce  of  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Texas.     We  favor  compulsory  education  in  the  lower  grades 
of  our  public  schools,  with  free  textbooks  to  be  furnished  by  the  State. 

3.  Making  ample  provision  for  our  eleemosynary  institutions  that 
the  blind  may  not  be  housed  in  fire  traps  and  the  jails  crowded  with 
the  insane. 

4.  Promoting  and  perfecting  a  penitentiary  system  on  business  lines, 
and  humane  treatment  of  prisoners. 

5.  Simplifying,   overhauling,   and   perfecting   our   entire   system   of 
civil  and  criminal  procedure. 

6.  Abolishing  the  fee  system. 

7.  Establishing  a  good  State  roads  system. 

8.  Providing  for  rural  credit,  a  good  warehouse  system,  and  a  better 
land  policy. 

9.  Conserving  the  remaining  school   lands  of  the   State  for  home 
owners. 

10.  Conserving  the  mineral  rights  belonging  to  the  State  and  pro- 
viding for  their  protection  and  development. 

11.  Permitting  the  State  to  cooperate  with  the  National  government 
and  the  owners  of  property  in  arid  and  overflowed  districts  in  providing 
for  the  control  of  the  water  supply  to  make  the  arid  lands  of  Texas 
tillable  and  useful,  the  rich  bottom  lands  available  for  bumper  crops, 
and  for  the  conservation  and  development  of  the  water  power  of  our 
streams. 

12.  Permitting  the  State  to  cooperate  with  the  National  government 
in  making  a  preliminary  survey  and  estimate  for  controlling  by  stor- 
age basins  in  States  hereinafter  mentioned,  the   flood  waters  of  the 
Missouri    river   and    diverting   same   to   the   arid   lands    of   Western 
Nebraska,  Kansas,  Oklahoma,  and  Texas,  under  the  plan  developed  by 
Captain  John  Hall  and  former  Congressman  Elaine. 

13.  Providing  that  amendments  to  the  constitution  of  the  State,  and 
particularly  those  creating  great  public  interest  like  the  prohibition 
question,   should  be  submitted  to  the  voters   at  special  elections  on 
years  that  general  elections  are  not  held  and  that  same  may  not  be 
constantly  agitating  the  public   to  the  detriment  of  other  important 
matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  State,  and  when  submitted  shall 
settle  the  question  for  a  definite  term  of  years. 


Parties  in  Texas  605 

Resolutions 

Resolved,  that  we  refuse  to  adopt  and  protest  against  the  proposed 
reduction  of  representation  of  Texas  in  National  convention  as  recom? 
mended  by  the  National  committee  at  a  recent  meeting  of  said  Na- 
tional committee. 

We  sincerely  regret  that  the  vacillating  policy  of  the  National  ad- 
ministration has  fostered  and  encouraged  revolutions  in  Mexico,  created 
a  contempt  for  our  flag,  humiliated  our  citizens  and  humbled  their 
pride  on  foreign  soil. 

We  hope  never  again  will  we  see  our  soldiers  bottled  up  in  a  foreign 
port  under  conditions  from  which  they  can  neither  withdraw  or  ad- 
vance. 

Additional  Resolutions 

[A  resolution  was  adopted  expressing  profound  sorrow  over  the  un- 
timely death  of  Mrs.  Woodrow  Wilson,  wife  of  the  President,  and  ex- 
tending sympathy  to  the  bereaved.] 

We  regret  the  dissensions  that  have  arisen  in  our  former  united 
ranks,  and,  while  we  are  firmly  convinced  of  the  justice  and  right  of 
our  cause,  still  we  bear  no  malice  or  ill  will  towards  our  former 
comrades,  and  now  here  declare  our  readiness  to  extend  to  them  the 
hand  of  fellowship  and  to  welcome  them  back  to  a  common  party 
affiliation,  since  we  look  forward  to  a  time  in  the  very  near  future 
when  we  shall,  Republicans  and  Progressives,  present  again  a  united 
front  to  our  common  political  enemies. 

We  approve  of  the  system  of  rural  high  schools  and  favor  the  enact- 
ment of  such  laws  as  will  fully  perfect  such  system,  to  the  end  that 
residents  of  rural  districts  may  enjoy  educational  advantages  equal  to 
those  of  the  towns,  and  wherever  necessary  favor  special  State  aid  to 
such  schools  in  erecting  and  equipping  proper  buildings. 

We  hereby  indorse  the  administration  and  acts  of  our  State  chair- 
man, the  Hon.  Phil  E.  Baer,  and  of  our  National  committeeman,  the, 
Hon.  H.  F.  MacGregor.  Their  zeal,  energy,  loyalty,  and  unselfish  de- 
votion to  our  interests  are  worthy  of  all  praise,  and  we  hereby  tender 
them  our  sincere  confidence  and  commendation. 

MINORITY   BEPOBT 

We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  committee  on  platform  and 
resolutions,  offer  the  following  minority  report: 

Resolved,  that  the  report  of  the  majority  of  the  committee  be  ap- 
proved except  that  portion  dealing  with  the  proposed  reduction  of 
representation  recommended  by  the  National  committee  and  that  in 
lieu  of  that  portion  of  said  report,  same  be  amended  so  as  to  read: 

Resolved,  that  we  approve  of  the  proposed  reduction  of  representa- 


606  Platforms  of  Political 

tion  in  National  conventions,  as  recommended  by  the  National  com- 
mittee at  a  recent  meeting  of  said  committee. 

L.    M.    BARKLEY, 
G.    J.    BARLOW. 

The  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  unanimous  vote. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Phil  E.  Baer,  of  Harris,  chair- 
man; 1st  Senatorial  district,  D.  H.  Morris,  of  Cass;  2.  W.  P. 
Harris,  of  Hopkins;  3.  J.  C.  Gibbons,  of  Lamar;  4.  J.  L.  Hick-, 
son,  of  Cooke;  5.  C.  A.  Buck,  of  Hunt;  6.  G.  F.  Rockhold,  of 
Dallas;  7.  J.  H.  Parker,  of  Smith;  8.  blank;  9.  A.  M.  Sommer, 
of  Kaufman;  10.  C.  W.  Beck,  of  Hill;  11.  M.  M.  Patten,  of  Mc- 
Lennan; 12.  J.  W.  Davis,  of  Freestone;  13.  W.  B.  Rogers,  of 
Anderson;  14.  H.  M.  Smith,  of  Jefferson;  15.  blank;  16.  C.  A. 
Warnken,  of  Harris;  17.  H.  A.  Griffin,  of  Galveston;  IS.  blank; 
19.  R.  A.  Brooks,  of  Bastrop;  20.  John  Hall,  of  Lampasas;  21. 
A.  L.  Davis,  of  Gonzales;  22.  and  23.  blank;  24.  J.  M.  Oppen- 
heimer,  of  Bexar ;  25.  C.  L.  McDowell,  of  Val  Verde ;  26.  G.  H. 
Ray,  of  Erath ;  27.  J.  H.  Burnett,  of  Bell ;  28.  L.  S.  McDowell, 
of  Howard;  29.  E.  E.  Diggs,  of  Childress;  30.  A.  J.  McCampbell, 
of  Tarrant;  31.  T.  A.  Robinson,  of  Denton. 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1914 
EL  PASO,  August  11  and  12 

The  convention  was  in  control  of  the  supporters  of  James  E. 
Ferguson,  nominee  for  governor.  He  prepared  the  platform  in 
advance,  and  it  was  adopted  with  few  changes.  The  convention 
took  another  step  to  insure  majority  control  by  adopting  a  rule 
providing  that  no  debate  shall  be  permitted  on  any  resolution 
not  presented  to  and  reported  upon  by  the  committee  on  plat- 
form and  resolutions. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  B.  Y.  Cummings,  of  Hill: 
permanent,  J.  F.  Cunningham,  of  Taylor.  Secretary,  C.  B. 
Watters,  of  Bexar. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  James  E.  Ferguson, 
of  Bell;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Will  P.  Hobby,  of  Jefferson; 
Attorney-General,  Ben  F.  Looney,  of  Hunt;  Comptroller,  Henry 


Parties  in  Texas  607 

B.  Terrell,  of  McLennan;  Treasurer,  J.  M.  Edwards,  of  Run- 
nels; Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  James  T.  Robi- 
son,  of  Travis;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  Walter 
P.  Doughty,  of.  Falls;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Earl  B.  May- 
field,  of  Bell;  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  Fred  W.  Davis,  of 
Cooke;  Supreme  Court,  William  E.  Hawkins,  of  Cameron; 
Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  W.  L.  Davidson;  Congressmen  at 
large,  Jeff  McLemore,  of  Harris,  and  James  H.  Davis. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, R.  S.  Crumpton,  of  Bowie ;  2.  S.  M.  Porter,  of  Red  River ; 
3.  John  F.  Dickson,  of  Lamar;  4.  George  Gulp,  of  Cooke;  5.  P. 
W.  Pierson,  of  Rains;  6.  Cecil  Simpson,  of  Dallas;  7.  N.  A. 
Gentry,  of  Smith;  8.  Lee  Ferguson,  of  Panola;  9.  0.  B.  Col- 
quitt,  of  Kaufman ;  10.  Bowd  Farrar,  of  Johnson ;  11.  Lud  Wil- 
liams, of  McLennan,  secretary;  12.  J.  R.  Astin,  of  Brazos;  .13, 
G.  C.  Clegg,  of  Trinity;  14.  J.  H.  Drummond,  of  Jefferson; 
]5.  Dr.  A.  H.  Spears,  of  Madison;  16.  Jonathan  Lane,  of  Harris, 
chairman;  17.  W.  L.  Hall,  of  Wharton;  18.  C.  E.  Lane,  of  Fay- 
ette;  19.  Paul  D.  Page,  of  Bastrop;  20.  T.  H.  McGregor,  of 
Travis;  21.  J.  B.  Dibrell,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  A.  B.  Davidson, 
of  DeWitt;  23.  C.  C.  Thomas,  of  Frio;  24.  P.  H.  Swearingen,  of 
Bexar;  25.  L.  A.  Dale,  of  El  Paso;  26.  John  D.  Guion,  of  Run- 
nels; 27.  F.  M.  Spann,  of  Bell;  28.  D.  H.  Murchison,  of  Haskell; 
29.  Will  A.  Miller,  Jr.,  of  Potter ;  30.  W.  A.  Hanger,  of  Tarrant ; 
31.  J.  W.  Chancellor,  of  Montague. 

PLATFORM1 

We,  your  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions,  beg  leave  to  report: 

1.  That  we,  the  Democracy   of  Texas  in   convention  assembled,  at 
El  Paso,  reaffirm  our  faith  in  and  pledge  anew  our  devotion  to  the 
fundamental    and   time-honored   principles    of   Democracy   as    secured 
by  the  founders  and  fathers  of  this  Republic,  and  as  reannounced  in 
the  last  Democratic  platform  as  made  at  Baltimore,  and  upon  which 
our  party  secured  control  of  the  Federal  government,  and  from  which 
has  followed  and  will  follow  manifold  blessings  to  all  our  people. 

2.  We  cordially  and  heartily  indorse  the  National   Democratic  ad- 
ministration and   congratulate  the   people  of  the  United  States  upon 
the   patriotic  fidelity  with  which  that  administration   has  kept  faith 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News  and 
San  Antonio  Express. 


608  Platforms  of  Political 

with  the  people  and  has  passed  into  living  laws  promises  made  by  our 
party  in  its  National  platform  at  Baltimore.  We  believe  that  having 
so  thoroughly  and  persistently  kept  the  faith,  that  that  administration 
is  entitled  to  and  will  receive  the  indorsement,  support  and  assistance 
of  all  Democrats  and  these  we  gratefully  pledge  for  all  the  Democrats 
of  Texas. 

3.  We  cordially  commend  the  wise,  patriotic,  firm  and  conservative 
policies  of  Governor  Colquitt,  who  has  kept  faith  with  the  people  under 
trying  circumstances  and  express  to  him  the  gratitude  and  appreciation 
of  a  free  and  grateful  people. 

4.  The  people  of  Texas  are  to  be  congratulated  in  the  fact  that  the 
Democratic  primary  of  July  25,  by  the  nomination  of  J.  E.  Ferguson 
for  Governor  and  the  defeat  of  the  demand  for  submission  of  a  prohi- 
bition amendment,  has  guaranteed  that,  at  least  for  a  while,  the  vexa- 
tious question  of  prohibition  and  regulation  of  the  liquor  traffic  will 
not  be  seriously  agitated  nor  used  to  disturb  and  annoy  the  people 
and  distract  their  attention,  energy,  and"  means  from  their  own,  and 
the  State's  important  business  affairs  and  to  this  end  the  determination 
of  Mr.    Ferguson,    as   expressed   in   his   opening   campaign   speech,    to 
disapprove    any   legislation    upon   that   question   is   most  heartily  in- 
dorsed and  approved. 

5.  "Civilization  begins  and  ends  with  the   plow."     The  prosperity 
of  all  our  people  depends  upon  the  prosperity  of  the  farmer.     Texas  is 
essentially  an  agricultural  State,  with  an  empire  for  a  domain.    Seventy-1 
six  per  cent  of  her  people  live  upon  farms,  and  under  the  doctrine  of  a 
square  deal  patriotically  applied  by  her  legislature,  her  people  could 
feed  and  clothe  the  world. 

In  view  of  this,  we  demand  as  the  first  consideration  of  the  incoming 
legislature,  that  laws  to  the  following  effect  be  passed: 

(a)  Fixing  a  maximum  of  rent  to  be  collected  on  all  lands  rented 
in  this  State  for  agricultural  purposes  where  the  same  is  cultivated 
by  the  tenant,  when  he  furnishes  everything  except  the  land,  at  not 
more  than  one-third  of  the  value  of  the  grain  and  one-fourth  of  the 
value  of  cotton  raised  on  said  land,  and  a  maximum  rent  of  not  to 
exceed  one-half  where   the  landlord  furnishes   everything   except  the 
labor  and  the  tenant  furnishes  the  labor;    and  such  law  to  provide 
penalties  for  actual  or  attempted  evasions. 

(b)  A  law  establishing  an  effective  warehouse  system  for  this  State 
with  adequate  provisions  for  sampling,  grading,  weighing,  and  storing 
cotton  and  other  farm  products,  and  the  issuance  of  negotiable  receipts 
for  same,  with  such  restrictions  and  limitations  as  will  safeguard  at 
all  times  the  interests  of  the  producer. 

(c)  Such  laws   as  may  be   necessary  to  absolutely  prohibit  pools, 
combines,  and  trusts  from  in  any  way  arbitrarily  fixing  the  market 
price  of  any  of  the  products  of  the  farm,  and  providing  imprisonment 
penalties  alone  for  their  violation.    And  we  recommend  that  such  laws 
be  passed  only  after  a  full  and  thorough  investigation  of  existing  con- 


Parties  in  Texas  609 

ditions,  and  with  the  knowledge  of  all  the  facts  and  conditions  which 
make  such  laws  necessary,  in  order  that  they  may  be  effective.  And 
we  recommend  that  such  investigation  cover  in  its  course  the  market- 
ing, handling,  and  manufacturing  of  cotton  and  all  of  its  products. 

(d)  We    recommend    to    the    consideration    of   the    legislature    the 
State's  department  of  agriculture,  and  demand  that  it  be  dealt  with  in 
such  way  as  to  make  it  of  the  highest  benefit  to  our  people. 

(e)  We  heartily  approve  the  interest  taken  by  the  farmers  in  the 
public  affairs  of  this  State  and  cordially  indorse  the  demands  of  the 
great  body  of  farmers  for  legislation,  and  we  realize  that  the  welfare 
of  the   State   is    cherished  with  high   and   patriotic  purposes   by    the 
men  of  all  republics  who  live  upon  the  farms  and  fields,  and  our  State 
will  grow  and  prosper  so  long  as  our  farmers  help  to  shape  her  destiny.' 

6.  We  commend  to  the  consideration  of  the  legislature  the  appeals 
and  demands  of   the  great  bodies  of  organized   labor  which  have  al- 
ways been  the  faithful  allies  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  who  keep 
alive  not  only  the  spirit  of  liberty  in  our  State,  but  also  the  healthy 
and  wealth-producing  thrift  and  industry  in  our  shops  and  factories. 

7.  We  welcome  the  investment  of  outside  capital  in  the   develop- 
ment of  our  State,  and  assure  to  it  the  absolute  protection  of  the  law 
because  we  recognize  that  legitimate  capital,  patriotically  invested,  is 
absolutely  essential  to  the  upbuilding  of   this  State,  and  so  long  as 
wealth  obeys  the  law  the  people  of  this  State  will  not  only  protect,  but 
assist  it  under  the  law. 

8.  We  demand  that  the  facilities  of  various  asylums  for  the  insane 
be  so  enlarged  as  to  furnish  room  for  our  insane,  so  that  there  will  not 
be  left  at  the  end  of  next  year  a  single  lunatic  in  a  jail  in  this  State 
for  the  lack  of  adequate  conditions  in  our  asylums. 

9.  We  demand  that  the  asylum  for  the  blind  be  either  so  remodeled, 
or  a  new  one  be  built,  so  as  to  make  it  modern,  safe,  fireproof,  and 
commodious. 

10.  We  demand  that  the  school   for  the  deaf  and  dumb  be  made 
sufficiently  commodious  as  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  State.    We 
also  direct  that  the  children  who  attend  this  school  shall  be  taught 
some  useful  trade  or  occupation,  by  means  of  which  they  may  earn  a 
livelihood  and  become  useful  and  producing  citizens  of  the  State. 

11.  A  general   diffusion  of  knowledge  being  essential  to   the  pre- 
servation of  the  liberties  and  the  rights  of  the  people,  we  demand  that 
our  educational  system  shall  not  suffer  from  faulty  organization  and 
insufficient  financial  support.     We   recommend  that  liberal  appropria- 
tions for  education  purposes  be  made  by  the  legislature  until  the  edu- 
cational institutions  of  Texas  rank  with  those  of  any  other  State  in 
the  Union. 

To  the  end  that  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  country  may  have  ad- 
vantages equal  to  those  enjoyed  by  the  children  in  the  cities  and  towns, 
we  demand  the  immediate  improvement  of  the  country  schools,  includ- 
ing efficient  professional,  nonpolitical  supervision,  and  the  establish- 

39—328 


610  Platforms  of  Political 

ment  of  properly  equipped  rural  high  schools  giving  agriculture  and 
other  courses  of  study  adapted  to  the  needs  of  farming  communities. 
We  demand  further: 

(a)  The  increase  of  the  constitutional  limitation  thereby  enabling 
districts  to  levy  a  tax  sufficient  to  provide  for  necessary  buildings  and 
the  maintenance  of  schools  for  nine  months  in  each  year. 

(b)  The  submission   of  an   amendment   to  the   constitution  whiqh 
will  provide  that  any  county  may  levy,  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  tax- 
payers, a  county  tax  for  the  better  maintenance  of  county  schools. 

(c)  The  passage  of  an  act  authorizing  trustees  of  a  district  whose 
taxpayers  so  vote  to  furnish  to  the  children  of  the  schools  free  text- 
books. 

(d)  The  passage   of  a  law,  carefully  planned  and  limited  to  suit 
the  conditions  in  this  State,  requiring  attendance  upon  the  public  or 
other  schools. 

We  are  gratified  at  the  rapidly  growing  demand  for  higher  education 
and  pledge  the  party  to  furnish  to  the  young  men  and  women  of  Texas 
facilities  and  opportunities  not  inferior  to  those  offered  in  any  other 
State. 

To  that  end  we  demand  that  permanent  and  dependable  provisions 
"be  made  for  the  support  and  development  of  the  University,  for  the 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  the  State  Normal  Schools,  and  the 
'College  of  Industrial  Arts,  and  that  such  steps  as  may  be  necessary  be 
taken,  by  constitutional  amendment  or  otherwise,  to  provide  for 
the  erection  of  needed  and  permanent  fireproof  buildings  for  these  in- 
stitutions. We  also  demand  that  the  legislature  make  appropriations 
for  the  support  of  summer  sessions  of  these  institutions,  that  the  teach- 
ers of  the  State  may  have  an  opportunity  to  increase  their  professional 
attainments  without  undue  expense. 

12.  We  demand  that  hereafter  all  school  books  used  in  the  public 
schools  of  this  State  shall  be  printed  in  Texas,  subject  only  to  existing. 
contracts. 

13.  We  demand  that  in  all  departments  of  public  works  adminis- 
tered by  the  State,  counties,  and  cities,  including  the  public  schools, 
that  hereafter  the  women  employed  in  any  capacity  shall  receive  the 
same  salaries  as  men  employed   in  such  capacity,   where  the  service 
rendered  is  the  same. 

14.  The  school  fund  of  Texas  is  a  sacred  fund  preserved  by  our 
fathers  to   educate  our  children,   and  we   denounce  in   unmeasured 
terms  the  suggestion  from  any  source  to  divert  that  fund  from  that 
high  purpose,  and  we  direct  that  that  fund  be  continued  to  be  in- 
vested as  it  is  now,  in  order  that  itmay  be  free  from  the  folly  of  the 
politicians  and  safe  from  the  hands  of  any  others  who  would  ex- 
ploit it. 

15.  We  reaffirm  our  faith  in  the  Democratic  platform  of  1890,  de- 
claring for  a  law  prohibiting  the  further  operations  of  land  corpora- 


Parties  in  Texas  611 

tions,  and  reasserting  it  as  a  sound  principle  of  State  policy  and  direct 
our  legislature  not  to  depart  from  that  policy. 

16.  We  demand  that  the  differences  between  the  Agricultural  and 
Mechanical  College  and  the  University  of  Texas  be  fairly,  equitably, 
carefully,  and  cautiously  adjusted,  not  forgetting  that  both  of  these 
great  institutions  are  the  property  of  the  State  and  the  source  of  grati- 
fication and  pride  of  all  our  people. 

17.-  We  demand  adequate  appropriations  for  all  of  the  State  institu- 
tions, and  direct  that  each  and  every  appropriation  be  itemized,  and 
to  be  so  expended  as  to  secure  to  the  State  a  dollar's  worth  of  value 
for  every  dollar  so  expended. 

18.  We  demand  that  the  Land  Office  be  so  remodeled  or  overhauled 
as  to  make  it  fireproof  in  order  that  the  valuable  records  which  if 
contains  may  be  safe. 

19.  We  demand  the  construction  upon  land  owned  by  the  State  of 
an  armory  to  house  and  store  the  State's  military  stores  which  are  now 
kept  in  the  basement  of  the  Capitol  and  which  involve  the  safety  of 
that  building. 

20.  We  recommend  legislation  looking  to  the  creation  of  State  high- 
ways to  be  built  and  maintained  by  the  State  with  the  use  and  by  the 
means  of  the  labor  of  State  convicts. 

21.  We   urge  and   request  the  incoming  administration   in  its   en- 
tirety to   give  the  penitentiary  affairs  its  most  patriotic  and   careful 
consideration,  in  order  that  it  may  so  shape  those  affairs  as  to  make  it 
self-sustaining  and  humane  in  all  its  departments:     We  demand,  how- 
ever, that  it  never  again  return  to  the  so-called  lease  system. 

22.  We  recommend  the  passage  of  a  law  requiring  all  State  officers 
to  be  nominated  by  a  majority  vote,  and  direct  that  such  law  be  so 
drawn  as  to  make  such  nomination  involve  as  little  expense  to  those 
seeking  such  office  as  possible. 

2<t  The  Democratic  party  recognizes  its  responsibility  to  the  people 
for  such  legislation  as  will  simplify  and  improve  our  legal  procedure, 
and  thereby  help  to  bring  the  administration  of  the  law  within  this 
State  to  the  highest  possible  efficiency.  It  realizes  that  in  much  of 
the  current  discussions  of  this  question  the  merits  of  our  system  are 
overlooked  and  its  past  service  to  the  State  undervalued,  but  it  appre- 
ciates the  fact  that  we  face  the  need  of  a  thoughtful  revision  of  cer- 
tain features  of  our  remedial  laws.  This  is  a  great  and  difficult  work. 
It  furnishes  no  field  for  experiment  or  the  exploitation  of  immatured 
theories;  it  should  reflect  alone  the  application  of  true  principles  of 
enlightened  experience.  We  pledge  the  effort  of  the  party  to  its  serious 
undertaking  and  capable  performance. 

25.  We  recommend  the  submission  by  the  thirty-fourth  legislature 
of  a  constitutional  amendment  exempting  from  taxation  all  factories 
engaged  -in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  or  worsteds  or  woolens  in  Texas 
for  a  period  of  not  less  than  ten  years. 

26.  We  urge  upon  the  legislature  a  passage  of  such  new  laws  and 


612  Platforms  of  Political 

the  amendment  of  such  laws  upon  the  statute  books  as  will  in  all 
respects  preserve  the  public  health  of  our  citizenship.  We  urge  that 
attention  be  given  these  matters  and  we  realize  the  imperative  neces- 
sity for  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  will  insure  our  people  from  the 
ravages  of  disease,  and  the  evils  of  incorrect  living.  We  urge  that  our 
health  department  be  maintained,  and,  if  possible,  advanced  to  a  higher 
degree  of  efficiency. 

27.  Home  owning  being  one  of  the  essential  foundations  of  an  intel- 
ligent and  prosperous  citizenship,  and  a  facility  or  place  to  borrow 
money  at  low  and  reasonable  rates  being  one  of  the  pressing  needs  of 
our  thrifty  and  energetic  citizens  who  want  to  own  at  least  humble 
homes,  therefore,  we,  the  Democratic  party  in  convention  assembled, 
do  recommend  to  our  legislature  that  it  give  continuous  and  serious 
attention  to  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  might  bring  cheaper  and  more 
money  into  Texas  to  be  loaned  to  those  who  desire  to  borrow  money 
with  which  to  buy  homes,  whether  they  be  wage  earners  in  the  towns 
and  cities  or  farmers  in  the  country,  and  we  recommend  that  the  legis- 
lature consider  the  passage  of  laws  looking  to  the  incorporation  and 
formation  of  companies,   societies,   and   associations  that  will   extend 
financial  assistance  to  our  prospective  and  ambitious  home  owners. 

28.  In  view  of  the  recent  disclosures  the  Democracy  of  Texas  strongly 
condemns  the  abuse  of  the  present  fee  system  of  paying  county  and, 
precinct  officers,  and  we  think  that  our  civilization  has  reached  that 
point  where  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  no  citizen  should  depend  upon  a 
money  consideration  accruing  to  any  public  official. 

We,  therefore,  recommend  to  our  legislature  that  it  give  its  best 
thought  and  attention  to  the  question  of  whether  the  fee  system  of 
paying  public  officials  should  not  be  abolished  in  Texas  and  all  officials 
be  put  upon  a  salary  basis,  commensurate  with  the  services  to  be  per- 
formed by  such  officials  in  their  respective  jurisdictions. 

29.  The  Democracy  of  Texas  declares  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  State 
government  to  adopt  such  means  and  establish  such  agencies  as  are 
lawful  under  the  constitution  of  the  State  to  enable  citizens  to  engage 
in   agricultural,    horticultural,   and   stock   raising  pursuits,   to    secure 
fair  freight  rates  to  the  markets,  and  to  insure  that  consignments  of 
such  products  are  honestly  handled,  sold,  and  accounted  for,  and  to 
this  end  we  recommend  the  establishment  of  a  commission  "of  trans* 
portation  and  commerce,  possessing  such  lawful  powers  and  charged 
with  such  duties  as  the  legislature  may  prescribe. 

30.  The  Democracy  of  Texas,   in  convention  assembled,  desires  to 
express  their  appreciation  of,  and  extend  their  thanks  to  Hon.  Walter 
Collins,  and  Hon.  Charles  J.  Kirk,  chairman  and  secretary  of  the  State 
executive  committee,  for  the  efficient  and  patriotic  services  as  chair- 
man and  secretary  of  said  State  executive  committee. 

31.  Except  as  hereinbefore  stated,  we  do  not  deem  it  to  be  in  the 
province  of  this  convention  to  deal  or  treat  with  any  National  ques- 
tions  of  legislation. 


Parties  in  Texas  613 

32.  We  demand  the  most  adequate  and  liberal  appropriation  for 
the  support  and  maintenance  of  the  live  stock  sanitary  commission  of 
Texas.  And  we  further  demand  adequate  laws  and  liberal  appropria- 
tion for  the  protection  of  live  stock  interests  of  this  State,  and  ade- 
quate laws  for  the  destruction  of  predatory  animals  that  prey  upon 
the  live  stock,  and  we  call  upon  our  legislature  to  make  adequate  ap- 
propriation for  the  continuance  of  payment  of  bounties  so  that  the 
destruction  of  said  predatory  animals  may  be-  encouraged  and  con- 
tinued. 

Resolutions- 
Congratulating  Senator  Culberson   on  his  improved  health  and  ex- 
pressing hope  for  his  complete  recovery. 

Recommending  legislation  not  to  require  actual  settlement  upon 
school  lands  and  limiting  sales  to  eight  sections. 

For  legislation  clearly  denning  the  line  of  demarcation  between 
State  and  private  rights  at  tide  water,  so  as  to  protect  the  public's 
interests  in  the  islands,  bays,  and  lakes  along  the  coast. 

Favoring  laws  protecting  fish  and  oysters,  sand  and  shell,  and  wild 
animals,  birds,  and  fowls. 

Favoring  redistricting  of  the  State  into  eighteen  congressional  dis- 
tricts, independent  of  the  political  fortunes  of  any  man;  also,  sena- 
torial redistricting. 

Recommending  constitutional  amendments  for  four  year  terms  for 
State,  district,  and  county  officers,  such  officers  not  to  be  eligible  to 
reelection  except  to  the  judiciary. 

Calling  for  action  by  Congress  to  relieve  Southern  cotton  growers  by 
authorizing  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  to  lend  money  on  cotton  in 
the  hands  of  producers  on  a  middling  basis. 

Expressing  4he  sympathy  of  the  people  of  Texas  to  President  Wilson 
and  family  in  their  bereavement. 

MINORITY    REPORT 

Adhering  to  the  fundamental  Democratic  principle,  that  every  State 
has  the  right  to  determine  the  qualifications  of  its  own  voters,  we  de- 
clare our  unalterable  -opposition  to  female  suffrage  through  amendment 
to  the  Federal  Constitution. 

The  Democratic  party  has  steadfastly  maintained  that  every  State 
possesses  the  power  to  regulate  and  control  its  own  police  affairs,  and 
in  accordance  with  that  view  we  declare  our  unalterable  opposition 
to  any  amendment  to  the  Federal  Constitution  withdrawing  from  the 
States  of  this  Union  the  right  to  determine,  each  for  itself,  whether 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  liquor  shall  be  permitted  or  prohibited 
within  its  jurisdiction. 

2A  verbatim  report  of  the  resolutions  has  not  been  found. 


614  Platforms  of  Political 

Knowing  that  the  corrupt  or  lavish  use  of  money  in  its  elections  will 
inevitably  subvert  any  free  government,  we  demand  the  enactment  of 
laws  which  shall  so  limit  the  expenditure  of  money  by  candidates  and 
their  supporters  that  the  selection  of  our  public  officers  shall  express 
the  deliberate  and  unpurchased  will  of  the  people. 

DBTJMMOND, 
GULP, 
GUION. 
The  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  vote  of  645  ayes  to  107  noes. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Paul  Waples,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man; 1st  Senatorial  district,  Hubbard  Lemon,  of  Cass;  2.  C.  E. 
Shepard,  of  Hopkins;  3.  Edgar  B.  Thomas,  of  Fannin;  4.  Cecil 
H.  Smith,  of  Grayson;  5.  J.  B.  Yates,  of  Hunt;  6.  Ed  Crane,  of 
Dallas;  7.  Walter  Jones,  of  Wood;  8.  John  Cock,  of  Harrison; 
9.  J.  S.  Grinnan,  of  Kaufman ;  10.  Walter  Collins,  of  Hill ;  11. 
J.  E.  Yantis,  of  McLennan;  12.  Robert  Hanna,  of  Limestone; 
13.  P.  H.  Hughes,  of  Anderson ;  14.  Thomas  N.  Hill,  of  Jefferson ; 
15.  Dr.  B.  Harrison,  of 'Grimes;  16.  John  L.  Wroe,  of  Harris; 
17.  J.  B.  Stubbs,  of  Galveston;  18.  J.  0.  Boettcher,  of  Colorado; 
19.  Q.  U.  Watson,  of  Lee;  20.  Lloyd  P.  Lochridge,  oi:  Travis; 
21.  John  L.  Brunner,  of  Williamson;  22.  O.  A.  McCracken,  of 
Wilson ;  23.  Joseph  K.  Wells,  of  Cameron ;  24.  H.  L.  Beach,  of 
Bexar;  25.  Milburn  McCarthy,  of  Tom  Green;  26.  Hilton  Burks, 
of  Comanche;  27.  A.  R.  Eidson,  of  Hamilton;  28.  B.  L.  Russell, 
of  Callahan;  29.  Reese  Tatum,  of  Dallam;  30.  J.  W  Mitchell, 
of  Tarrant;  31.  Alvin  Owsley,  of  Denton. 

PROGRESSIVE  STATE  CONVENTION,  1916 

WACO,  May  23 

About  one  hundred  delegates  were  present. 

Officers:  Chairman,  F.  M.  Wright,  of  Tarrant.  Secretary, 
G.  E.  Kepple,  of  Harris. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  J.  M. 
McCormick,  of  Dallas;  Henry  L.  Borden,  of  Harris;  Bart  Mar- 
shall, of  Grayson;  Dupont  B.  Lyon,  of  Grayson;  Joe  E.  Wil- 
liams, of  Hamilton ;  F.  M.  Wright,  of  Tarrant ;  Noah  Allen,  of 
Bexar;  0.  S.  Hunter,  of  Jefferson;  1st  Congressional  district, 


Parties  in  Texas  615 

J.  M.  Singleton,  of  Marion,  and  S.  A.  Seawright,  of  Bowie;  2, 
Charles  J.  Chaisson  and  F.  W.  Brooks,  of  Jefferson;  3.  L.  L, 
Boyd,  of  Kaufman,  and  W.  J.  Allen,  of  Smith;  4.  B.  W.  Fields, 
of  Hunt,  and  R.  H.  Crabbe,  of  Fannin ;  5.  J.  S.  Dunlap  and  F. 
M.  Etheridge,  both  of  Dallas;  6.  Rube  Freedman  and  Pierce 
Mayer,  both  of  Navarro;  7.  G.  W.  Burkett,  Sr.,  and  Charles  J. 
Crane,  both  of  Anderson;  8.  Earle  Wharton,  of  Harris;  and  W. 
A.  Matthaei,  of  Austin;  9.  C.  C.  Marshall  and  E.  E.  Beach,  both 
of  Dallas;  10.  Sloan  Simpson,  of  Dallas,  and  Harris  Mastersou, 
of  Harris ;  11.  James  W.  Williams,  of  Hamilton,  and  Dr.  C.  A. 
Gray,  of  Fannin;  12.  Rev.  Dr.  G.  W.  Ray  and  Chalmers  W. 
Hutchison,  both  of  Tarrant;  13.  O.  P.  Maricle,  of  "Wichita,  and 
K.  N.  Ilapgood,  of  Clay;  14.  S.  C.  Kyle,  of  Bexar,  and  G.  E. 
Kepple,  of  Harris;  15.  T.  J.  Martin,  of  Kinney,  and  A.  C. 
Hamilton,  of  Webb ;  16.  H.  A.  Baker,  of  Howard,  and  Charles 

A.  Fisk,  of  Potter. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  M.  McCormick,  K, 
X.  Hapgood,  H.  B.  Wilson,  Rube  Freedman,  J.  E.  Williams,  E. 
X.  Mulkey,  C.  W.  Hutchison,  T.  G.  Martin;  1st  Congressional 
district,  W.  E.  Singleton,  2.  H.  B.  Wilson,  3.  W.  L.  Boyd,  4> 
E.  T.  Judd,  5.  Dr.  J.  R.  Bragg,  6.  T.  W.  Watson,  7.  Dr.  E.  V. 
Converse,  8.  R.  E.  Hannay,  9.  Jesse  A.  Chase,  10.  Harvey  C, 
Stiles,  11.  W.  H.  Black,  12.  W.  P.  Hallmark,  13.  Lewis  Lindsey, 
14.  Granville  Thomas,  15.  J.  B.  Baker,  16.  R.  B.  Harrison. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  F.  M.  Etheridge,  of  Dallas;  R. 
E.  Hannay,  of  Waller;  Xoah  Allen,  of  Bexar;  Harris  Masterson, 
of  Harris;  G.  W.  Ray,  of  Tarrant;  W.  P.  Hallmark,  of  Erath; 

B.  W.  Fields,  of  Hunt ;  G.  W.  Burkett,  Sr.,  of  Anderson ;  A.  C. 
Hamilton,  of  Webb. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

Resolved,  that  we  favor  the  election  of  Henry  L.  Borden,  of  Houston, 
as  a  member  of  the  Progressive  National  executive  committee  and 
that  the  delegates  to  the  Progressive  National  convention  be  and  they 
are  hereby  instructed  to  vote  for  his  election  as  such  committeeman. 

1.  We  hereby  renew  our  faith  in  and  allegiance  to  the  principles 
of  the  Progressive  party  as  enunciated  in  its  National  platform  of 
1912. 

1PThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Waco  Times-Herald 
May  23,  1916. 


616  Platforms  of  Political 

2.  We  condemn  the  weak  and  vacillating  policy  of  the  present  ad- 
ministration which  has  put  the  people  of  the  United  States  in  a  false 
and  humiliating  attitude  before  the  world,  and  we  are  justly  resent- 
ful.    The  administration's  foreign  policy,  if   it  may  be  said  to  have 
had  any  fixed  policy,  and  more  especially  in  reference  to  Mexico,  con- 
sists of  a  succession  of  lamentable  blunders. 

3.  We  heartily  commend  the  principle  and  spirit  of  true  American- 
ism and  preparedness  in   fact,  as   contradistinguished   from   a  make- 
beiieve    preparedness    for    political    purposes,    and    the    protection    of 
American  citizens  and  American  rights  at  home  and  abroad,  on  land 
and  on  sea,  as  typified  by  the  illustrious  patriot,  Theodore  Roosevelt, 
whom  we   regard  as   the   greatest   living  American   today.     The   exi- 
gencies of  this  Nation  are  such  as  to  imperatively  require  the  election 
of  Theodore  Roosevelt  to  the  presidency  as  an  essential  to  the  restora- 
tion of  the  confidence  of  the  American  people  and  the  respect  to  which 
this  Nation  is  entitled   amongst  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  that 
peace  with  honor  and  prosperity  with  pride  shall  prevail  as  the  result 
of  the  unfaltering  advocacy  of  true  Americanism. 

Additional  Resolution 

Inasmuch  as  it  has  pleased  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Universe  to 
remove  from  our  midst  our  former  State  chairman  and  National  com- 
mitteeman,  General  Cecil  A.  Lyon;  therefore,  we,  the  Progressives  of 
Texas,  in  State  convention  assembled,  desire  to  give  public  expression 
of  our  appreciation  and  high  regard  for  his  manly  qualities,  both  as  a 
citizen  and  as  a  leader  of  men.  It  is  our  conscientious  conviction 
that  in  his  death  our  party  has  lost  a  wise  and  efficient  leader,  the, 
State  one  of  her  foremost  citizens,  and  the  Nation  a  worthy  and  loyal 
patriot. 

Resolved,  that  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  given  to  the  press  of 
the  State  and  also  a  copy  sent  to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,   1916 

FORT  WORTH,  May  23 

The  convention  was  well  attended;  one  correspondent  called 
it  "the  largest  and  whitest"  Republican  State  convention  held  in 
many  years. 

Officers:  Chairman,,  Eugene  Marshall,  of  Dallas.  Secretary, 
John  D.  Van  Demark,  of  Harris. 

Delegates  to  the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  H.  F 
TVTacGregor,  of  Harris;  Phil  E.  Baer,  of  Lamar:  Eugene  Mar- 


Parties  in  Texas  617 

shall,  of  Dallas;  C.  W.  Johnson,  of  Young;  R.  A.  Harvin,  of 
Brazoria;  William  McDonald,  of  Tarrant;  C.  L.  McDowell,  of 
Val  Verde;  R.  S.  Legate,  of  Grayson. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Eugene-  Nolte,  of 
Guadalupe ;  James  Field,  of  Burnet ;  Charles  R.  Bone,  of  Jeffer- 
son ;  Fred  Matthies,  of  Guadalupe ;  District  Electors.  J.  J.  Dick- 
erson,  J.  C.  McBride,  W.  A.  Hawn,  M.  A.  Taylor,  C.  W.  Beck, 
C.  C.  Martin,  Ben  Sass,  J.  Sam  Angier,  E.  M.  Tracy,  J.  M. 
Cope,  J.  C.  Eakin,  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  Henry  Ingerton,  Nat  Sulz- 
bacher,  Frank  C.  Blane,  and  F.  M.  Morton. 

Committee  on  Platform  and,  Resolutions:  William  H.  At- 
\vell,  of  Dallas,  chairman,  D.  H.  Morris,  G.  W.  Eason,  H.  H. 
Duncan,  M.  A.  Taylor,  M.  G.  Brooks,  H.  A.  Griffin,  David  Abner, 
R.  A.  Harvin,  William  White,  T.  J.  Darling,  H.  Zweifel,  Otis 
Bacon,  Marshal  Smith,  Eugene  Nolte,  R.  B.  Slight. 

PLATFORM1 

1.  The  convention  came  out  for  protective  tariff,  in  the  payment  of 
the  expenses  of  the  Nation. 

2.  The   so-called   "trust  and   industrial"   laws   were   condemned  as 
legislation   calculated  to  drive  capital  into  hiding  and  deprive  labor 
of  an  opportunity  to  make  an  honest  and  legitimate  wage. 

3.  As  a  return  to  the  English  espionage  and  picketing  system,  the 
continued  multiplication  of  officers  and  commissioners  to  "smell,  probe, 
and  report,"  was  condemned  by  the  convention. 

4.  That  the  "blowing  hot  and  cold"  policies  of  the  administration 
cease  and  the  honor  of  the   flag  at  home  and  abroad  be  maintained 
persistently. 

5.  That  the  shiftless  indecision  of  the  present  administration,  re- 
sulting in  the  loss  of  American  lives  on  the  high  seas  and  in  Mexico, 
be  condemmed  and  that  an  adequate  army  and  navy  be  maintained  by 
the  United  States. 

Additional  Resolution 

The  delegates  to  the  National  convention  were  instructed  to  vote  for 
the  reelection  of  MacGregor  as  National  committeeman. 

lrThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News  and 
Fort  Worth  Record,  May  24,  1916.  A  verbatim  report  of  the  platform  has 
not  been  found. 


618  Platforms  of  Political 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE   CONVENTION,   1916 

SAN  ANTONIO,  May  23  and  24 

The  principal  contest  before  the  convention  centered  about 
that  plank  of  the  platform  declaring  against  National  prohibi- 
tion; second  to  this  was  the  choice  of  National  committeeman. 
As  the  opposing  factions  were  almost  evenly  matched  the  con- 
test was  warm.  This  convention  not  only  accepted  the  district 
delegates  to  the  National  convention  and  the  district  nominees 
for  presidential  electors,  but  instructed  the  districts  to  nom- 
inate one  each  of  the  delegates  at  large,  to  be  confirmed  by  the 
convention. 

Officers:  Chairman,  W.  C.  Wear,  of  Hill.  Secretary,  Charles 
J.  Kirk,  of  Hams.  Temporary  officers  were  made  permanent. 

Delegates  to  *the  National  Convention:  State  at  large,  1st 
Congressional  district,  J.  M.  Buford,  of  Titus;  2.  Stewart  R, 
Smith,  of  Jefferson;  3.  Robert  L.  Warren,  of  Kaufman;  4.  Lee 
Clark,  of  Hunt;  5.  Harry  P.  Lawther,  of  Dallas;  6.  Charles  H. 
Mills,  of  Navarro;  7.  Fred  E.  Pabst,  of  Galveston;  8.  John  H. 
Kirby,  of  Harris;  9.  Will  T.  Bagby,  of  Lavaca;  10,  Paul  D, 
Page,  of  Bastrop;  11.  James  E.  Ferguson,  of  Bell;  12.  Louis  J. 
AVortham,  of  Tarrant;  13.  F.  F.  Hill,  of  Denton;  14.  Frank  C. 
Davis,  of  Bexar ;  15.  John  N.  Garner,  of  Uvalde ;  16.  J.  W.  Gog- 
gin,  of  El  Paso. 

District  Delegates:  1st  Congressional  district,  W.  G.  Thorn- 
ton, of  Hopkins,  and  Tom  Scott,  of  Lamar;  2.  Beemaii  Strong, 
of  Nacogdoches,  and  0.  M.  Stone,  of  Jasper;  3.  P.  K.  Birdwell, 
of  Smith,  and  Latcn  Stanberry,  of  Kaufman;  4.  Ben  Vaughan, 
of  Hunt,  and  E.  J.  Smith,  of  Grayson;  5.  R.  A.  Watkins,  of 
Dallas,  and  T.  F.  Thompson1,  of  Ellis;  6.  Luther  Johnson,  of 
Navarro,  and  Scott  Reid,  of  Limestone;  7.  J.  B.  Stubbs,  of  Gal- 
veston, and  J.  M.  Young,  of  Harris;  8.  II.  B.  Rice,  of  Harris, 
and  J.  M.  Moore,  of  Fort  Bend;  9.  A.  R.  Rucks,  of  Brazoria, 
and  I.  E.  Clark,  of  Fayette;  10.  Ed  R,  Sinks,  of  Lee,  and  Q.  C. 
Murray,  of  Burleson;  11.  Allan  D.  Sanford,  of  McLennan,  and 
C.  W.  Goddard,  of  Bell;  12.  J.  R.  Ransome,  Jr.,  of  Johnson, 


Parties  in  Texas  619 

and  E.  B.  Ridgeway,  of  Tarrant;  13.  R.  E.  Huff,  of  Wichita, 
and  J.  W.  Sullivan,  of  Dcuton;  14.  A.  W.  Secligson,  of  Bexar, 
and  C.  L.  McCartney,  of  Brown;  15.  blank;  16.  J.  D.  Jackson 
of  Bre \\ster,  and  C.  C.  Higgins,  of  Scurry. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  Marshall  Hicks,  of 
Bexar;  Cullen  F.  Thomas,  of  Dallas;  Henry  D.  Paulus,  of  La- 
vaca;  Hamp  Abney,  of  Grayson;  1st  Congressional  district,  *R. 
P.  Dorrough,  of  Bowie;  2.  J.  P.  Adams,  of—  — ;  3.  George 

B.  Thompson,  of  Henderson;  4.  Owen  P.  Smith,  of  Collin;  5. 
Frank  W.  Wozencraft,  of  Dallas;  6.  Lee  C.  Kirgen,  of  Free- 
stone; 7.  Fred  Stevens,  of  Liberty;  8.  G.  W.  Kayser,  of  Mont- 
gomery; 9.  J.  R,  Kubena,  of  Fayette;  10.  Robert  J.  Eckhardt, 
of  "Williamson;  11.  Edgar  M.  Mann,  of  McLennan;  12.  T.  A. 
Wytlie,  of  Parker;  13.  J.  0.  Wood,  of  Collingsworth ;  14.  J.  T. 
Sluder,  of  Bexar;  15.  blank;  16.  Dan  M.  Jackson,  of  El  Paso. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, A.  C.  Stewart,  2.  C.  E.  Shepard,  3.  S.  D.  Wright,  4.  J. 
W.  Bailey,  5.  L.  A.  Clark,  6.  Cullen  F.  Thomas,  7.  J.  M.  Ed- 
wards, 8.  T.  W.  Davidson,  9.  Charles  H.  Mills,  10.  J.  M.  Alder- 
dyce,  11.  R.  L.  Henry,  12.  J.  R.  Astin,  13.  T.  B.  Greenwood, 
14.  Rev.  W.  J.  Crawford,  15.  T.  P.  Buffington,  16.  S.  J.  Winston, 
17.  J.  II.  Fricke,  18.  A.  Haidusek,  19.  John  M.  Mathis,  20.. 
A.  C.  Baldwin,  21.  W.  M.  Fly,  22.  W.  0.  Murray,  23.  J.  B. 
Wells,  chairman,  24.  J.  F.  Carl,  25.  R.  E.  Thomason,  26.  J.  K. 
Rector,  Jr.,  27.  James  E.  Ferguson,  28.  J.  M.  Wagstaff,  29. 
David  E.  Decker,  30.  Louis  J.  Wortham,  31.  C.  V.  Terrell, 
secretary. 

PLATFORM1 

Resolved,  [1]  by  the  Democrats  of  Texas  in  convention  assembled, 
that  we  cordially  indorse  the  administration  of  Woodrow  Wilson,  and 
we  indorse  the  candidacy  of  Thomas  R..  Marshall  for  Vice-President  and 
believe  him  to  be  a  fit  running  mate  for  Woodrow  Wilson  in  the  en- 
suing presidential  campaign,  and  the  delegates  to  the  St.  Louis  con- 
vention are  hereby  instructed  to  vote  for  the  ncmination  of  Woodrow 
Wilson  and  Thomas  R.  Marshall. 

[2]  That  we  indorse  the  administration  of  Governor  James  E. 
Ferguson  and  commend  him  for  his  fidelity  to  the  pledges  he  made  to 

1(The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  San  Antonio 
Express,  May  24  and  25,  1916. 


620  Platforms  of  Political 

the  people  and  the  efforts  he  has  put  forth  for  the  industrial  develop- 
ment of  our  State.  We  especially  commend  him  for  his  wise,  timely, 
and  courageous  cooperation  with  the  President  of  the  United  States  in 
dealing  with  the  vexatious  problems  growing  out  of  the  Mexican 
situation. 

[3]  That  adhering  to  the  fundamental  Democratic  principles,  that 
every  State  has  the  right  to  determine  the  qualifications  of  its  own 
voters,  we  declare  our  unalterable  opposition  to  female  suffrage, 
through  an  amendment  to  the  Federal  Constitution. 

[4]  That  the  Democratic  party  has  steadfastly  maintained  that 
every  State  possesses  the  power  to  regulate  and  control  its  own  police 
affairs,  and  in  accordance  with  that  view  we  declare  our  unalterable 
opposition  to  any  amendments  to  the  Federal  Constitution  withdraw- 
ing from  the  States  of  this  Union  the  right  to  determine,  each  for 
itself,  whether  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  liquor  shall  be  permitted 
or  prohibited  within  its  jurisdiction.  We  agree  with  President  Wilson 
when  he  said  that  "any  self-governing  community  which  constitutes  a 
social  unit  should  have  the  right  to  control  the  matter  of  the  regula- 
tion or  withholding  of  licenses." 

Additional  Resolution 

Resolved,  that  we  congratulate  the  Nation  on  the  fact  that  at  this 
time  of  world-wide  stress  it  has  as  its  chief  executive  Woodrcw  Wilson, 
a  patriotic,  wise,  calm,  and  fearless  American,  'firmly  to  maintain  the 
rights  of  our  country.  We  call  upon  Congress  to  strengthen  and 
uphold  the  hands  of  our  President  by  speedily  providing  and  main- 
taining an  adequate  and  efficient  army  and  navy,  the  better  to  protect 
and  safeguard  the  rights  of  our  citizens,  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  to  maintain  inviolate  the  sacred  honor  of  the  Nation. 

MINORITY    REPORT 

We,  a  minority  of  your  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions,  here- 
by submit  for  your  consideration  the  following  report: 

1.  Resolved,  by  the  Democrats  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled, 
that  we  cordially  indorse  the  administration  of  Woodrow  Wilson  and 
expressly  give  our  approval  to  the  constructive  acts  passed  during  the 
four  years  in  which  he  has  been  chief  executive. 

2.  We  rejoice  in  the  unsullied  record  of  the  Wilson  administration, 
because    it   has    redeemed    with    single-hearted    fidelity    its    platform 
pledges  to  the  American  people. 

3.  We  indorse  the  domestic  policies  of  the  Wilson  administration 
as  broad  and  progressive,  its  businesslike  and  statesmanlike  policies, 
crystalized  into  wise  and  helpful  laws  that  have  become  chapters  of 
achievement  for  our  country's  good,  unsurpassed  for  a  similar  period 
in  our  country's  history. 


Parties  in  Texas  621 

4.  The   Wilson  administration   has   revised   the   tariff,   not   upward 
but  downward,  and  framed  a  measure,  without  fear  of  special  interests 
or  favoritism  to  pet  industries,  in  behalf  alike  of  the  consumers  and 
producers  of  the  land. 

5.  The  Wilson  administration  has  enacted  an  income  tax  law,  the 
fruition  of  Democratic  faith  for  twenty  years,  that  compels  just  con- 
tribution   from    swollen   wealth   for   the    support    of   government   and 
lightens  the  burdens  resting  on  the  backs  of  the  great  masses  of  the 
people. 

6.  The    Wilson   administration   has    established  a  regional   reserve 
banking  system,  whose  purpose  is  to  decentralize  the  power  of  money 
and  dethrone  the  money  power,  and  whose  effect,  as  already  demon- 
strated, is  to  emancipate  credits,  provide  a  flexible  currency,  and  make 
money  panics  forever  impossible. 

7.  The  Wilson  administration  has  strengthened  our  anti-trust  laws 
and  stood,  not  for  their  suspension  by  executive  caprice  through  politi- 
cal bargains  with  malefactors  of  great  wealth,  but  for  the  vigorous 
enforcement    of   those    laws   by   criminal   prosecutions   of   conspicuous 
violators  in  the  courts  of  the  land. 

8.  The  Wilson  administration  stands  for  a  rural  credits  system  that 
will  secure  a  sure   market  for  .sound  securities   of   American   farms, 
provide  needed  credits  on  reasonable  terms  for  American  farmers,  and 
encourage  the  improvement  and  ownership  of  homes  by  the  homeless 
millions  of  the  land. 

9.  The  Wilson  administration  stands  for  the  creation  of  an  Ameri- 
can merchant  marine,  adequate  in  this  day  of  duty  and  opportunity  to 
carry  the  products  of  American  farm  and  factory  to  the  eager  markets 
of  the  world. 

10.  The  Wilson  administration  stands  for  the  speedy  enactment  of 
a  law  that  shall  regulate  and  control  campaign  contributions  in  presi- 
dential elections,  to  the  end  that  special  interests  shall  no  longer  raise 
unlimited  slush  funds,  in  return  for  governmental  favors,  to  debauch 
the  electorate  in  doubtful  States. 

11.  The  Wilson  administration,  entitled  as  it  is  to  unqualified  com- 
mendation for  its  record  in  handling  domestic  concerns,  compels  yet 
more  the  people's  gratitude  because  of  its  foreign  policies. 

Broadening  the  scope  of  the  historic  Monroe  doctrine,  it  has  stood 
for  a  Pan-American  spirit  that  would  cement  all  the  republics  of  the 
Western  Hemisphere. 

Amid  unprecedented  perils,  with  half  the  world  on  fire  with  the 
flames  of  war,  Woodrow  Wilson  has  safeguarded  this  Nation's  honor 
and  preserved  this  Nation's  peace. 

Borrowing  the  patience  of  Washington,  the  sagacity  of  Jefferson, 
and  the  courage  of  Jackson,  amid  plots  and  marplots,  at  home  and 
abroad,  during  days  when  one  impetuous,  half-baked  utterance  would 
have  drawn  this  country  into  the  maelstrom  of  war,  the  governments 


622  Platforms  of  Political 


of  the  earth  have  waited  on  and  heeded  his  words,  as  he   spoke  the 
last  word  for  National  dignity,  international  law,  and  human  liberty. 

Believing  that  Woodrow  Wilson  is  the  friend  of  peace  and  good  will 
toward  all  nations,  declaring  ourselves  the  foes  of  one  step  toward 
militarism  or  imperialism  by  this  Republic,  opposing  the  enlistment 
of  one  soldier  or  the  building  of  one  battleship  more  than  is  necessary 
for  National  defense,  we  stand  for  adequate  military  preparedness,  now 
and  hereafter,  for  the  protection  of  American  integrity,  honor,  and- 
territory,  whether  from  aggression  across  the  seas  or  marauders  across 
the  Rio  Grande. 

12.  Finally,  because  his  administration  has  been  clean,  because  he 
has  kept  the  faith,  because  of  his  unsurpassed  record   of  competency 
and  accomplishment,  because  higher  than  concrete  achievement  is  his 
lofty  spirit,  because  of  his  scholarship  and  statesmanship,  because  of 
liis  vision  and  his  patriotism,  because  of  his  purity  and  poise  of  intel- 
lect, because  of  his  masterful  leadership  of  his  party  and  his  broad 
Americanism  above  party,  because  as  the  Nation's  head  he  ims  Kept 
his  head  amid  the  tumult  of  the  world,  because  within  himself  he  is  a 
platform,  commanding  the  confidence  and  support  of  the  great  body 
of  the  American  people — today  the  Democracy  of  Texas  but  voices  the 
heartbeat  of  the  united  and  militant  Democracy  of  the  country  as  it 
unreservedly  and  enthusiastically  indorses   Wcodrow  Wilson,   the   in- 
comparable citizen  and  faithful  public   servant,  and  hereby  instructs 
its  entire  delegation  to  the  National  convention  for  Woodrow  Wilson 
for  renomination  for  President  of  the  United  States. 

13.  Recalling    with    pride    the    conspicuous    if    not    controlling    in- 
fluence of  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  through  its  spokesman  in  the  Na- 
tional   convention,    in    bringing    about    the    nomination    of    Woodrow 
Wilson  four  years  ago,  we  hereby  record  our  appreciation  of  the  recog- 
nition of  our  State  by  President  Wilson  in    calling  to  his  cabinet  three 
of  her  favorite  sons,  and  further  congratulate  our  Burleson,  Gregory, 
and  Houston  on  their  useful  and  faithful  service  to  the  country  in  the 
administration  of  their  departments  of  the  National  government. 

14.  We    recognize    the   honest   and   divergent    views   of  our   fellow 
Democrats   in    Texas   and   throughout  the   Union   on   the  question   of 
woman  suffrage  and  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic  by  amendment  to 
the   Federal  Constitution;    we  recall  that  heretofore  one's  conviction 
on  these  questions  has  not  been  made  a  test  of  his  standing  or  loyalty 
as  a   Democrat;    we   believe   it  unwise,   inexpedient,   and    tending  to 
jeopardize  Democratic  success  in  the  coming  National  campaign  at  this 
time  to  inject  these  mooted  issues  into  the  deliberations  of  our  Demo- 
cratic conventions,  State  or  National,  as  a  tenet  of  party  faith;   there- 
fore, we  deprecate  and  oppose  any  platform  proposals  by  advocates  or 
opponents  of  these  questions  and  hereby  instruct  our  delegates,  whether 
district  or  from  the  State  at  large,  to  vote  as  a  unit  against  any  effort 
by  either  side,  from  whatsoever  source,  to  place  any  declaration  of 


Parties  in  Texas  623 

.any  kind  for  or  against  prohibition  or  woman  suffrage  in  the  National 

platform. 

CULLEX  F.  THOMAS,  WALTER  J.  CRAWFORD, 

T.  B.  GREENWOOD,  J.  M.  WAGSTAFF, 

L.  A.  CLARK,  T.  P.  BUFFIXGTOX, 

J.  W.  DAVIDSON,  C.  H.  MILLS, 

C.  V.  TERRELL,      .  J.  M.  ALDERDYCE, 

J.  M.  EDWARDS,  A.  C.  BALDWIN. 

We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  minority,  for  ourselves,  hereby 
indorse  that  part  of  the  majority  report  which  indorses  the  adminis- 
tration of  Governor  James  E.  Ferguson. 

J.  M.  ALDERDYCE,  J.  M.  WAGSTAFF, 

C.  H.  MILLS,  A.  C.  BALDWIN, 

T.  P.  BUFFIXGTOX,  WALTER  J.  CRAWFORD. 

The  minority  report  was  voted  down  by  the  convention. 

National  Committeeman  for  Texas:  William  Poindexter,  of 
Johnson. 

GERMAN-AMERICAN  ALLIANCE,   1916 

AUSTIN,  June  28 

About  two  hundred  delegates  attended  the  convention.  ''While 
it  was  the  opinion  of  some  prominent  men  of  German  descent 
lhat  the  meeting  of  the  Alliance  should  not  have  been  held, 
the  majority  opinion  was  that  it  was  necessary  on  account  of 
the  resentment  felt  by  many  German-Americans  toward  the 
National  administration  and  to  issue  a  call  to  them  to  partici- 
pate in  the  Democratic  primaries  and  vote  against  submission/' 

Officers:  Chairman,  Hugo  Moeller,  of  Bexar.  Secretary, 
Theo  Mueller,  of  Bexar. 

Committee  on  Resolutions:  Paul  Meerscheidt,  of  Bexar;  F. 
C.  Wcinert,  of  Guadalupe;  Gus  A.  Heilig,  of  Dallas;  G.  &. 
Spielhagen,  of  Bexar;  Albert  Hellberg,  of  Harris;  Julian  Stap- 
pcr.  of  Cibolo. 

RESOLUTIONS1 

WHEREAS,  the  Anti-Saloon  League  of  Ohio,  through  its  Texas  repre- 
sentatives, is  again  attempting  to  foist  upon  the  people  of  Texas  an 

1The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Austin  American 
:and  Austin  Statesman,  June  29,  1916. 


624  Platforms  of  Political 

unnecessary  campaign  on  the  question  of  statewide  prohibition,  thereby 
creating  strife  among  the  citizenship  of  this  State,  when  they  should  be 
in  thorough  harmony  and  of  one  accord  for  the  material  advance- 
ment and  upbuilding  of  this  State;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  citizenship  of  this  State  of  German  descent  have  always 
vigorously  maintained  that  no  government  can  endure  that  does  not 
maintain  the  highest  degree  of  individual  liberty  to  the  citizen,  con- 
sonant with  good  government;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  continued  efforts  of  the  agents  of  the  Anti-Saloon 
League,  aided  and  assisted  by  a  portion  of  the  Democrats  of  this  State, 
to  commit  tthe  Democratic  party  of  this  State  to  the  doctrine  of  state- 
wide prohibition,  which  we  contend  is  undemocratic  and  not  in  keep- 
ing with  the  fundamental  principles  of  free  government;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  question  of  the  adoption  of  a  constitutional  amendment 
for  statewide  prohibition  will  again  be  submitted  to  the  Democratic 
voters  of  Texas  on  the  22d  day  of  July,  1916;  now,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  condemn  the  continued  agitation  of  this  ques- 
tion by  the  Anti-Saloon  League  and  their  followers,  and  their  further 
attempt  to  measure  every  man's  qualifications  for  office  in  Texas  by  his 
position  on  the  question  of  statewide  or  nationwide  prohibition. 

2.  That  we  urge  all  citizens  of  Texas  of  German  descent  to  go  to  the 
polls  on  the  22d  day  of  July  and  register  their  vote  against  statewide 
prohibition,  as  they  have  always  done  heretofore.  And  we  further 
urge  them  to  vote  for  those  who  are  aspirants  for  office  who  have  in 
the  past  and  now  uphold  this  principle  of  democratic  government, 
should  they  otherwise  be  qualified  for  the  position  to  which  they  aspire. 

WHEREAS,  the  subsidized  press  of  the  country  has  in  every  possible 
way  tried  to  humiliate  the  loyal  citizenship  of  the  United  States  of 
German  birth  by  continually  referring  to  them  as  "hyphenated  Ameri- 
cans," which  term  is  both  repulsive  and  an  insult  to  every  foreign-born 
American  citizen,  as  well  as  those  who  are  born  Americans  of  foreign- 
born  parents;  and 

WHEREAS,  certain  people  designedly  for  political  purposes  are  con- 
tinually using  such  objectionable  terms  in  speaking  especially  of  the 
German-born  citizens  of  this  country,  thereby  trying  to  create  strife 
between  them  and  the  people  of  other  nationalities  who  are  citizens 
of  this  country,  as  well  as  those  of  native  American  birth;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  citizenship  of  Texas  of  German  birth  have  contributed 
of  their  brain,  wealth,  and  blood  both  in  war  and  in  peace  to  the  up- 
building of  this  State  and  Nation,  and  have  heretofore  contributed  the 
best  blood  cf  their  race  to  the  upholding  of  the  constitution,  laws,  and 
traditions  of  this  Republic,  and  stand  ready  now  and  at  all  times  to- 
do  our  full  duty  as  American  citizens,  both  on  the  battlefield  and  in 
the  forums  of  peace;  and 

WHEREAS,  such  terms  as  "hyphenated  Americans"  is  particularly  ob- 
jectionable to  us,  for  the  reason  that  we  are  American  citizens  first 


Parties  in  Texas  625 

and  above  all,  and  yield  to  no  one  in  our  fealty  to  this  government  and 
its  institutions;  now,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  we  condemn  in  no  uncertain  terms  those  who  for  any 
reason  use  such  objectionable  terms  as  above  quoted  or  dispute  the 
loyalty  of  the  American  citizen  of  German  descent.  That  while  we 
sympathize  with  Germany  in  her  struggle  for  national  existence,  we 
owe  our  first  duty  to  this  government  and  its  institutions,  and  we  saj 
most  emphatically  that  we  have  never  been  found  wanting  either  in 
war  or  in  peace  to  do  our  full  duty  as  American  citizens. 

SOCIALIST  STATE  CONVENTION,  1916 

TEMPLE,  August  8 

In  accordance  with  the  practice  of  the  party,  candidates  for 
State  offices  and  the  members  of  the  platform  committee  were 
selected  by  a  referendum.  The  candidates  were  "legally"  nomi- 
nated by  a  mass  meeting  held  at  Temple,  August  8,  1916.  The 
platform  suggested  by  the  committee  was  adopted  by  a  refer- 
endum of  the  dues  paying  membership. 

Officers:     Chairman,  Patton  McCord,  of  Yoakum. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  B.  Triplet.  J.  B. 
Yarbrough,  J.  R.  Scroggins,  Benton  Kelsey;  District  electors, 
J,  T.  Morris,  J.  C.  Harrat,  R.  A.  Smith,  E.  B.  Hadsell,  U. 
Moes,  T.  R.  Pheythian,  J.  L.  Hicks,  J.  A.  Wood,  George  Kelley, 
J.  T.  Johnson,  J.  T.  Echols,  Martin  Ludal,  J.  J.  Jones,  J.  D. 
Carmiehall,  E.  T.  Higgins,  H.  J.  Parker. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  E.  R.  Meitzen,  of  La- 
vaca ;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Nat  B.  Hunt,  of  Tarrant ;  Attorney- 
General,  Clarence  Nugent,  of  Erath;  Comptroller,  W.  T.  Flow- 
ers, of  Collingsworth ;  Treasurer,  W.  J.  Bell,  of  Smith;  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office,  G.  A.  Lambreth,  of 
Wheeler;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  J.  A.  Freeland, 
of  Cherokee;  Railroad  Commissioner,  E.  Bellinger,  of  Bexar; 
Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  Joe  F.  Hudspeth,  of  Haskell ; 
Supreme  Court,  B.  H.  Gibson,  of  Tarrant;  Congressmen  at  large, 
Arch  Lingan,  of  Jefferson,  and  W.  D.  Simpson,  of  Eastland; 
United  States  Senator,  T.  A.  Hickey,  of  Lavaca. 

Committee  on  Platform:    T.  A.  Hickey,  of  Lavaca,  chairman. 


40—328 


626  Platforms  of  Political 


PLATFORM1 

Preamble. — The  Socialist  party  comes  before  the  people  as  the  only 
party  of,  by  arid  for  the  producing  masses — a.  party  that  wants  nothing 
else  and  cares  for  nothing  else  than  the  complete  political  an'd  eco- 
nomic triumph  of  the  working  class. 

It  says  to  all  workers:  "Withdraw  from  the  Democratic  party  and 
all  other  political  organizations  ether  than  the  Socialist  party,  for  such 
parties  cannot  represent  your  interests.  They  uphold  the  prevailing 
rent-interest-profit  system  and  therefore  can  no  more  help  representing 
the  interests  of  the  exploiters  that  profit  by  that  system  than  the 
Socialist  party,  whose  historic  mission  it  is  to  abolish  landlordism  and 
industrial  despotism,  can  help  taking  its  stand  with  the  wageworker 
and  working  farmer  who  are  oppressed  by  that  system." 

We  hold  that  it  is  almost  trite  to  recount  the  robbery  and  oppression 
of  the  many  by  the  privileged  few  that  the  prevailing  capitalist  system 
entails.  In  every  State  in  the  Nation  and  in  every  nation  in  the  world, 
whether  it  be  in  trust-ridden  America  or  in  blood-drenched  Europe,  the 
evil  fruits  of  that  system  are  apparent.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  set  out 
in  detail  the  fact  that  this  oppression  has  reached  its  climax  in  usury- 
ridden,  rack-rented  Texas,  due  largely  to  the  unhindered  control  of  the 
State  for  fifty  years  by  one  political  ring,  resulting  in  a  greater  measure 
of  landlessness  and  homelessness  than  in  any  other  State  in  the  Union, 
despite  the  fact  that  only  one-fifth  of  the  arable  land  of  the  State  is 
cultivated  and  117,000,000  acres  of  good,  tillable  land  is  held  out  of 
cultivation — land  that  is  used  by  the  owners  for  no  other  purpose  than 
10  rob  the  rising  generation  and  the  generations  yet  unborn;  land  that 
is  beyond  the  reach  of  the  1,250,000  Texas  tenants,  and  passing  further 
out  of  their  reach  each  day. 

The  State  platform  of  the  Socialist  party  is  in  line  with  all  national 
and  internaiional  Socialist  platforms,  all  of  which  have  for  their  basic 
principle  this  statement:  "Collective  ownership  and  democratic  man- 
agement of  all  things  collectively  used,  and  private  ownershop  and  pri- 
vate management  of  all  things  that  are  in  their  nature  private." 
Comprehended  in  that  principle  is  the  idea  that  the  world  and  all  that 
is  in  it  belongs  to  the  living;  no  dead  hands  of  the  dead  past  shall 
decree  that  one  or  a  few  shall  own  the  earth  and  crowd  out  the  many 
that  have  the  same  right  to  life,  liberty  and  pursuit  of  happiness. 
Contained  in  that  principle  is  the  idea  that  land  is  the  gift  of  the 
Creator  to  all  mankind  and  must  never  be  monopolized  and  that  to 
that  end  the  taxing  power  of  the  State  be  so  used  that  the  holding  of 
land  be  overtaxed  and  the  use  of  land  be  undertaxed,  with  the  final 
object  that  no  one  would  hold  any  more  land  than  he  could  use. 

fl]      Collective  Ownership. — Collective   ownership,  wherever  practi- 

xThis  platform  is  copied  from  a  broadside  issued  by  the  party  during  the 
campaign. 


Parties  in  Texas  627 

cable,  by  municipal,  county,  or  State  governments,  of  gins,  compresses, 
oil  mills,  cotton  and  wheat  mills,  warehouses,  elevators,  packeries  and 
other  industries  as  well  as  public  irrigation  and  drainage  projects. 

[2]  Land  Plank. — The  scientific  grading  and  classifying  of  all 
lands;  necessary  for  the  support  of  a  family  exempted  from  taxation, 
and  all  land  privately  held  in  excess  of  that  amount  to  be  taxed  at 
its  full  rental  value,  all  to  the  end  that  occupancy  and  use  be  necessary 
as  a  valid  title  to  land. 

[3]  Money  Question. — Legislation  that  will  materially  cheapen 
money  fcr  the  creditor  class  of  the  State: 

Penitentiary  sentences  for   usurers  and   forfeiture  of  amounts  due. 

The  establishment  of  banks  owned  by  the  people,  and  in  connection 
therewith  the  creation  of  a  rural  credit  system,  all  to  the  end  that 
actual  farmers  and  wage  workers  may  borrow  money  at  the  best  pos- 
sible terms. 

[4]  Industrial  Demands. — A  stringent  law  against  blacklisting, 
making  it  a  felony. 

An   effective   workingmen's   compensaticn    act;    an   eight  hour   day. 

Prohibiting  the  employment  for  wages  of  all  children  under  the 
age  of  eighteen  years. 

State  convicts  shall  be  paid  a  monthly  wage,  which  shall  go  to 
the  support  of  their  dependents. 

That  no  private  detective  agency  shall  be  allowed  to  operate  in 
Texas. 

[5]  Court  Reform. — To  the  end  that  equality  before  the  law  be- 
come a  fact  in  Texas  we  advocate  radical  reform  of  court  procedure, 
including  revision  of  the  jury  system  so  that  juries  in  justice,  county, 
and  district  courts  be  drawn  respectively  from  adjoining  precincts, 
counties,  and  districts;  also  that  district  judges  and  attorneys  be  elected 
at  large  and  required  to  serve  in  other  than  their  home  districts. 

Abolishment  of  the  fee  system. 

We  favor  the  free  administration  of  justice;  the  creation  of  the 
office  of  common  counsellor  in  each  county  in  order  to  furnish  free 
of  charge,  competent  legal  counsel  for  all  persons  unable  to  defend 
their  rights  in  the  courts,  civilly  or  criminally. 

[6]  Political  Demands. — Equal  and  unrestricted  suffrage  for  men 
and  women,  including  the  removal  of  poll  tax  qualifications. 

Provisions  whereby  absentees  may  mail  their  votes  for  all  political 
officers,  local  and  general. 

Abolishment  of  the  State  senate  and  of  the  governor's  veto. 

Proportional  representation  in  the  house  of  representatives  along 
industrial  lines,  so  that  farmers  represent  farmers,  wage  earners  rep- 
esent  wage  earners,  etc. 

The  enactment  of  franchise,  corporation  and  inheritance  taxes. 

[7J     Educational  Demands. — Free  textbooks  printed  by  the  State. 

A  more  effective  compulsory  education  law. 


628  Platforms  of  Political 

Destitute  children  to  be  fed  and  clothed  at  public  expense. 

A  more  efficient  educational  system  in  all  branches  of  learning, 
systematized  and  arranged  to  meet  the  every-day  requirements  of  the 
masses. 

Education  from  the  common  school  up  to  the  highest  State  college 
to  be  absolutely  free  to  all,  including  board  to  students  at  public 
expense. 

[8]  Public  Welfare. — Free  medical  and  surgical  attention  for  all, 
and  the  establishment  of  a  public  sanitarium  in  each  county  where 
treatment  will  be  furnished  at  public  expense. 

[9]  Insurance. — Compulsory  State,  life,  fire,  sick,  accident,  and 
other  insurance. 

Pensions  to  mothers  who  are  without  the  support  of  the  natural 
bread-winners. 

Liberal  old  age  pensions  to  men  and  women  over  the  age  of.  60  years. 

[10]  Liquor  Question. — Realizing  that  the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
intoxicating  liquors,  as  now  licensed  and  conducted,  is  a  curse  arid 
this  curse  is  due  to  the  profit  therein,  we  demand  that  the  manufacture 
or  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  for  profit  be  made  a  felony  and  liquor 
be  only  made  and  dispensed  by  the  government  under  such  restrictions 
as  the  people  may  prescribe. 

PROHIBITION   STATE    CONVENTION,    1916 

DALLAS,  August  8 

The  State  Prohibition  convention  met  at  Dallas.  The  attend- 
ance did  not  exceed  fifty.  There  was  no  Prohibition  ticket  in  the 
field  in  1914.  The  executive  committee  presented  the  draft  of 
a  platform;  no  platform  committee  was  appointed. 

Officers:  Chairman,  E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas;  secretary, 
A.  A.  Phelps,  of  Dallas. 

Presidential  Electors:  State  at  large,  J.  L.  Campbe1!,.  of  El 
Paso;  J.  D.  Stocking,  of  Donley;  H.  W.  Reinecke,  of  Hidalgo; 
S.  M.  Baird,  of  Matagorda;  1st  Congressional  district,  W.  R. 
Swan,  of  Titus ;  2.  Thomas  Brown,  of  Jefferson ;  3.  Fisk  M.  Ray, 
of  Wood;  4.  J.  M.  Amlin,  of  Fannin;  5.  D.  P.  Williams,  oJ: 
Dallas ;  6.  Joe  B.  Reed,  of  Brazos ;  7.  J.  H.  Meek,  of  Galveston ; 
8.  Willis  Weaver,  of  Austin;  9.  J.  W.  Vogan,  of  Braxoria;  10. 
F.  F.  Bledsoe,  of  Travis;  11.  "J.  M.  Thompson,  of  McLennan; 
12.  N.  Montgomery,  of  Johnson;  13.  W.  F.  Heller,  of  Randall; 


Parties  in  Texas  629 

14.  A.  L.  Home,  of  Lampasas;  15.  William  Gerhardt,  of  Nui^es; 
16.  L.  P.  McCroary,  of  Jones. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  Dr.  H.  W.  Lewis,  of 
Dallas;  Lieutenant- Governor,  Dr.  J.  A.  Richardson,  of  Baylor; 
Comptroller,  L.  M.  Hewitt,  of  Brazos;  Treasurer,  J.  A.  L.  Me- 
Farland,  of  Denton;  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office, 
H.  L.  Winchell,  of  Eastland;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion, Oscar  Hudson,  of  Jones;  Railroad  Commissioner,  J.  E. 
Lindquist,  of  Callahan;  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  L.  J. 
Winters,  of  Refug'io;  Congressmen  at  large,  I.  E.  Teague,  of 
Grayson,  and  E.  G.  Cook,  of  Wichita;  United  States  Senator, 
E.  H.  Conibear,  of  Dallas. 

PLATFORM1 

The  Prohibition  Party  of  Texas,  in  state  convention  assembled, 
grateful  to  Almighty  God  for  the  blessings  of  liberty,  for  our  insti- 
tutions, and  for  the  multiplying  signs  of  early  victory  for  the  cause 
for  which  our  party  stands,  in  order  that  the  people  may  know  the 
source  of  its  faith,  and  the  basis  of  its  action,  should  it  be  clothed  with 
governmental  power,  asks  the  votes  of  the  people  on  the  following 
declaration  of  principles: 

1.  We  endorse  in  total  the  National  platform  adopted  at  St.  Paul, 
and  pledge  our  unqualified  support  to  the  candidates  there  named — 
the  matchless  Hoosier  statesman,  Hon.  J.  Frank  Hanly,  and  the  peer- 
less Southern  educator.  Dr.  Ira  D.  Landrith. 

We  emphasize  particularly  the  following  planks  from  the  National 
platform:  [Here  follow  the  planks  from  the  National  platform  on 
"Prohibition,"  "Suffrage,"  "Peace  and  Preparedness,"  "Mexico  and 
the  Monroe  Doctrine,"  and  "Capital  and  Labor."] 

We  denounce  the  "invisible  government"  which  today  controls  the 
Democratic  party  of  the  State  by  means  of  which  the  will  of  a  major- 
ity of  that  party  is  controlled  and  beaten  on  all  moral  questions  by  a 
minority,  and  that  minority  always  standing  for  the  things  that  debase 
and  degrade  rather  than  upbuild  the  manhood  and  womanhood  of  our 
State. 

We  call  attention  to  the  ludicrousness  of  the  present  situation  in 
the  Democratic  party  in  this  State,  wherein  two  bitter  anti-pro- 
hibitionists are  contesting  for  prohibition  votes  for  United  States 
senatorship.  Why  not  support  the  Prohibition  party  nominee  and 
send  a  real  prohibitionist  to  the  United  States  senate? 

*The  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  Dallas  News, 
August  9,  1916.  The  platform  is  copied  from  a  folder  issued  by  the  party 
during  the  campaign. 


630  Platforms  of  Political 

We  declare  that  the  Democratic  party  in  the  Nation,  while  in 
power,  has  continued  the  license  system,  just  as  'has  the  Republican 
party.  Nationally,  it  is  10,000  miles  from  prohibition  in  any  form. 
In  Texas,  the  legislation  secured  through  the  Democratic  party  has 
been  without  any  help  from  the  party  organization,  but  rather  in  spite 
of  it.  For  years,  despite  a  supposed  majority  of  'prohibitionists'  within 
the  Democratic  party,  the  anti-prohibition  forces  have  controlled  the 
administration.  Prohibition,  to  be  effective,  demands  not  only  the 
law,  but  the  administration  of  the  law.  And  a  cardinal  political  prin- 
ciple is  that  no  party  that  is  seriously  divided  in  its  own  membership 
over  a  vital  issue  like  prohibition  can  be  trusted  to  deal  fairly  with 
that  question  when  elected  to  power. 

We  pledge  a  business-like  administration  of  the  affairs  of  this 
State;  the  abolition  of  useless  offices,  bureaus  and  committees;  econ- 
omy in  the  expenditure  of  the  public  funds;  efficiency  in  government 
service;  and  to  give  the  best  possible  attention  to  our  educational 
and  benevolent  institutions.  In  short,  we  promise  an  honest  admin- 
istration of  government  in  the  interest  of  all  the  people. 

If  elected  to  power,  we  pledge  not  only  the  submission  of  a  prohibi- 
tion amendment  to  the  people  for  their  adoption,  but  we  pledge  the 
whole  power  of  the  administration  toward  its  adoption,  and  its  rigid 
enforcement  when  adopted — a  thing  that  can  not  be  hoped  for  through 
the  party  now  in  power. 

In  conclusion,  this  is  the  day  of  opportunity  for  the  American 
Nation.  The  triumph  of  neither  the  Republican  nor  Democratic  party 
is  essential  to  our  safety  or  progress.  The  defeat  of  either  will  be  no 
public  misfortune.  They  are  one  party.  By  age,  by  membership, 
by  tradition,  by  platform  and  by  candidates,  they  are  the  conser- 
vative party  of  the  United  States;  while  the  Prohibition  party, 
as  the  promoter  of  every  important  measure  of  social  justice  presented 
to  the  American  people  in  the  last  two  generations,  and  as  the 
originator  of  nearly  all  such  legislation,  remains  now  the  only  great 
progressive  party. 

The  patriotic  voters  who  compose  the  Democratic  and  Republican 
parties  can,  by  voting  the  Prohibition  ticket  this  fall,  elect  the  issue  of 
National  prohibition.  To  those  in  whatever  party  who  have  the  vision 
of  a  land  redeemed  from  drink,  we  extend  a  cordial  invitation  to  join 
with  us  in  carrying  the  banner  of  prohibition  to  Nation-wide  victory. 

State  Executive  Committee:  P.  F.  Paige,  chairman;  A.  A. 
Phelps,  secretary;  Dr.  H.  W.  Lewis,  Arthur  A.  Everts,  J.  How- 
ard Williams,  E.  H.  Conibear,  Rev.  J.  C.  Mason,  P.  L.  Russell, 
Charles  E.  Rose. 

State  Central  Committee:  State  at  large,  IT.  L.  Winchell,  of 
Eastland,  and  J.  L.  Campbell,  of  El  Paso;  1st  Congressional  -I is- 


Parties  in  Texas  631 

trict,  J.  G.  Riddle,  of  Titus;  2.  A.  J.  Houston,  of  Jefferson; 
3.  Rev.  Robert  Hill,  of  Smith;  4.  I.  E.  Teague,  of  Grayson;  5. 
S.  T.  Green,  of  Ellis;  6.  L.  M.  Hewitt,  of  Brazos;  7.  R.  Mc- 
Gregor, of  Galvcston;  8.  C.  W.  Ransom,  of  Harris;  9.  L.  J.  Win- 
ters, of  Refugio;  10.  S.  H.  Brown,  of  Caldwell;  ll.W.B  Thomp- 
son, of  McLennan;  12.  S.  R.  MeElreath,  of  Tarrant;  13.  C.  A. 
Read,  of  Potter;  14.  C.  C.  Jamison,  of  Burnet;  15.  John  A. 
Horger,  of  Medina;  16.  J.  E.  Lindquist,  of  Callahan. 

REPUBLICAN  STATE   CONVENTION,  1916 

SAN  ANTONIO,  August  8 

This  convention  marked  the  reunion  of  the  Progressives  and 
Republicans  in  Texas. 

Officers:  Chairman  pro  tempore,  Tom  J.  Darling,  of  Bell; 
permanent,  E.  E.  Diggs,  of  Ohildress.  Secretary  pro  tempore. 
John  van  Demark,  of  Harris,  and  Charles  W.  Beck,  of  Hill. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  R.  B.  Creager,  of 
Cameron;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Jerry  L.  Hickson,  of  Cooke; 
Attorney-General,  G.  N.  Harrison,  of  Brown ;  Comptroller,  Tom 
J.  Darling,  of  Bell;  Treasurer,  C.  0.  Fowlkes,  of  Val  Verde; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  A.  H.  Johnson,  of 
Eastland ;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  W.  G.  McClain, 
of  Ellis;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Dupont  B.  Lyon,  of  Grayson; 
Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  Alvin  Horborth,  of  Guadalupe; 
Supreme  Court,  J.  Walter  Cocke,  of  McLennan,  and  Charles 
A.  Lord,  of  Jefferson ;  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  O.  .S.  York, 
of  Galveston ;  Congressmen  at  large,  Charles  A.  Warnken,  of 
Harris,  and  M.  A.  Taylor,  of  Fannin;  United  States  Senator, 
Dr.  A.  W.  Acheson,  of  Grayson. 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  D.  H.  Morris,  of 
Cass;  R,  H.  Dunn,  of  Jefferson;  E.  Breen,  of  Wood;  Dr.  W.  A. 
Acheson,  of  Grayson;  B.  F.  Crews,  of  Ellis;  J.  W.  A.  Clark, 
of  Navarro ;  George  W.  Burkett,  of  Anderson ;  H.  F.  MacGregor, 
of  Harris,  chairman ;  Oscar  B.  Nau,  of  Lavaca ;  W.  A.  McElroy, 
of  Hays,  secretary;  M.  M.  Patterson,  of  McLennan;  II.  J.  Zwei- 
fel,  of  Bowie;  George  A.  Knight,  of  Montague;  G.  N.  Harrison, 
of  Brown;  H.  D.  Jeffries,  of  Webb;  U.  S.  Goen,  of  El  Paso. 


632  Platforms  of  Political 

i-  . 

PLATFORM1 

The  Republican  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  at  San 
Antonio,  August  8,  1916,  pledges  the  support  of  a  reunited  party  to  its 
distinguished  National  standard  bearers,  the  Hon.  Charles  E.  Hughes, 
for  President,  and  the  Hon.  Charles  W.  Fairbanks,  for  Vice-President, 
of  the  United  States,  and  to  the  nominees  of  the  Republican  party  for 
State,  district,  and  local  offices.  It  reaffirms  its  faith  in  the  constructive 
principles  and  policies  that  have  made  the  United  States  under  Repub- 
lican National  administrations  the  greatest  Republic.  It  reasserts  its 
mission  to  continue  the  work  of  National  achievement  and  commit  the 
American  people  to  that  standard  of  excellence  expressed  by  its  presi- 
dential nominee,  standing  single-mindedly  with  him  for  an  America, 
conscious  of  power,  awake  to  obligation,  erect  in  self-respect,  prepared 
for  every  emergency,  devoted  to  the  ideals  of  peace,  instinct  with  the 
spirit  of  human  brotherhood,  safeguarding  both  individual  opportunity 
and  the  public  interest,  maintaining  a  well-ordered  constitutional  sys- 
tem adapted  to  local  self-government  without  the  sacrifice  of  essential 
National  authority,  appreciating  the  necessity  of  stability,  expert 
knowledge,  and  thorough  organization  as  the  indispensable  conditions 
of  security  and  progress;  a  country  loved  by  its  citizens  with  a  patriotic 
fervor,  permitting  no  division  in  their  allegiance,  and  no  rivals  in  their 
affection.  America  first  and  America  efficient. 

It  indorses  and  approves  the  indictment  of  the  Democratic  National 
administration  in  its  dealings  with  Mexico,  made  by  the  Republican 
presidential  nominee  in  his  acceptance  address.  It  extends  its  sym- 
pathy to  the  people  of  the  nations  of  Europe  at  war  and  to  our  people 
who  are  connected  by  ties  of  kinship  or  friendship  with  those  engaged 
in  strife.  It  is  opposed  to  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel  of  hate  and  favors 
every  effort  to  obtain  an  honorable  peace.  It  specially  commends  the 
work  of  the  League  to  Enforce  Peace  and  to  establish  an  international 
tribunal  to  enforce  among  all  nations  a  permanent  peace. 

It  favors  as  agencies  of  progressive  development  supported  by  ap- 
propriate laws:  The  protective  tariff  policy  for  the  protection  of  the 
American  farmer,  laborer,  and  manufacturer  and  for  the  stimulation 
of  industrial  activities.  The  establishment  of  a  tariff  commission  to 
investigate  and  recommend  rates;  adequate  preparedness  to  insure  the 
preservation  of  peace;  efficiency  and  consistency  in  conducting  our 
foreign  relations,  that  the  lives  and  property  of  American  citizens  be 
not  sacrificed  through  incompetency;  the  preservation  of  the  constitu- 
tional guarantees  of  individual  liberty  and  the  protection  of  individuals 
in  the  enjoyment  and  ownership  of  property  at  home  and  abroad. 

A  return  to  a  representative  democracy  in  selecting  public  officers  by 
limiting  the  primary  system  to  the  selection  of  local  officers  and  dele- 

aThe  proceedings  of  this  convention  are  taken  from  the  San  Antonio 
Express,  August  9,  1916.  / 


Parties  in  Texas  633 

gates  to  nominating  conventions.  We  denounce  the  primary  election 
laws  of  Texas,  devised  by  the  Democratic  party  to  perpetuate  its  power. 
It  has  proved  a  failure  as  an  instrumentality  of  government;  rendering 
it  impossible  for  the  office  to  seek  the  man;  opened  a  fertile  field  for 
the  demagogue;  enabling  a  small  minority  to  elect  men  to  office,  and 
rendered  costly  campaigns  in  which  the  issues  are  isms,  and  the  argu- 
ments slander  and  vituperation,  and  has  deprived  the  Democratic  party 
of  the  control  of  government  and  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  a  faction 
of  that  party. 

[Here  follows  a  verbatim  copy  of  paragraphs  (c),  (d),  (f)  to  (r)  of 
the  Republican  platform  of  1914.] 

[The  next  paragraph  in  order  of  the  1914  platform  is  copied  verbatim 
with  following  exceptions:  The  ninth  sentence  has  been  added  to,  so 
as  to  read:  "Extravagant  fees  have  been  paid  and  legalized  graft  has 
been  dominant."  Following  sentence  has  been  interpolated  between  the 
two  sentences  at  the  end  of  the  paragraph:  "Open  charge  is  made  by 
Democrats  against  officials  of  the  State,  and  official  mismanagement 
shown  justifies  a  change."] 

[Planks  1  and  2  of  the  1914  platform  are  copied  verbatim  with  fol- 
lowing addition  to  the  latter:  "We  urge  the  necessity  for  greater 
attention  being  paid  to  industrial  and  vocational  education  in  the  public 
free  schools  of  Texas."] 

[Planks  3  to  11  of  the  1914  platform  are  copied  verbatim.] 

Providing  that  amendments  to  the  constitution  of  the  State,  and  par- 
ticularly those  creating  great  public  interest  like  the  prohibition  and 
women's  suffrage  questions  that  are  nonpartisan,  should  be  submitted 
to  the  voters  at  special  elections  on  years  that  general  elections  are 
not  held,  and  that  same  may  not  be  constantly  agitating  the  public  to 
the  detriment  of  other  important  matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  the 
State,  and  when  submitted  shall  settle  the  question  for  a  definite  term 
of  six  years. 

We  commend  the  patriotic  service  rendered  to  the  State  of  Texas  in 
a  nonpartisan  way  by  the  Economic  League  in  its  campaign  of  educa- 
tion attracting  to  the  public  attention  the  many  existing  abuses  and 
needed  reforms  in  our  laws  and  the  administration  thereof  and  the 
need  for  constructive  leadership. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Phil  E.  Baer,  of  Lamar,  chair- 
man. 


634  Platforms  of  Political 

DEMOCRATIC  STATE  CONVENTION,  1916 

HOUSTON,  August  8  and  9 

The  convention  was  in  control  of  the  supporters  of  Governor 
Ferguson.  The  only  contest  made  was  over  the  question  of  ex- 
cluding or  including  "submission"  in  the  platform. 

Officers:  Chairman,  David  E.  Decker,  of  Hardemaii  Secre- 
tary, Charles  J.  Kirk,  of  Harris.  Temporary  officers  were  made 
permanent. 

Nominees  for  State  Offices:  Governor,  James  E.  Ferguson, 
of  Bell;  Lieutenant-Governor,  Will  P.  Hobby,  of  Jefferson; 
Attorney-General,  Ben  F.  Looney,  of  Hunt;  Comptroller,  H.  B. 
Terrell,  of  McLennan;  Treasurer,  J.  M.  Edwards,  of  Runnels; 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  J.  T.  Robison,  of 
Travis;  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  W.  F.  Doughty, 
of  Falls;  Railroad  Commissioner,  Allison  Mayfield,  of  Graysonr 
Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  Fred  W.  Davis,  of  Cooke ;  Supreme 
Court,  Nelson  Phillips,  of  Dallas,  and  J.  E.  Yantis,  of  McLennan ; 
Court  of  Criminal  Appeals,  W.  C.  Morrow;  Congressmen  at 
large,  Jeff  McLemore,  of  Harris,  and  Daniel  E.  Garrett,  of 
Harris;  United  States  Senator  (as  no  one  of  the  candidates 
received  a  majority  in  the.  primary  election,  a  second  primary 
was  held,  when  Charles  A.  Culberson  received  the  nomination.) 

Committee  on  Platform  and  Resolutions:  1st  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, R.  P.  Durrough,  of  Bowie;  2.  J.  K.  Brim,  of  Hopkins; 
3.  J.  Frank  Parish,  of  Fannin;  4.  Andrew  L.  Randell.  of  Gray- 
son;  5.  0.  H.  Rodes,  of  Rains;  6.  Murphy  W.  Townsend,  of 
Dallas;  7.  R.  M.  Smith,  of  Wood;  8.  S.  R.  Thrasher,  of  Gregg; 
9.  R,  S.  Neblett,  of  Navarro,  chairman;  10.  D.  W.  Odell,  of 
Johnson;  11.  S.  P.  Brooks,  of  McLennan;  12.  J.  R.  Astin,  of 
Brazos;  13.  G.  C.  Clegg,  of  Trinity;  14.  W.  P.  Hobby,  of  Jeffer- 
son;  15.  W.  L.  Hill,  of  Walker;  16.  J.  F.  Wolters,  of  Harris; 
17.  A.  R.  Rucks,  of  Brazoria;  18.  I.  E.  Clark,  of  Fayette;  19. 

1A  vacancy  occurred  on  the  Railroad  Commission  by  the  death  of  Hon. 
William  D.  Williams,  October  1,  1916.  The  right  of  the  State  executive 
committee  to  nominate  a  candidate  was  contested ;  Charles  H.  Hurdlestor 
was  elected. 


Parties  in  Texas  635 

J.  B.  Price,  of  Bastrop ;  20.  R.  J.  Eckhardt,  of  Williamson ;  21. 
F.  C.  Weinert,  of  Guadalupe;  22.  A.  B.  Davidson,  of  DeWitt; 
23.  Archie  Parr,  of  Duval;  24.  J.  F.  Carl,  of  Bexar;  25.  C.  B. 
Hudspeth,  of  El  Paso;  26.  Scott  Woodward,  of  Erath;  27.  J. 
N.  Fallas,  Bosque;  28.  John  Meyers,  of  Palo  Pinto ;  29.  Mike 
Kerrigan,  of  Hardeman;  30.  Marshall  Spoonts,  of  Tarrant;  31. 
J.  W.  Chancellor,  of  Montague. 

PLATFORM2 

We,  your  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions,  beg  leave  to  report 
for  your  approval  and  adoption  the  following  platform: 

1.  The  Democracy  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled  at  Houston,  in 
the  year  1916,  reaffirms  its  faith  in,  and  pledges  anew  its  devotion  to, 
the  time-honored  principles  of  Democracy  as  taught  and  secured  by  the 
founders  and  fathers  of  this  Republic. 

2.  We  cordially  and  heartily  indorse  the  National  Democratic  ad- 
ministration under  the  leadership  of  President  Woodrow  Wilson,  and 
we  confidently  congratulate  the  Nation  upon  the  unswerving  devotior 
and  honesty  with  which  the  Democratic  party  has  respected  its  pledges 
and  maintained  the  ideal  of  a  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people, 
and  for  the  people.     Upon  the  record  made,  we  earnestly  ask  the  voters 
of  the  United  States  to  support  the  National  Democratic  ticket  at  the 
coming  election  in  November. 

3.  In  order  that  those  living  in  States  remote  from  Texas  may  know 
the  real  feelings  of  the  citizens  of  Texas,  upon  whose  ears  the  tocsin  of 
war  has  sounded,  upon  whose  ears  the  hoofbeat  of  the  cavalry  horses 
has  fallen,  in  whose  ears  the  crack  of  the  rifle  and  the  shout  of  the 
American  has  rung  in  the  controversies  with  Mexico,  we,  the  Demo- 
crats of  Texas,  are  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  openly  and  unanimously 
indorse  the  Mexican  policy  of  President  Wilson,  and  we  sincerely  ap- 
prove the  caution,  the  wisdom,  and  the  patriotism  which  he  has  exer- 
cised in  dealing  with  the  trying  and  troublesome  conditions  that  have 
sorely  taxed  his  patience  in  the  conduct  of  our  international  and  in- 
dustrial relations  with  Mexico. 

4.  The  test  of  statesmanship  is  accomplishment.     The  proof  of  ac- 
complishment is  the  expression  of  the  people's  commendation.     Meas- 
ured by  this  test,  subjected  to  this  proof,  Governor  James  E.  Ferguson 
reaches   the  highest  standard.     Two  years  ago,  on  a  platform  which 
voiced  a  determination  to  serve  the  people's  cause  by  bringing  to  an 
end  in  Texas  a  period  of  agitation  without  results,  and  to  bring  in  an 
area  of  constructive  and  remedial  legislation,  he  made  his  first  cam- 

2The   proceedings   of    this    convention   are   taken   from   the   Houston  Post, 
August  8-10,  1916. 


636  Platforms  of  Political 

paign.  The  education  of  helpless  and  dependent  children,  the  gentle 
and  sympathetic  ministration  of  the  State  to  the  care  and  comfort  o{ 
the  blind,  deaf,  dumb,  and  insane,  the  dawning  of  a  day  when  a  proud 
and  prosperous  people  will  no  longer  permit  these  wards  of  the  State 
to  suffer  in  county  jails  and  in  inadequate  buildings,  are  some  of  the 
ennobling  functions  of  the  government  brought  into  exercise  during 
his  administration.  In  his  second  campaign,  the  one  just  closed,  he 
has  renewed  his  promises  and  enlarged  his  assurances  that  the  bless- 
ings of  education  shall  in  this  State  be  so  extensive  as  to  be  equally 
available  to  those  in  plentiful  circumstances  and  to  those  without  the 
means  to  procure  these  advantages.  For  this  forward  movement,  for 
the  pledge  that  in  Texas  government  is  not  now  a  burden  but  a  bene- 
faction, we  give  Governor  Ferguson  and  the  thirty-fourth  legislature 
full  credit.  We  most  heartily  commend  and  approve  the  record  al- 
ready made,  and  urge  the  Democratic  voters  of  the  State  to  reelect 
and  return  him  to  the  high  station  he  now  so  fittingly  fills. 

5.  We  urge  upon  the  legislature  in  making  appropriations  for  the 
support  and  maintenance  of  the  various  departments  and  institutions  of 
our  State  government   to   clearly   itemize  all  such  appropriations,  so 
that  the  people  may  be  fully  informed  as  to  the  purpose  for  which  any 
appropriation  is  made. 

6.  Agriculture  being  the  foundation  of  all  wealth  and  civilization, 
and  Texas,  whose  citizenship  resides  mainly  on  the  farm,  being  the 
most  important  State  in  the  Union,  we  urge  upon  the  legislature  to 
give  careful  consideration  to  the  legislation  affecting  our  great  farm- 
ing masses.     To  this  end,  we  earnestly  recommend  to  the  coming  legis- 
lature the  following: 

(1)  A  careful  investigation  of  the  present  warehouse  law  and  its 
practical  workings,  its  advantages  and  disadvantages,  with  a  view  to 
makipig  such  additions  or  changes  as  may  be  necessary  to  enable  the 
farmer  to  gather  his  crop  and  prepare  and  store  same  for  market  at 
the  least  possible  cost  and  inconvenience  to  himself  and  others. 

(2)  Such  laws  as  are  necessary  to  more  surely  prevent  and  prohibit 
pools,  combines  and  trusts  from  fixing  the  price  of  all  farm  products, 
having  in  mind  especially  the  fixing  of  the  price  of  cotton,  cotton  seed, 
cotton  seed  meal,  cotton  seed  oil,  cattle  and  hogs. 

(3)  Such  laws  as  are  necessary  to  more  fully  furnish  information 
concerning  the  management  of  the  farm,  the  scientific  cultivation  and 
preservation  of  the  soil,  the  improved  methods  of  breeding  and  raising 
beef  and  dairy  cattle,  as  well  as  the  profitable  raising  and  rotation  of 
crops. 

(4)  Such  laws  as  will  enable  the  raisers  of  truck  garden,  orchard, 
and  other  perishable  products  to  market  same  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
State  promptly,  without  sacrificing  the  value  of  said  perishable  pro- 
ducts in  freight  rates  or  commission  charges. 

7.    We  pledge  the  Democracy  of  Texas  to  a  just  and  liberal  policy 


Parties  in  Texas  637 

toward  the  demands  of  organized  labor,  to  whom  the  Democratic  party 
has  and  can  always  look  for  help  and  cooperation. 

We  especially  recommend  an  eight-hour  working  day  for  all  classes 
of  labor  where  same  is  practicable. 

We  deem  it  as  much  the  duty  of  the  government  to  prevent  the  con- 
fiscation of  labor  as  it  is  to  prevent  the  confiscation  of  property. 

We  again  reaffirm  that  in  all  departments  of  the  State,  ccunties, 
and  cities  where  women  are  employed  that  they  receive  the  same  sal- 
ary as  men  employed  in  such  capacity  where  the  service  rendered  is 
the  same. 

To  bring  about  a  more  general  employment  of  labor,  as  well  as  a 
speedy  development  of  our  State,  we  gladly  indorse  the  "Buy-It-Made-in- 
Texas  movement." 

We  recommend  such  changes  or  amendments  to  the  present  work- 
men's compensation  law  as  is  necessary  for  attaining  prompt  and  fair 
settlement  for  injured  employes  and  such  amendments  and  changes  as 
are  necessary  to  meet  any  legal  objections  to  said  law. 

8.  We  welcome   the   investment  in   Texas   of  foreign   capital,   and 
assure  it  the  full  protection  of  our  laws.     We  fully  realize  the  great 
necessity  of  a  liberal  finacial  policy  toward  outside  capital  in  order 
that  our  many  natural   resources   may  attain  their   proper  and   full 
development. 

9.  We  urge  upon  the  legislature  the  moral  obligation  resting  upon 
our  people  to  properly  care  for  the  insane.     We  urge  the  next  legisla- 
ture to  make  adequate  appropriations  to  erect  a  new  asylum  having 
necessary  capacity  to  take  care  of  every  insane  person  now  in  the  jails 
of  Texas  or  likely  to  be  for  next  ten  years  to  come.     If  half  a  million 
dollars  is  necessary  for  such  purpose,  we  then  recommend  the  appro- 
priation of  such  sum  or  any  part  thereof  as  may  be  necessary  to  so 
provide  for  the  insane. 

We  also  recommend  such  additional  appropriation  as  is  necessary 
for  the  completion  and  equipment  of  the  State  institution  for  the  care 
of  the  feebleminded,  now  in  course  of  construction. 

10.  We  declare  that  popular  and  general  education  of  the  masses  to 
be  the  first  duty  of  the  government,  not  as  a  matter  of  charity,  but  as 
a  matter  of  duty  and  necessity  for  the  perpetuation  of  its  own  exist- 
ence.    Realizing  this  great  responsibility,  the  Democracy  of  Texas,  in 
convention  assembled,  points  with  pride  to  the  educational  legislation 
now  upon  the  statute   books   of  the   State,   especially   the  legislation 
passed  by  the  last  legislature,  and  here  pledges   itself  to  secure  the 
passage  of  such  additional  laws  as  will  put  Texas  in  the  first  rank  of 
education.     Among  others,  we  especially  recommend  the  following: 

(1)  The  appropriation  by  the  next  legislature  of  $2,000,000  for  the 
aid  of  the  rural  schools  to  be  expended  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
$1,000,000  appropriated  by  the  last  legislature  for  the  same  purpose. 

(2)  The  increase  of  the  constitutional  limitation  which  will  permit 


638  Platforms  of  Political 

districts  to  levy  a  tax  sufficient  to  provide  more  suitable  buildings  and 
better  maintenance  of  schools  for  nine  months  in  each  year. 

(3)  A  reasonable  increase  in  the  salaries  now  paid  teachers  in  the 
public  schools,  in  order  to  induce  more  men  and  women  to  make  teach- 
ing their  life  work,  which  will  result  in  greater  efficiency. 

(4)  Liberal  appropriations  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  College,  the  normal  schools,  the  College  of  Industrial, 
Arts,   and  the  State  University,   including  their  maintenance   during 
the  summer  terms,  said  appropriations  to  be  fully  itemized. 

(5)  The  printing  of   school  books   in  Texas,   where  same   can  be 
published  and  purchased  approximately  as  cheaply  as  elsewhere,  qual- 
ity and  workmanship  considered. 

(6)  Necessary  laws  providing  for  textbooks  for  use  in  the  public 
schools,  at  expiration  of  present  contracts,  so  that  same  may  be  fur- 
nished at  lowest  possible  cost. 

11.  We  urge  upon  the  incoming  legislature  to  give  serious  and  care- 
ful consideration  to  the  matter  of  building  and  maintaining  State  and 
county  highways  by  the  levy  of  a  tax  on  automobiles  and  other  motor 
vehicles,   said   fund   to    be   equitably   divided   between   the   State   and 
counties.    We  recommend  the  creation  of  a  highway  commission,  to 
be  paid  a  reasonable  salary  and  traveling  expenses,  with  powers  to  fix 
and  establish  standards  and  specifications  for  building  public  roads  and 
to  locate  same,  when  built  by  the  State,  and  with  powers  to  employ 
State  convicts  in  building  State  highways,  all  to  b*e  paid  out  of  the  tax 
on  automobiles  herein  mentioned. 

12.  We  recommend  that  the   legislature  give  consideration  to  the 
penitentiary  system  and  make  such  changes  in  the  law  governing  same 
as  may  appear  to  be  necessary. 

13.  Without   undertaking  to   even  advise  what  shall   be   done,  we 
again  call  attention  to  the  pressing  necessity  of  some  kind  of  reform 
or  change  in  our  judicial  procedure.     We  believe  that  something  must 
be  done  to  prevent  the  laws  delay  if  the  dignity  of,  and  respect  for,  the 
courts  are  to  be  continued. 

14.  We  recommend  the  submission  by  the  legislature  of  a  constitu- 
tional amendment  exempting  from  taxation  all  factories  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  cotton  or  worsteds  or  woolens  in  Texas  for  a  period 
of  ten  years. 

15.  In  order  to  safely  and  more  surely  maintain  the  purity  of  the 
ballot,  we  recommend  the  passage  of  new  laws  or  the  amendment  of 
the  present  laws,  more  clearly  defining  the  purposes  for  which  candi- 
dates for  office  may  spend  money  in  campaigns  for  office;  and  said  laws 
to  provide  for  the  greatest  possible  publicity  during  the  campaign  of 
the  amount  of  money  spent  by  the  candidates  and  the   source  from 
whence  derived,  and  providing  for  severe  penalties  for  violations  of 
said  laws.     We  believe  it  is  better  to  control  the  manner  and  purpose 
of  using  campaign  funds  than   to  undertake  to   control  the  amount 


Parties  in  Texas  639 

which  would  aid  the  dishonest  and  hurt  the  honest  man  who  would 
seek  office.  Again  we  emphatically  denounce  the  campaign  liar  and 
demand  that  it  be  made  a  penitentiary  offense  for  any  person  to  make 
an  untrue  statement  about  any  candidate  for  office. 

16.  In  the  interest  of  the  public  health,  at  this  particular  time,  we 
earnestly  demand  the  maintenance  and  support  and  retention  of  our 
quarantine  rights  and  powers,  and  recommend  to  our  legislature  that  it 
make  liberal  appropriations  for  the  support  of  our  coast  and  border 
quarantine  service.     We  also  recommend  the  passage  of  such  additional 
laws  as  will  prevent  the  spread  of  contagious  diseases,  and  as  far  as 
possible  insure  our  people  complete  immunity  from  sickness  and  epi- 
demics. 

17.  We   recommend   that   the   legislature   endeavor   to   correct   the 
abuses  of  the  present  fee  system  for  the  payment  of  county,  city,  and 
precinct  officers. 

18.  We  demand  the  most  liberal  and   adequate  appropriations  for 
the  support  and  maintenance  of  the  Live  Stock  Sanitary  Commission 
of   Texas.    We   demand  liberal   appropriations    for   bounties   on    wild 
animals  that  prey  upon  the  herds  of  the  State.     We  demand  liberal 
appropriations  for  tick  eradication,  and  think  that  $100,000  for  such 
purpose  would  not  be  too  much. 

19.  Home-owning  and  home-building  being  one  of  the  essentials  of 
a  prosperous  and  patriotic  citizenship,  we  demand  that  all  notes  repre- 
senting, and  hereafter  given  for  the  purchase  of  a  homestead  in  the 
town  or  county,  and  drawing  not  more  than  6  per  cent  interest  per 
annum  shall  be  exempt  from  taxation. 

20.  We  demand  that  the  thirty-fifth  legislature  make  adequate  ap- 
propriation for  the  maintenance  of  an   efficient  ranger  force   in  this 
State  to  the  full  quota  allowed  by  law. 

21.  We   recommend   to   the   thirty-fifth  legislature   and   urge   it  to. 
enact  a  law  which  shall  provide:     That  no  political  party  in  this  State 
in   convention  assembled  shall  ever  place  in  the  platform  or  resolu- 
tions of  the  party  they  represent  any  demand  for  specific  legislation 
on  any  subject  unless  the  demand  for  such  specific  legislation  shall 
have  been  submitted  to  a  direct  vote  of  the  people  and  shall  have  been 
ordered  by  a  majority  vote  of  all  the  votes  cast  in  the  primary  election 
of  such  party;   provided,  that  the  State  executive  committee  shall  on 
petition  of  ten  per  cent  of  the  voters  of  any  party,  as  shown  by  the 
last  primary  election  vote,  submit  any  such  question  or  questions  to 
the  voters   at  the  general  primary  next  preceding  the  State  conven- 
tion. Said  petition  shall  be  signed  by  the  adherents  of  the  political  party 
to  whom  said  petition  is  be  presented  and  shall  give  the  county  and 
postoffice  address  of  each  signer  thereto,  and  certified  to  under  oath  by 
the  tax  collector  of  the  county  from  whence  said  petition  is  signed  that 
the  persons  signing  the  same  are  qualified  voters  as  shown  by  the  tax 
rolls  of  the  said  county.     Said  petition  shall  be  filed  with  the  State 


640  Platforms  of  Political 

chairman  of  the  said  political  party  not  less  than  thirty  days  before 
same  shall  be  acted  upon  by  the  said  State  executive  committee. 

In  order  to  make  the  foregoing  effective,  we  recommend  to  the 
legislature  the  enactment  of  laws  fixing  suitable  penalties  for  any 
person  who  violates  the  same  by  reason  of  signing  such  petition  more 
than  one  time,  or  any  person  signing  same  who  is  not  a  qualified  voter 
at  the  election  to  which  same  is  proposed  to  be  submitted,  or  who  shall 
sign  any  such  petition  for  the  submission  of  any  such  question  to  any 
political  party  of  which  he  is  not  a  member. 

22.  The  Democrats  of  Texas,  in  convention  assembled,  desire  to  eir 
press  their  sincere  appreciation  of  the  able  and  patriotic  services  rend- 
ered to  the  Democracy  of  Texas  by  the  Hon.  Paul  Waples  and  the  Hon. 
Charles  J.  Kirk,  Chairman  and  Secretary  of  our  worthy  State  Demo- 
cratic committee. 

23.  We  recommend   that  the  thirty-fifth  legislature  so  amend  the 
present  primary  election  laws  as  to  provide  for  the  nomination  of  mem- 
bers of  the  Supreme  Court,  Court  of  Criminal  Appeals  and  Courts  of 
Civil  Appeals  by   conventions  to  be  held   not  later  than  the  second 
Tuesday  in   September  preceding  the  general  election  at  which  such 
judges  are  to  be  elected. 

24.  We   condemn   the   practice   of   commissioners'   courts   and   city 
councils  in  the  issuance  of  long-term  interest-bearing  warrants,  com- 
monly known  as  anticipation  warrants,  and  recommend  that  the  legis- 
lature make  such  investigation  as  necessary  and  enact  such  laws  as 
they  consider  necessary  to  stop  the  practice  except  for  emergency  pur- 
poses and  that  their  power  in  that  respect  be  limited  and  made  specific. 

25.  WHEREAS,  the  State  of   Texas  has  reached  a  point  where  onl 
Agricultural   and   Mechanical    College   is    insufficient   for   the   rapidly 
developing  interests  of  the  State;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  development  in  West  Texas  is  such  that  the  experi- 
ments of  other  sections  do  not  meet  the  needs  of  that  section  of  tho 
State  on  account  of  differences  of  soil  and  climatic  conditions;  there- 
fore, be  it 

Resolved,  that  the  incoming  legislature  is  hereby  requested  and  in- 
structed to  provide  for  the  establishment  of  a  branch  Agricultural  and 
Mechanical  College  and  that  a  separate  and  distinct  appropriation  bt 
made  to  maintain  the  same,  the  same  to  be  located  at  some  point  in 
West  Texas  west  of  the  98th  meridian,  and  the  location  to  be  decided 
upon  in  a  manner  that  will  be  fair  and  just  to  all  interests  con- 
cerned. 

'Additional  Resolutions 

1.  We  give  our  hearty  approval  to  the  efforts  now  being  made  to 
secure  the  navigation  of  all  streams  in  Texas  that  are  worthy  of  im- 
provement, as  well  as  indorse  the  movement  of  reclaiming  the  flood 
districts  of  the  State  and  all  necessary  surveys. 


Parties  in  Texas  641 

That  we  indorse  the  work  of  providing  for  deep  water  ports  on  the 
Texas  coast,  also  the  plan  to  complete  the  intercoastal  canal,  and  we 
urge  our  representatives  in  Congress  to  give  their  support  and  coopera: 
tion  to  these  movements.  We  suggest  our  willingness  to  aid  the 
Federal  government  in  all  enterprises  intended  as  beneficial  to  the 
rivers  for  navigable  purposes  or  to  remove  obstructions  therefrom 
which  tend  to  hinder  the  navigation  of  the  streams  of  Texas  or  tend 
to  obstruct  the  streams  in  such  a  way  as  to  increase  the  danger  of 
overflow  in  said  streams. 

2.  WHEREAS,  the  decision  of  the  United   States  Supreme  Court,  in 
what  is  known  as  the  Shreveport  rate  case,  gives  the  Interstate  Com- 
merce Commission  the  right  to  strike  down  a  State-made  rate,  in  a 
case  of  discrimination  between  an  interstate  rate  and  a  State  rate,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  State  rate  may  be  a  just  and  reasonable 
one  within  itself;  and 

WHEREAS,  if  such  is  to  remain  the  law,  the  right  of  a  sovereign  State 
to  regulate  its  lines  of  railway  transportation  will  be  seriously  crippled, 
if  not  destroyed;  and 

WHEREAS,  the  platform  of  the  Republican  party,  recently  adopted  at 
Chicago,  contains  a  plank  which  boldly  declares  for  the  abolition  of 
State  railroad  commissions;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  the  Democratic  party  of  Texas,  in  convention  as- 
sembled, is  irrevocably  committed  to  the  doctrine  of  the  right  of  a 
State  to  regulate  purely  State  commerce,  and  that  we,  the  Democrats, 
declare  our  steadfast  opposition  to  further  encroachment  by  the  Fed- 
eral government  upon  the  rights  of  the  State  to  regulate  purely  State 
commerce,  and  that  the  representatives  in  Congress  from  Texas  are 
instructed  to  support  and  vote  for  any  measure  that  has  for  its  object 
the  perpetuation  of  the  right  of  a  State  to  regulate  purely  State  com- 
merce. 

3.  Biennial  elections  impose  a  heavy  and  unnecessary  expense  upon 
the  taxpayers,   disturb  normal  conditions  of  material  development  in 
the  manifold  activities  of  the   State,  and  tend  to   encouragement  of 
political  agitation  and  discord  without  any  substantial  advantage  to 
our  citizens,  and  we  recommend  to  the  legislature  the  submission  to 
the  people  for  their  approval  of  a  constitutional  amendment  providing, 
for  four-year  terms  for  all  State  offices. 

4.  [The   committee  also  reported  a   resolution   of  condolence  upon 
the  death  of  the  Hon.  Jonathan  Lane.] 

MINORITY    REPORTS 

I 

The  undersigned  members  of  the  committee  on  platfrom  and  resolo 
tions  respectfully  present  to  this  convention  the  following  plank,  which 
was  presented  to  the  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions  and  voted 

41—328 


642  Platforms  of  Political 

down  by  a  majority  of  said  members,  that  it  may  be  added  to  and 
become  a  part  of  the  platform,  when  adopted,  as  an  amendment  thereto: 

We  demand  that  the  members  of  the  thirty-fifth  legislature  be  and 
are  hereby  instructed  to  adopt  a  joint  resolution,  submitting  to  the 
people  of  the  State,  at  some  suitable  time  in  1917,  a  constitutional 
amendment,  providing  for  the  prohibition  of  the  manufacture,  sale, 
barter  and  exchange  as  a  beverage  of  intoxicating  liquors  within  this 
State,  in  accordance  with  the  instructions  of  the  majority  of  the  Demo- 
cratic voters  voting  thereon  at  the  Democratic  primaries  held  through- 
out the  State,  July  22,  A.  D.  1916. 

In  support  of  this  proposed  plank,  the  attention  of  the  convention  is 
called  to  the  fact  that  the  statutes  of  Texas  have  provided  a  method  by 
which  members  of  a  political  party  can  initiate  and  pass  upon  th« 
questions  which  they  desire  become  a  part  of  the  law  of  the  land,  an4 
to  authorize  political  parties  to  incorporate  planks  in  their  platforms, 
when  the  will  of  the  voters  of  such  party  has  thus  been  ascertained. 

In  our  judgment,  it  becomes  the  plain  duty  of  the  representatives  of 
a  party  in  convention  assembled  to  obey  such  law  and  carry  out  the 
will  of  the  people,  as  expressed. 

Twice  before  submission  of  such  a  constitutional  amendment,  since 
the  passage  of  such  laws,  has  been  voted  upon  by  the  Democrats  of 
Texas  in  their  primaries  and  upon  it  being,  ascertained  that  a  majority 
of  the  Democratic  voters  in  such  primaries  had  voted  for  such  sub- 
mission, two  Democratic  State  conventions  have,  in  response  to  their 
will  so  expressed,  without  controversy  or  objection,  incorporated  the 
demands  thus  made  by  the  people  in  the  party  platform. 

The  refusal  of  the  majority  of  the  members  of  the  platform  com- 
mittee to  comply  with  and  register  the  will  of  the  Democrats  in  their 
primaries,  compels  us  to  bring  the  matter  before  this  convention  and 
let  it  determine  whether  or  not  the  expressed  will  of  the  Democratic 
voters  of  Texas  shall  be  repudiated  or  not,  and  the  law  providing 
for  such  expression  made  a  nullity  and  a  mockery. 

W.  L.  HILL, 
S.  P.  BROOKS, 
A.  H.  RANDELL, 
D.  W.  ODELL. 

This  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  vote  of  524%  ayes  to  299%  noes. 

II 

We,  the  minority  of  your  commitee  on  platform  and  resolutions,  beg 
leave  to  report  the  following  amendment  to  the  fifteenth  plank  in  said 
platform: 

Amend  the  same  by  striking  out  the  last  paragraph  thereof,  which 
reads  as  follows:  "We  believe  it  is  better  to  control  the  manner  and 
purpose  of  using  campaign  funds  than  to  undertake  to  control  the 


Parties  in  Texas  643 

amount,  which  would  aid  the  dishonest  and  hurt  the  honest  man  who 
would  seek  office,"  by  adding  in  lieu  thereof  the  following:  "We  be- 
lieve it  wise  to  control  the  manner  and  purpose  of  using  campaign 
funds  and  to  limit  by  law  to  a  reasonable  amount  the  sums  of  money 
spent  by  candidates  and  their  supporters,  that  the  selection  of  our 
public  officers  shall  express  the  deliberate  and  unpurchased  will  of 
the  people." 

D.  W.  ODELL. 

This  minority  report  was  tabled  by  a  vote  of  573  1-3  ayes  to  200  2-3 
noes. 

State  Executive  Committee:  Paul  Waples,  of  Tarrant,  chair- 
man;3 1st  Senatorial  district,  A.  C.  Stuart,  of  Bowie;  2.  C.  E. 
Sheppard,  of  Hopkins;  3.  Pat  Warner,  of  Lamar;  4.  R.  P. 
Head,  of  Cooke;  5.  J.  P.  Yates,  of  Hunt;  6.  Homer  B.  Fisher, 
of  Dallas;  7.  W.  N.  Jones,  of  Wood;  8.  Sidney  S.  Baker,  of 
Panola;  9.  John  S.  Callicutt,  of  Navarro;  10.  W.  M.  Odell,  of 
Johnson;  11.  Joe  Cavitt,  of  McLennan;  12.  W.  C.  Boyett,  of 
Brazos;  13.  J.  H.  Painter,  of  Houston;  14.  V.  H.  Stark,  of 
Orange;  15.  W.  N.  Foster,  of  Montgomery;  16.  John  Lang,  Jr., 
of  Harris;  17.  James  B.  Stubbs,  of  Galveston;  18.  L.  H.  Mache- 
mehl,  of  Austin;  19.  D.  C.  Giddings,  Jr.,  of  Washington;  20. 
Lloyd  P.  Lochridge,  of  Travis;  21.  John  C.  Jones,  of  Gonzales; 
22.  W..  E.  Fowler,  of  Goliad;  23.  J.  K.  Wells,  of  Cameron; 
24.  Claude  V.  Birkhead,  of  Bexar;  25.  Milton  McCarthy,  of  Tom 
Green;  26.  E.  B.  Hendricks,  of  Brown;  27.  A.  R.  Eidson,  of 
Hamilton;  28.  Guy  R,  Holcomb,  of  Jones;  29.  Will  A.  Miller, 
Jr.,  of  Potter;  30.  J.  W.  Mitchell,  of  Tarrant;  31.  A.  D.  Rodgers, 
of  Wise. 

•Paul  Waples  was  accidentally  killed,  November  16,  1916.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  State  executive  committee,  January  16,  1917,  V.  L.  Shertleff,  of  Hill, 
was  elected  State  chairman. 


644 


Platforms  of  Political 


APPENDIX:     ELECTION  STATISTICS 


1.    VOTE  FOR  GOVERNOR,  1845-1916 


Year 


Candidates 


County 


Party 


Vote 


Total 


1845  J.  Pinckney  Henderson. San  Augustine. Democrat 7,853 

James  B.  Miller Fort  Bend Democrat 1,673 

Scattering 52      9,578 

1847  George  T.  Wood Liberty Democrat 7,154 

James  B.  Miller Washington. . .  Democrat 5,106 

Nicholas  H.  Darnell  —  San  Augustine  .Democrat 1,276 

J.  J.  Robinson 

Scattering 1,221    14,757 

1849  P.  Hansborough  Bell. .  Washington. . .  Democrat 10,310 

George  T.  Wood Liberty Democrat. . . .  8,754 

John  T.  Mills Red  River Democrat 2,632    21,696 

1851  P.  Hansborough  Bell. .  .Washington. . .  Democrat 13,595 

M.T.Johnson Rusk .Democrat 5,262 

John  A.  Greer San  Augustine .  Democrat 4,061 

Ben  H.  Epperson Red  River Whig 2,971 

Thomas  J.  Chambers. .  .Liberty Democrat 2,320 

Scattering 100    28,309 

1853  Elisha  M.  Pease Brazoria Democrat 13,091 

William  B.  Ochiltree. .  .Nacogdoches. .  Whig 9,178 

George  T.  Wood Polk Democrat 5,983 

Lemuel  D.  Evans Harrison Democrat. . . .  4,677 

Thomas  J.  Chambers. .  .Liberty Democrat. . . .  2,449 

Jon  W.  Dancy Fayette Democrat 315    35,693 

1855  Elisha  M.  Pease Brazoria Democrat 26,336 

D.  C.  Dickson Montgomery. .  .Know- 
Nothing. ..  17,965 

M.  T.  Johnson. Tarrant. ..." 809 

George  T.  Wood Polk 276 

Scattering 26    45,412 

1857  Hardin  R.  Runnels Bowie Democrat 32,552 

Sam  Houston ..Walker..          .Independent.  28,678    61,230 


Parties  in  Texas  645 

VOTE  FOR  GOVERNOR,  1845-1916 — Continued 
Year  Candidates  County  Party  Vote  I  Total 


1859  Sam  Houston Walker Independent. 

Hardin  R.  Runnels. . . .  Bowie Democrat. . . . 

Scattering 

1861  Francis  R.  Lubbock Harris Democrat 

Edward  Clark Harrison Democrat 

Thomas  J.  Chambers. .  .Liberty Democrat. . . . 

1863  Pendleton  Murrah Harrison Democrat 

Thomas  J.  Chambers.  .  .Liberty Democrat.  . .  . 

Scattering 

1866  J.  W.  Throckmorton. . .  Collin Democrat.  . . . 

Elisha  M.  Pease Travis Republican  . . 

1869  Edmund  J.  Davis Nueces Radical  Re- 
publican . . . 

Andrew  J.  Hamilton.  . .  Travis Conservative 

Republican. 

Hamilton  Stuart. .      , .  Galveston Democrat.  . . . 


36,227 

27,500 
61 

21,854 
21,730 
13,759 


17,511 

12,455 

1.070 


63,788 


57,343 


31,036 


1873  Richard  Coke 

Edmund  J.  Davis.  . 


, . .  McLennan ....  Democrat. . 
.  . .  Xueces Republican 


1876  Richard  Coke McLennan Democrat. . 

William  Chambers Chambers Republican 

1878  Oran  M.  Roberts Smith Democrat. . 

W.  H.  Hamman Robertson Greenback. 

A.  B.  Norton Dallas Republican 

Scattering 

1880  Oran  M.  Roberts Smith Democrat.  . 

Edmund  J.  Davis Travis Republican . 

W.  H.  Hamman . .          .  Robertson .  .    .  Greenback. 


49,2771 
12,168]   61,445 

I 
39,901! 

39,092 

380J  79,373 

,    85,549 
42.633  128,182 

,150.581 

47,719|198,300 

I 
,158,933 

55,002 
23,402 


1882  John  Ireland Guadalupe. . 

George  W.  Jones Bastrop 


Democrat. .. 
Independent- 
Greenback. 


Jerome  B.  Ro'bertson . . .  McLennan ....  ? , 


99 

166,101 
64,382 
33,721 

150,891 

,102,501 
334 


237,436 


264,204 


253,726 


646 


Platforms  of  Political 


Year 


VOTE  FOR  GOVERNOR,  1845-1916 — Continued 
Candidates  County  Party  Vote     Total 


1884  John  Ireland. Guadalupe Democrat.    .  .212,234 

George  W.  Jones Bastrop Independent .    88,45( 

A.  B.  Norton Dallas Republican . . .  25,557 


326,241 


1886  Lawrence  S.Ross McLennan Democrat 228,776 

A.  M.  Cochran Dallas Republican .  . .  65,236 

E.  L.  Dohoney Lamar Prohibition . .    19,186 

Scattering 102  313,300 

1888  Lawrence  S.  Ross McLennan Democrat 250,338 

Marion  Martin Navarro Fusion 98,447  348,785 

1890  James  S.  Hogg Smith -Democrat 262,432 

Webster  Flanagan Rusk Republican . .    77,742 

E.  C.  Heath Rockwall Prohibition.  .      2,235  342,409 

1892  James  S.  Hogg Smith Democrat 190,486 

George  Clark McLennan Democrat. . .  .133,395 

Thomas  L.  Nugent Tarrant Populist 108,483 

D.  M.  Prendergast Limestone Prohibition  .  .      1,605 

A.  J.  Houston Dallas "Reform" 

Republican .  1,322 
Scattering 176  435,467 

1894  Charles  A.  Culberson . . .  Dallas Democrat 216,373 

Thomas  L.  Nugent Tarrant Populist 159,676 

W.  K.  Makemson Williamson. . .  ."Regular" 

Republican.  57,147 

J.  M.  Dunn Hopkins Prohibition . .  21,295 

John  B.  Schmltz Denton "Reform" 

Republican.  5,304 
Scattering 1,076|460,871 

1896  Charles  A.  Culberson.  .Dalles Democrat 298,528 

Jerome  C.  Kearby. ....  Dalles Populist 238,692 

Randolph  Clark McLennan Prohibition.  .      1,876 

Scattering 682  539,778 

1898  Joseph  D.  Sayers Bastrop Democrat 291,548 

Barnett  Gibbs Dallas Populist 114,955 

B.  P.  Bailey Harris Prohibition . .      2,437 

G.  H.  Royal Lampasas Socialist 

Labor 552 

Scattering -. 62  409,554 


Parties  in  Texas 


647 


VOTE  FOR  GOVERNOR,  1845-1916 — Continued 


Year 


Candidates 


County 


Party 


Vote  I  Total 


1900  Joseph  D.  Sayers Bastrop Democrat 303,586 

R.  E.  Haiinay Waller Republican.  ..112,864 

T.  J.  McMinn Bexar Populist 26,579 

G.  H.  Royal Lampasas Socialist 

Labor 155 

Scattering 6,155  449,339- 

1902  S.  W.  T.  Lanham Parker Democrat 266,076 

George  W.  Burkett Anderson Republican. .    65,706 

J.  M.  Mallett Johnson Populist 12,387 

G.  W.  Carroll Jefferson ......  Prohibition  . .      8,708 

Scattering 3,273  359,150 

1904  S.  W.  T.  Lanham Parker Democrat 206,167 

James  G.  Lowden Taylcr Republican. ..  56,865 

Pat  B.  Clark Red  River Populist 9,301 

W.  D.  Jackson McLennan . .  •. .  -Prohibition . .  4,509 

Word  H.  Mills Dallas Social 

Democrat...  2,847 

Frank  Leitner Socialist 

Labor 552 

Scattering 170  2gO,411 

1006  Thomas  M.  Campbell. .  .Anderson Democrat. . .  .149,105 

Carey  A.  Gray Fannin Republican . . .  23,771 

C.  A.  Atchison Grayson "Reorgan- 
ized" Rep. .  5,395 

George  Clifton  Edwards  Dallas Socialist 2,958 

J.  W.  Pearson Ellis Prohibition . .  2,215 

A.  S.  Dowler Socialist 

Labor 260  183,704 

1908  Thomas  M.  Campbell. .  Anderson Democrat 218,956 

John  N.  Simpson Dallas Republican. ..  73,305 

J.  C.  Rhodes Van  Zandt Socialist 8,100 

E.  C.  Heath Rockwall Prohibition . .  243 

William  B.  Cook Socialist 

Labor 148 

C.  L.  Martin Independent .  3 

Scattering 9  300,764 


648 


Platforms  of  Political 


VOTE  FOR  GOVERNOR,  1845-1916 — Continued 


Year 


Candidates 


Coimty 


Party 


Vote     Total 


1910  Oscar  B.  Colquitt Kaufman Democrat 174,596 

J.  O.  Terrell Bexar Republican . . .  26,191 

Reddin  Andrews Bastrop Socialist 11,538 

A.  J.  Houston Jefferson Prohibition. .      6,052 

Carl  Schmidt McCulloch Socialist 

Labor 436 

1912  Oscar  B.  Colquitt Kaufman Democrat ....  233,073 


Reddin  Andrews Bastrop Socialist. . . , 

C.  W.  Johnson Young Republican. 

Ed.  C.  Lassater Brooks Progressive. 

A.  J.  Houston Jefferson Prohibition . 

K.  E.  Choate Harris Socialist 

Labor. . 


25,258 

22,914 

15,741 

2,353 

398 


218,813 


299,737 


1914  James  E.  Ferguson Bell Democrat 175,804 

E.  R.  Meitzen Lavaca Socialist 25,083 

John  W.  Philp Dallas Republican. . .  11,411 

P.  M.  Ethridge Dallas Progressive.  .      1,794 

K.  E.  Choate. Harris Socialist 

Labor 590 

Scattering 27  214,709 

1916  James  E.  Ferguson. . . .  Bell Democrat.  . .  .296,667 

R.  B.  Creager Cameron Republican . .    49,118 

E.  R.  Meitzen Lavaca Socialist 14,580 

H.  W.  Lewis Dallas Prohibition .  .      3,200 

Scattering 17  363,582 

2.     VOTE  FOR  PRESIDENT,  1848-1916 
Tear  |  Party  |     Vote          Total 

1848    Democrat    10,668 

Whig 4,509       15,177 

1852    Democrat 13,044 

Whig 4,995        18,039 

1856    Democrat 31,169 

Know-Nothing I      15,639       46,808 


Parties  in  Texas 


649 


VOTE  FOR  PRESIDENT,  1848-1916 — Continued 


Year 


1860 


1864 


1868 


1872 


1876 


1880 


1884 


1888 


1892 


1896 


Party 

Vote 

Total 

Democrat                            .        

47548 

Constitutional  Union  

15,438 

62,986 

Liberal  Republican       ... 

66546 

Republican  

47481 

Straight  Democrat  

2580 

116  607 

Democrat  

104  803 

Republican  

44,803 

149  606 

Democrat     

156  428 

Republican  .... 

57  893 

Greenback  

27405 

241  726 

Democrat  

225,309 

Republican  

93141 

Prohibition       

3,534 

Greenback 

3321 

325  305 

Democrat  

234  883 

Republican       

88422 

Union  Labor             

29459 

Prohibition  

4,749 

357,513 

Democrat              

239  148 

People's  Party 

99688 

Republican  •  

81,444 

Prohibition       

2165 

422445 

Democrat  

370,434 

Republican 

167  520 

People  's  Party  

79572 

"Gold"  Democrat  

5046 

Prohibition  . 

1.78 

6      624.35 

650 


Platforms  of  Political 


VOTE  FOB  PRESIDENT,  1848-1916 — Continued 


1900 


1904 


1908 


1912 


1916 


Republican       

121,173 

People's  Party  

20,976 

Prohibition                   

2644 

Social  Democrat 

1841 

Socialist  Labor  

160 

414,131 

Democrat  

167,200 

Republican     

51,242 

People's  Party  

8,062 

Prohibition        

4292 

Socialist   

2,791 

Socialist  Labor     

421 

234  008 

Democrat    

216,737 

Republican       

65,602 

Socialist            

7,870 

Prohibition  

1,634 

People's  Party  

994 

Socialist  Labor     

176 

Independent 

115 

293  128 

Democrat                       .                     .  . 

221  589 

Republican  

28,853 

Progressive  

26,755 

Socialist 

25743 

Prohibition  

1,738 

Socialist  Labor  .  . 

442 

305,120 

Democrat  

285,980 

Republican  

64673 

Socialist       .      .  . 

19  011| 

Prohibition  . 

2,057! 

371,721 

Parties  in  Texas  651 

3.     POLL  TAX  PAYMENTS 
Year  Number 


1908 561,838 

1909 556,893 

1910 535,352 

1911 548,631 

1912 571,961 

1913 520,394 

1914 , 606,765 

1915 

1916 588,382 

These  totals  are  copied  from  the  Dallas  News  and  the  Texas 
Almanac,  published  by  the  News.  The  News  estimates  the  num- 
ber of  exemptions  at  fifteen  per  cent  of  the  paid  poll  taxes. 

4.     VOTE  CAST  FOR  GOVERNOR  AT  DEMOCRATIC  PRIMARY 

Year  Candidate  Vote      Total 

1906  T.  M.  Campbell 90,345 

M.  M.  Brooks 70,064 

0.  B.  Colquitt 68,529 

C.  K.  Bell 65,168     294,106 

1908  T.  M.  Campbell 202,608 

R.  R.  Williams 117,459     320,067 

1910  0.  B.  Colquitt 146,526 

W.  Poindexter 79,771 

Cone  Johnson 76,050 

R.  V.  Davidson 53,187 

J.  Martin  Jones 1,906     357,440 

1912  0.  B.  Colquitt 219,808 

W.  F.  Ramsev.  .  179,857     399,665 


652  Platforms  of  Political 


1914  J.  E.  Ferguson 236,952 

T.  H.  Ball 191,952 

Leopold   Morris 6,656  434,903s 

1916  J.  E.  Ferguson 237,869 

C.   H.   Morris 171,888 

H.  C.  Marshall 6,571     416,328 

5.     VOTE  ON  STATE-WIDE  PROHIBITION 

Year  For  Against  Total 

1887  129,270  220,627  349,897 

1911  231,096  237,393  468,489 

6.     VOTE  ON  QUESTION  OF  SUBMISSION  BY  LEGISLATURE  OF  A 
PROHIBITION  AMENDMENT  TO  STATE  CONSTITUTION 

Year  For  Against  Total 

1908  142,614  139,335  281,949 

1910  154,716  125,962  280,678 

1914  155,801  177,822  333,623 

1916  174,435  172,332  346,767 

*The   figures   for   1914    are   taken    from  the  Dallas  News,  August  6,  1914. 


1.     INDEX  TO  NAMES 


Abbot,  Jo.,   186,  353. 

ALby,  M.  E.f  54. 

Abercrombie,  L    A.,    93. 

Abercrombie,  W.  C.,  367. 

Abernathy,  M.  G.,  280,  520. 

Abner,   David,  151,   176,  617. 

Abner,   David  J.,  Jr.,  438. 

Abney,  Hamp,  619. 

Abney,  J.  G-,  280. 

Abney,  John,  434. 

Achison,   Alex  W.,    4?9,    488,    489,    491, 

631. 

A<  ker,  ,  215. 

Acres,  J.   C.,   176. 

A dair.   W.  A.,    264. 

Adams,   A.  D.,  306,  308. 

Adams,   Earl,  287. 

Adams,  J.  G.,  432. 

Adams,  J.  M.,  218,  423,   472. 

Adams,  J.   P.,   619. 

Adams,  J.  Q.,  147,  148. 

Adams,  J.  T.,  462,  563. 

Adams,  Jed  C.,   497,   504,   520. 

Adams,  Jesse,  424. 

Adams,  Jesse  M.,  472. 

Adr.ms,  Joseph,   504. 

Adams,   Tom,   558,   563. 

Adams,  W.   S    J.,   93. 

Adams,   Z.  T.,   209,  211. 

Aakins,   John,  498. 

Acikins,  W.  L.,   462. 

Adkisson,  G.  J.,  350. 

Adler,  H.  C.,  491,  576. 

Agnew,  E.  L.,  317,  339,  342,   371. 

Ahrenbeck,  William,  154. 

Aiken,  R.,  327. 

Akridge,  R.  P.,  498,  519,  554,  573. 

Alderdyce,   J.   M.,   619,   623. 

Aldi  edge,  George,  353,  366. 

Aldwell,  W.  L.,  272. 

Alexander,  C.,   491. 

Alexander,   D.  M.,   546. 

Alexander,   F.  B.,  209. 

Alexander,   F.  P.,  182. 

Alexander,  J.  M.,  263. 

Alexander,  J.  P.,  229,  251. 

Alexander,  L     C.,    209,    218,    258,    280, 

323,   350,   352,   353,    363. 
Alexander,   R.  J.,  470. 
Alexander,  Richey,   514. 
Alexander,  William,  102,  155. 
Allen,   E.  B.,   187. 
Allen,  F.  C.,  556 
Allen,   H.   H.,   85,   87. 
Allen,   J.   A.,   274. 
Allen,   J.   K.,   314. 
Allen,  J.  L.,  44. 
Allen,  James  R.,  379,  423. 
Allen,   Noah,  554,  597,  614,  615. 
Allen,   Richard,  118,  120,   141,  148,  151, 

155,  176,  177,  190,  195,  214,  215,  234, 

272,  359. 

Allen,   Robert  B.,  526. 
Allen,   U.  W.,  439,  441,  458,  477. 
Allen,  W.  A.,  93. 
Allen,   W.  H.,  371 
Allen,  W.  J.,   615. 


Allen,  W.  M.,  231. 

Allison,  J.  G.,  284,  286. 

Allison,  William  B  ,  357. 

Alsbury,  Alex,  251. 

Alsbury,  E.   P.,  380,  384,  396,   397,   400, 

423,  453,  454,  472. 
Altbayer,  Philip,  252,  338,  361. 
Alterman,   C.   F.,   251. 
Amlin,  J.  M.,  628. 
Amory,  Nathaniel,  56. 
Anderson,  A.   H.,   538. 
Anderson,  A.   L.,   577. 
Anderson,   D.  C.,   359. 
Anderson,  Ed.,  345. 
Anderson,  J.  E.,  109. 
Anderson,  J.  F.,  216. 
Anderson,  J.  M.,  248. 
Anderson,   James  M.,   93,  124. 
Anderson,   M.  A.,   564. 
Anderson,  T.  R.,  391. 
Anderson,  T.  Scott,  68,   93. 
Anderson,   Tom,  292. 
Anderson,   W.  R  ,   98. 
Andrew,   G.  W.,  338. 
Andrews,   B.  N.,   500. 
Andrews,   E.  L.,  252. 
Andrews,   Frank,     290,     384,     452,     46:>, 

496. 

Andrews,  H.  H.,  438. 
Andrews,  John  L.,   481,   482,    552. 
Andrews,  Mrs.  John  L.,  552. 
Andrews,  R.  G.,  416. 
Andrews,    Reddin,    424,    527,    546,    564, 

648. 

Andrews,  T.  D,  310. 
Andrews,  Thomas,    347. 
Andrews,  W.  H.,   155,   195,   214. 
Andrews,  W.  L.,  174. 
Andrews,  W.  T.,  432. 
Andross,  Walter  A.,  68. 
Angel,   E.  L.,   392. 
Angell,  E.  H.,   554. 
Augier,  J.   Sam,   617. 
Ankrim,  Joel  L.,  51,  56. 
Antle,  Velmer,  573,  601. 
Ai-tony,   E.  L.,   353,   366. 
Antony,   William,   390. 
Armistead,     George,  500. 
Armistead,  W.  T.,  182,  384. 
Armstrong,  A.   M  ,   305,   361. 
Armstrong,  Alex  G.,   439. 
Armstrong,   George   W.,    432,    521,    526 
Armstrong,  J.  T.,  361. 
Armstrong,   James,   122. 
Armstrong,  James  R.,  51,  93. 
Armstrong,   M.  L.,   95. 
Armstrong,   R.  A.,   483. 
Armstrong,   Robert,  232. 
Armstrong,  W.  E.,  367. 
Armstrong,  William,   109. 
Arnold,  G.  W.,  330. 
Arthur,   Chester  A.,   214,   215,   216 
Asl-ury,  A.,   301,   302. 
Aschenbeck,  J.  C.,  527. 
Ashby,  H.  S.  P.,  293,  297,  298,  314,  316, 
332,  334,  380,  453. 


654 


Index  to  Names 


Ashe,  J    B.,  28,  29,  52. 
Ashford,  J.  G.,  462. 
Askew,  Richard  L.,   93. 

Assig,   Dr.  ,   154. 

Astin,   J.   R.,  503,    607,    619,    634. 

Atcheson,  J.  T.,  361. 

Atchison,   C.  A,   647. 

Atchison,   D.  D.,  85,  88. 

Atkinson,  E.  W,  554. 

Atwell,   B.   D.,   305. 

Atwell,  William  H.,  337,  360,  439,  459. 

475,   486,   514,   538,  574,   617. 
Aubrey,  William,  205,  390. 
Ault,  John  S.,   158. 
Austin,  Norris,  51. 
Averill,  W.  C,  474,  498,   556,  574. 
Aycock,  Thomas  P.,  78,  144. 
Ayres,  Ben  P.,  290,  503. 
Ay  res,  R.  C.,  481. 

Backus,  W.  H.,  470. 

Bacon,  E    M.,   124. 

Bacon,  Otis,  617. 

Bacon,  W.  P.,  95. 

Bycon,  William,  526,  537,   588. 

Baer,   Phil   E.,    576,   605,   606,    616,    632 

Baer,  R.  B.,  303. 

Bagby,   B.   C,   84. 

Bagby,  Will  T.,  618. 

Bagley,  N.  G.,   174. 

Bailey,   A.   B.,   378,   379. 

Bailey,   B.    P.,    305,    306,    308,    336,    379, 

409,  410,   446,  478,  481,   483,   646. 
Bailey,  D.  R.,  588. 
Bailey,  E.  H.,  363. 
Bailey,  G.  F.,  176. 
Bailey,   Joseph  W.,   279,    353,    370,   401, 

404,  407,  416,  461,  492,  496,  503,   507, 

509,  510,  533,   536,  549,   585,   619. 
Bailey,     W.  H.,  416. 
Bailey,  W.  J  ,   428. 
Bailey,  W.  L.,  465. 
Baillio,  F.   B.,   389. 
Bain,  J.  W.,  349 
Baines,   G.  W.,   Jr.,   248. 
Baird,  C.  W.,  434. 
Baird,  G.  W.,  349. 
Baird,  J.  W.,  335,  424,  454,  461. 
Baird,  James  E.,  281. 
Baird,  R.  B.,  371. 
Baird,   S.  M,  628. 
Baird,  W.  T.,  234. 
Baker,  A.  H.,   588. 
Baker,  Andrew   J.,    311,    339,    384,    466, 

503. 

Baker,  Benjamin  M.,  147,  221. 
Baker,  C    C.,  554. 
Baker,  D.   P.,  574. 
Baker,  F.  H.,  514. 

Baker,  H.  A.,   554,   571,   573,   597,   615. 
Baker,  Horace,  223. 
Baker,  J.  K.,  537. 
Baker,  Jess,  543. 

Baker,   John  B,  478,   498,  601,   615. 
Baker,   John  W.,   453,   454,   478. 
Baker,  Julius  A.,  202. 
Baker,  M.  A.,  251. 
Baker,  M.  N .,  538. 
Baker,   Sidney  S.,  558,  562,  643. 
Baker,  Thomas  H.,  141,  155. 
Baker,   Tyler  A.,  514,  554,  574. 
Baker,  W.  J.,  574. 
Baker,  Waller    S.,    310,    322,    330,    331, 

465. 


Baker,  Walter  E.,  486. 

Baldwin,  A.  C.,   619,   623. 

Baldwin,  D.  J.,  85,  87,  141,  155. 

Ball,   A.  J.,  98,  124. 

Ball,  Albert,  52. 

Ball.   John  J.,   322,  384. 

Ball,  T.  A.,  601. 

Ball,  Thomas    H.,    258,    310,    353,    415, 

427,  447,  461,  504,  508,  543,  546,  557, 

652. 

Ballard,  J.  T.,  515. 
Ballinger,   Henry,  215. 
Eallinger,   Thomas    J.,     339,     342,     390. 

447. 

Bankhead,  R.  M.,  115. 
Banks,  W.  F.  359. 
Banks,  W.  M.,  327. 
Baptist,  E.  D.,  411. 
Barbee,  James  G.,   416. 
Barber,  A.,  411. 
Barber,  Bryan,  453. 
Barbour,  W.  W.,  330. 
Barden,   E.   B.,   514. 
Barden,  T.  C.,  141. 
Barefoot,  G    W.,   345. 
Baiker,  Bob,  465,  520,  533. 
Barker,  Joseph,  51. 
Barkley,   Lon  M.,   602,   606. 
Barlow,  G.  W.,  486,  602,  606. 
Barnard,  H.  E.,  221. 
Barnes,  J.  W,  311. 
Fiarnett,  Joe,  297. 
Barnwell,  John,   503. 
Barrett,  James  W.,  511. 
Barrett,  T.  M.,  574. 
Barrett,  W.  J.,  248,  306. 
Barren,  S    B.,  105. 
Barry,  A.  R.,  280. 
Barry,   Bryan    T.,    211,    222,    258,    353, 

356. 

Barry,   Buck,  543. 
Barry,  J.  B.,  396. 
Bartholomew.   E.   C.,   514 
Bartholomew,  W.   T.,   432. 
Bartlett,   Church  J.,  557. 
Burtlett,   F.  W.,  474. 
Bartlett,   G.  T,  554. 
Bartlingck,  A.,  308. 
Bass,   C.  L,.,  504,  508. 
Bass,  J.  D.,  280. 

Bassett,  Ben  H.,   109,  144,  182,  198. 
Bates,  James,  173,  218 
Bates,   Joseph,   197,  237. 
Battle,   C.  J,.  242. 
Battle,  William  C.,  93. 
Baughman,  Theo.,  411,  458,  478. 
Baxter,  J.  H.,  500. 
Baylor,  John  R,  190. 
Beach,  E.  E.,  615. 
Beach,  George  N.,   349,   376,   377. 
Beach,  H.  L.,  614. 
Beach,  L.  K,  256. 
Beale,   R.  C.,  268. 
Beall,  Charles,  242. 
Be-all,   F.  J.,  462. 
Beall,  J.  H.,  527. 
Beall,   Thomas  J.,   158,  174. 
Beall,  William,  389. 
Beard,  B.  B.,  193,  280,  310. 
Beard,   Thomas  F.,  549. 
Eeasley,  John  C.,  339,  342,  371. 
Beatty,  E.  L.,  462. 
B«-atty,  Lee,  354. 


Index  to  Names 


655 


Beauchamp,    Mrs.    Jennie    Bland,    244, 

254,  255. 

Reauchamp,   S.   A..    244. 
Beazley,  S.  W.,   93. 
Feck, Carl,  439. 

Beck,   Charlie    W.,    489.    606,    617,    631. 
Beck,  Harry,  409,  437,  556. 
L>eckham,  Clifford  G.,   557. 
Beckham,   R.   W..   111. 
I  >dell,  A.  T.,   186. 
Her,   Carlos,    465. 
Bee,   Hamilton  P.,  56,   58,   65. 
Beer,  Joe,  564. 
Bthrens,  H,  308. 
Belden,  Samuel,  558,  562. 
Bell,   A.   J.,   416,   432. 
Bell,   Alden,    310. 

Bell,   Charles   K.,    218,    404,    447,    651. 
Bell,   James  H.,   95,   100,   112,   114,   117, 

141,  177,  190. 
Bell,  John,  87,  88. 
Bell,   John  G.,  177- 

I-.fll,   P.   Hansboroiigh,    32,    64,    68,    644. 
Bell,   R.  V.,   301,   332,  380. 
Bell,  T.  J.,  174. 
Fell,   Thomas,  497. 
Bell,  W.   D,   416. 
Bell,   W.  G.,   532. 
Bell,  W.    J.,    483,    484,    513,    527,    529, 

564,    590,    625. 

Bellinger,   Edmund,   410,   420. 
Bellinger,   Eustace,    484,    514,    527,    529, 

590,  625. 

Bemusdoffer,  J.  V.,   249. 
Benge,  G.  C.,   95. 
Bennett,  A.  P.,  115. 
Bennett,  Grant  R.,  390,  391. 
Bennett,  T  ,   300. 
Bennett,    W.   G.,    371. 
Bennick,  A.  R.,  190. 
Bennington,  John,   323. 
Benson,   Ellis,  85. 
Benson,   James  U.,   391. 
Bentley,  A.  L ,  397. 
Bentley,  D.  E.,  221. 
Bentley,   H.    U,  199,   332,   379,   380,   396 

461,   472. 
Berny,  A.,  109. 
Berry,  A.  W.,  56 
Berry,  E.  A.,   504. 
Berry,  J-   F.,  186. 
Berry,  J.  T.,  211. 
Berry,  W.   D.,   326. 
Betts,   G.  W.,   263. 
Beverly,  W.  T.,  356,  371,  404. 
Bewley,  S.  B.,  127. 
Bickett,  John  H.,  432. 
Bickler,  Jacob,  308,  323. 
Bickley,  W.  P.,  564. 

Bieberstein,  ,  154. 

Bierbower,  J.  C.,  573,  601. 

Bigelow,  I.  B.,  50,  56. 

Bigger.  J.  C.,   252,  292. 

Blgham,  R.  C.,   367. 

Billings.  William,  176. 

BJllingsley,   J.  S.,  513. 

Billingsley,  W.  H.,  180. 

Binkley,    C.    C.,    95,    115,    195,    214,    215 

217,  231. 

Einyon,  W.  A.,  423 
Birdwell,  P.  K.,  618. 
Bii  knead,  Claude  V.,   452,  537,   643. 
Birmingham,  H.  P..   268. 
Birthright,  C.  E.,  298. 


Bisland,  J.  B  ,  550. 

Black,   M.  G.,  465,  550. 

Black,  S.  E.,  93. 

Black,  W.   H.,   615. 

Blackburn,  W.  A.,   514. 

Blackshear,  W.  S.,  247. 

Blackwell,  S.  L.,  557.  . 

Blain,  J.   L.,   244. 

Blair,    W.   B.,    305,    338. 

Elaine,   J.  R.,   434. 

Blaine,  James    G.,    215,    222,    230,    231, 

O  O  O 

Blair,   R.  J.,   141,   143. 

Blair,  T.   O.,   248. 

Blake,    J.   W.,    287,    318,    339,    342,    356, 

370,  389,  394,  395,  401,  415,  447. 
Blake.  Thomas  P.,  69,  174. 
Biake,   Thomas  W.,  69,  174. 
Biake,   W.  P.,  426,  454,  472. 
Blalock,   E.   B.,   452,   462,   469. 
Blanchette,  Lee,  416. 
Blanding,  J.  M.,  311. 
Blane,  Frank  C.,  617. 
Blankenbaker,  J.   B,   459,  474. 
Blaser,   Carl,   564. 
Bk.dsoe,  A., -116,  117,  118,  121. 
Bledsoe.  F.   F.,   628. 
Bledsoe,  Joseph,  220,  353. 
Blessing,  A.  T.,  481. 
Bliss,  Don  A,  290,   317,  371. 
Blocker,  F.  B.,  182. 
Blount,  Eugene  H.,  557. 
Bicunt,   F.  R.,  254. 
Bleunt,  J.  B.,  371,   389. 
Bicunt,   Stephen  W,  220,  237,  241,  505. 

546. 

Blcunt,  W.   H.,   215,   242,   252. 
Bluitt,  B.  R.,  409,  411. 
Blythe,  W.   T.,   93. 
Board,  A.  G,  356. 
Boaz,  H.  A.,  546. 
Boerne,  R.  H.,  264. 
Boettcher,  J.  O.,  614. 
Bogart,   Samuel,  44,   49,   50,  51,   56,  58, 

72,   87. 

Boggs,  James,  273 
Bolton,  John  H.,  287. 
Bomar,  J.  E.,   366. 
Bond,  H.   P.,   552. 
Bonds,  W.  L.,  483. 
Bone,    Charles   R,    441,    458,    477,    538. 

617. 

Bonner,  B.  F.,  588. 
Bonner,  D.  H.  L.,  453. 
Bonner,   E.  R.,  144. 
Bcnner,  Thomas  R  ,  127,  175,  186,  197, 

220,  237,  248. 
Bonner,   AY.   B..   141. 
Bonner,  Will  H.,   537. 
Bookout,  John,  182,  258. 
Boon,  Harry,   335. 
Boone,  H.  H.,  109,  147,  174,  310. 
Bocne,  Hood,   557. 
Booth,   Dewitt  C,   144,  174. 
Booth,  George  M.,  486,  498. 
Booth,  J.  W.,  208,  211,  220. 
Booth,  W.  L.,  199,  231,  242. 
Booty,  A.  J.,  124. 
Borden.   Henry   L,.,    554,    571,    572,    573, 

601,   614,   615. 
Border,  John  P.,  74. 
Bessy,  F.,   377. 
Bottorf,  J.  T.,  353,  363,  416. 
Botts,  Thomas  B.,  367,   370,   391. 


656 


Index  to  Names 


Bounds,  E.  W,  577,  584. 

Bourland,  H.  A.,  305,  481. 

Bcurland,  J.  R.,  306. 

Bourland,  William  H.,  19,  43,  44. 

Bowden,  Frank  W.,   65. 

Bower,  E    G.,  186,  198,  280. 

Bowers,   D.  P.,  173. 

Bowers,  M.  H.,  127. 

Bowers,  R.  G.,  478. 

Bowers,   T.   M.,   163. 

Bowlby,  S.,  155. 

Bowles,  Frank  R.,  322. 

Bowman,  J.  Hall,  405. 

Bowser,  O.  P.,  353. 

Box,  J.   C.,   526,   546. 

Box,  John,  93 

Boyd,  A.  E.,  483. 

Boyd,  J.   A.,    434. 

Boyd,   J.   H,   332. 

Bcyd,  J.   R.,   564. 

Boyd,  James,   147,   163. 

Boyd,  L.   L.,   615. 

Boyd,  W.  R.,   416. 

Boyett,  W.  C,  643. 

Boyles,  F.  M.,  427. 

Boynton,  C.  M.,   238. 

Boynton,  Charles  A.,  409,  438,  441,  458, 

459,  474,  477,  498,  515,   597. 
Boynton,   George   H.,    416,    470,    503. 
Boynton,  J.  E.,  255,  256,  305,  306,  488. 
Boynton,   J.  W.,   572. 
Brachfield,    C.    L.,    504,    508,    577,    584. 

587. 

Brackenbraw,  L.  B.,  394. 
Brackenridge,   George  W,   546. 
Brackenridge,  John  T.,   218,  220. 
Bradford,   H.,   378. 
Bradford,   J.  W.,   488. 
Bradley,  G.  S.,  462. 
Bradley,  E.  J.,  481. 
Bradley,  J.  L.,  293,  314. 
Bradley,  Joe  S  ,   314,   316,   384,   400. 
Bradley,   O.  W.,   302. 
Bradley,  Tom  C.,  447,  452. 
Bradshaw,  Amzi,  93,  147,  175,  182,  186, 

202. 

Bradshaw,  J.  W.,  229,  231. 
Brady,  E.  W.,  176. 
Brady,  John  T.,  199,  229,  264,  272. 
Bragg,  J.  R.,  615 
Brahan,  R.  W.,   93,  537. 
Bralley,   Francis  M.,   533,   577. 
Bramlette,  William  A.,  280,  462. 
Branch,  E.  T.,   78,  80,  81. 
Brashear,  John,   85. 
Braubach,  P.,  154. 
Breeding,  Enoch,  206. 
Breedlove,  C.  R.,  311,  318. 
Breen,  E.,   631. 
Breen,  Thomas,   303,   337. 
Breitz,  A.  C.,  290,  371,  447. 
Brelsford,  H.  P.,   389,  396,   504. 
Brewster,   Calvin   G.,    234,    252,   438. 
Brewster,  H.  P.,  174. 
Brewster,  T.  T.,  434. 
Bridges,  M.  D.,  392. 
Brigance,  A.   F.,   389,   401. 
Briggs,   G.  W.,  248. 
Briggs,  R.  C.,  558,  562. 
Brim,  J.  K.,  634. 
Brinkley,  S.  A.,  564. 
Briscoe,  John  T.,  558. 
Bristol,  A.  B  ,  190. 
Britton,   F.  L.,  14 J. 


Britton,   Forbes,  72,  74. 

Broaddus,  A.   S.,   81,   93. 

Brock,  James,  354. 

Brock,  W.  B.,  266. 

Brockenbrough,  Thomas  S.,  413,  439. 

Broiles,  H.   S.,   246,   256,  257,   260. 

Pronson,  E.  A.,  305. 

Broocks,  Travis  G.,   44. 

Brooker,  W.  H.,  248. 

Brooks,  F.  W.,  615. 

Brooks,   John  H.,   174,   389. 

Biooks,  M.  G.,  617. 

Brooks,  M.   M.,  401,   465,   503,   651. 

Biooks,  R.  A.,  606. 

Brooks,  R.  E.,  427. 

Brooks,  Samuel  P.,  546,  634,  642. 

Erosig,  H.,  154. 

Broughton,  E.  T.,  109,   124,   127,   144. 

Brounson,  J.  S.,  298. 

Brown,  ,  147. 

Brown,  A.  J.,  276, 

Brown,  B.  W.,   208,  209. 

Brown,  George  P.,  458. 

Brcwn,  H.  P.,  310,  391. 

Brown,  J.  D,  Jr.,  526. 

Brown,  J.  M.,  242. 

Brown,  J.  N.,  272. 

Brown,  J.  R..  564. 

Bicwn,  J.  W.,  211. 

Brown,  John,  43. 

Brown,  John  Henry,  89,  93,  172. 

Brown,  John  L..,  462. 

Brown,  John  M.,  85. 

Brown,  Peyton,  390. 

Brown,  R.  G.,  526. 

Brown,  R.  T.,  520,  526,  557. 

Brown,  R.  W.,  520,  526. 

Brown,  S.  H.,  631. 

Brown,    Thomas,     445,     481,     500,     532V 

552,   628. 
Brown,   Thomas   J.,   158,   218,   258,   264.. 

276,  280,  287,   339,  401,   465,  533.  577. 
Brown,  W.  E.,  26-6. 
Brown,  W.  P,  391. 
Brown,  William  M.,  202,  416. 
Browne,  L.  H.,  290. 
Browning,  J.  N.,  238.  240,  264,  339,  342, 

401,  427. 

E]  owning,  R.  J.,  223. 
Browning,  W.  R,  564. 
Brownrigg,    R.    T.,    72,    73,    74,    75,    81,. 

89,  93. 

Fr  o'wnson,  L.,  418. 
Broyles,  M.  H.,  459,  489,  556. 
Bruce,  Dan,  420. 
Bruce,  L.  N,  238. 
Bruce,  M.  T.,  442,  444. 
Bruckmueller,  Joseph,  152,   154. 
Brueggerhoff,  W.,  152. 
Brunner,  John  L.,  588,  614. 
Brush,  W.  B.,  515,  602 
Bryan,  Beauregard,  290. 
Bryan,  G.  W.,  144. 

Bryan,  Guy  M.,  15,  26,  50,   58,  81,   317. 
Bryan,  Lewis  A.,   52. 
Bryan,  Louis  R.,  427. 
Bryan,  Moses  Austin,  147. 
Bryan,  Walter  S.,  201. 
Bryan,  William   J.,    385,    403,   407,   417,. 

425,  428,   495,  506,  521. 
Bryant,  A.  M.,  141,  176. 
Bryant,  C.  W.,  116. 
Bryant,   G.  T.,  529. 
Eryant,  S.  A.,  414. 


Index  to  Names 


657 


Buchanan,  J.  P.,   533,  550,   577,  586. 

Buchanan,  N,  290. 

Buchanan,  S.  H.,  329. 

Buck,  J.  G.  H.,  380. 

Buckaloo,  J.  T..  405. 

Buckler,  J.  A  ,  339,  342. 

Buckley,  C.  W.,  75. 

Buckner,  John  W.,   190. 

Buffmgton,  J.  C.,  371. 

Buffington,  T.  P.,  619,  623. 

Buford,  J.  M.,  618. 

Bugbee,  Thomas  S-,  498.  514. 

Bullock,  W.  H.,  280. 

Eumpass,  J.  K ,  98. 

Buneau,  A.  E.,  199. 

Bunton,  John  W.,  158. 

Burbridge,  Thomas  B.,  302,  330,  347. 

Burch,  B.  W.,   379. 

Burch,  L.  J.,   416. 

Bdrditt,  H.   N.,   93. 

Burford,   Nat  M.,   58. 

Burge,  Alex,  215,   305 

Bulges,  Richard  F.,  521,  526. 

Burges,  W.  H.,  174,  186,  197,  218,  258, 
504,  508. 

Burgess,  George  F.,   310,   416,  462,  "533. 

Burgess,  J.  A.,  488,   519. 

Buigess,  J.  L.,  391. 

Burk,  C    A.,   498,   515. 

Burk,  John  R.,  58. 

Burke,  C.  C.,   326. 

Eurke,  J.  W.,  302,  460,  491. 

Burke,  John  L.,  574. 

Burkett,  George  W,  251,  305,  409,  434, 
437,  455,  460,  498,  514,  519,  542,  554 
571,  573,  601,  615,  631,  647,. 

Burkhart,  William  H.,  215,  242,  260. 

Burks,  Hilton,  588,  614. 

Burl,  ,  100. 

Burleson,  A.  B.,  72. 

Burleson,  A.  S.,  622 

Burleson,  Edward,  12-14,  71. 

Burleson,  Dr.  R.  C.,   306,  335,  378. 

Purnet,  David  G.,  12,  109. 

Burnett,  J.  C,  478. 

Burnett,  J.  H.,  576,   606. 

Burnett,  J.  L.,  112. 

Burnett,  J.  R.,  177,  302. 

Burney,  George  E  ,  58,  109,  111. 

Burney,  J.  G.,  380. 

Bi.rney,   Marshall,   318,  379,  380. 

Burney,  R.  H.,  344. 

Burns,  ,  208. 

Burns,  Hugh,  486. 

Burns,  J.  C,  462. 

Burns,  J.  R.,  176,  195. 

Burns,  M.  F.,  574. 

Burns,  S    P.,  247,  262,  354. 

Burns,  Waller  T.,  413,  433,  438. 

Burress,  C.  A.,  262. 

Burroughs,  G.  W.,   556. 

Burroughs,  James  M.,  65,  93. 

Burroughs,  Sam  R  ,  322. 

Burt,  R.  E.,  483,  500. 

Burton,  J.  L.,  231. 

Bi:rton,  John  I.,  93. 

Burton,  W.  E,  190,  195. 

Burton,  W.  T.,  157. 

Burton,  Walter,  302. 

Bush,  W.  N.,  290. 

Bushick,  Frank  H.,  405,  432    462 

Buster,  Sterling,  497. 

Butler,  ,  407. 

Butler,  E.  A.,  263. 


Butler,  J.  E.,  462,  520,  526. 
Butler,  J.  W.,  301,  329,  347,  498. 
Butler,  James  P.,  120. 
Bv-tler,  S.  P.,  100. 
Butler,  T.  B.,  520,  526. 
Butler,  W.   P.,  327,   347. 
Buttlar,  August,  152. 
Butts,  J.  J.,  370. 
Eyrd,  William,  84. 

Byrne, ,  103,  104. 

Byrne,  T.  C.,  231,  234. 

Cabeen,  D.  H.,  497. 

Cabiness,  R.  H.,  379. 

Cage,  Bruce  C..  514,  515. 

Cage,  R.  K.,  147,   148. 

Cahill,  Jack,   564. 

Cahill,  Thomas,  511. 

Cain,  B.  B.,   389. 

Cain,  Henry  B.,   393. 

Cain,  John  O.,  347,  439,  489,  491. 

Caldwell,  A.  H.,  405,  411. 

Caldwell,  C.,   95,   143. 

Caldwell,  C.  C.,  141.  ' 

Oaldwell,  J.  R.,   478. 

Caldwell,  John,  68. 

Caldwell,  N.  C.,   157. 

Caldwell,  Robert  A.,  439. 

Caldwell,  W.  N.,  339,  342. 

Caldwell,  Will,   317. 

Calhoun,  A.  W.,   290,   292. 

Calhoun,  E.  Foster,  75. 

Call,  E.  O.,  379,   384. 

Oallan,  Austin,   601,   602. 

Callan,  James,  533,  577. 

Callicut,  John  S.,   643. 

Galloway,   J.   M.,   279. 

Calloway,  L.  M.,  379. 

Calmore,  Charles,  231,  286. 

Calvert,  Robert,  80. 

Calvin,  E.  A.,  469. 

Cameron,  Donald,  115. 

Cameron,   R.   A.,   264. 

Cameron,  W.  D-.,   190. 

Cameron,  William,   264. 

Camp,  A.  L.,  447. 

Camp,  B.  W.,   287. 

Camp,  J.  L.,  144. 

Camp,  L.  B.,  95. 

Camp,  L.  P.,   50. 

Camp,  W.  R.,  322. 

Campbell,  A.  H.,  190. 

Campbell,  C.  M.,   157,   212,  215. 

Campbell,  J.  B.,  601. 

Campbell,  J.  L.,  552,  553,  570,  628,  630. 

Campbell,  J.  M.,  371. 

Campbell,  L.  L.,  302. 

Campbell,   L.   R.,   500. 

Campbell,  Robert  C.,  93. 

Campbell,   Robert  F.,   252,   302. 

Campbell.  T.  J.,   175. 

Campbell,    Thomas    M.     238     401     447 

452,  462,  492,  507,  520,   521,  546,  557,' 

558,  562,  647,  651 
Campbell,  W.  H.    190 
Cane,  N.  M.,  216. 
Canes,  W.  W.,  546. 
Cannon,  B.   F.,   323. 
Cannon,   Fenton,   367. 
Capps,  William,   405,   416,   462. 
Garden,  George  A.,  344,   415,   497,   524 
Cardwell,  John,   209. 
Carhart,  J.  W.,  303,   597. 
Carl,  J.   F.,   619,   634. 
Carlisle,  J.  M.,  317,  339,  385. 


42 — 328 


658 


Index  to  Names 


Carlisle,  John  G.,  369,  375,  549. 
Carlock,   M.   D.,   462,   558,   562. 
Carmichall,   J.   D.,   625. 
Carnahan,  G.,   530. 
Carne-3,  G.  W.,  379. 
Carries,  J.  J.,   367. 
Carney,   John,   500,  513. 
Carpenter,   Harry  L.,   462,  497. 
Carpenter,  J.  B.,  128. 
Carpenter,  J.  L.,   401,   404. 
Carpenter,  R.  E.,  550. 
Carpenter,   R.   W.,   317,   371. 
Carper,   W.   A.,   349. 

Carr,  ,   214. 

Carrigan,   A.   H.,   287. 

Carrington,   D.   C.,    186. 

Carroll,   B.   H.,   248. 

Carroll,  George  W.,  306,  308,  336,  444, 

480,   481,  483,   500,  647. 
Carroll,   J.   A.,    209,   237,    240,    241,   258, 

266. 

Carroll,  J.   S.,   483. 
Carroll,  John  W.,  163. 
Carrothers,   A.   J.,   379. 
Carruth,  A.  J.,   262. 
Carruthers,  A.  B.,  380. 
Carson,  W.  H.,  338. 
Carson,  W.  R.,  214. 
Carswell,    R.    E.,    462,    466,     470,    537, 

558,  562. 

Carter,  B.  A.,  504,   508. 
Carter,  Champ,  105,   128. 
Carter,  Erastus,  120. 
Carter,  E.  H.,  497. 
Carter,  George  W.,  104,  107,  109. 
Carter,  J.  D.,  306,  308. 
Carter,  J.  H.,  470,  513,  514. 
Carter,  J.  I.,   478. 
Carter,  J.  S'.,  439. 
Carter,  S'am  T.,  157. 
Carter.  W.  Frank,  120. 
Cartwright,   J.  W.,   144. 
Cartwright,  Mathew,  268. 
Caruthers,  B.  F.,   29,   52. 
Caruthers,  S.   R.,   187,   190,  199. 
Caruthers,  W.   P.,   264. 
Carver,  W.  Y.,   416,  432,   504,   508,   533. 
Casey,  Lewis  F.,  93. 
Gate,  Horace  M.,   218,   241,   258,   265. 
Catts,  W.  H.,   411. 
Cave/E.  W.,  105,  107. 
Gavin,  E.  D.,   384. 
Cavin,   T.   S.,   427,   447. 
Gavin,  W.  J..  186,   209. 
Cavitt,  Joe,  643. 
Cazneau,  William  L.,  43. 
Chaisson,  Charles  J.,  615. 
Chalmers,  John  G.,   43.   44. 
Chalmers,  W.  Leigh,  75,   158,  164,  173. 
Chambers.  E.   S.,   280,   427. 
Chambers,   Ed.,   172,  197. 
Chambers,  John  G.,  93. 
Chambers,    Thomas   J.,    43,    44,    56,    69, 

93,   109,   129,   644,   645. 
Chambers,  William,   93,   141,   155,   176, 

177,   195,  260,  645. 
Chancellor,  J.  W.,  588,  607,   634. 
Chancy,  A.  W.,  215. 
Chandler,   Fred  W.,   187. 
Chapin,  D.  B.,   504. 
Chapman,  J.  L.,  -500. 
Charlton,  N.  B.,  56,  58,  74,  93. 

Chase,  ,  109.   . 

Chase,  Fred,  301. 
Chase,  Jesse  A.,   615. 
Chase,  W.  R.,  176,  195. 


Cheaney,   J.,   478. 

Chelvia,  J.  M.,   489. 

Chenoweth,  James  Q.,  174,  186,   198. 

Chernin,  Fannie,  530. 

Chesley,  A.  A.,  221,   287,  311. 

Chessher,  Dan  S.,  384,   416,   497. 

Chesterner,   J.   C.,   363. 

Chew,  J.   C.,   105. 

Childs,  J.  H.,  439. 

Chilton,  F.  B.,  182. 

Chilton,  George  W.,   68,  72,   74,  78,   93, 

174. 
Chilton,    Horace,     249,    257,    287,     317. 

370,   401. 

Chisum,  Isham,   93. 
Ohoate,  K.   E.,   588,   648. 
Christian,  B.   F.,   144. 
Christian,    E.    G.f    498,    542,    554,    571, 

572. 

Christian,  W.  L.,  353. 
Christian,   William  H.,   439. 
Churchill,   Melvin   C.,   500. 
Claiborne,   John  M.,  197,   211,   475. 
Clardy,  Mrs.  M.  -M.,  285. 

Clark,  ,   109. 

Clark,  A.  A.,  258. 

Clark,  Addison,  244,  284,  332. 

Clark,  B.  M.,  268. 

Clark,  C.  E.,  577. 

Clark,   Edward,   19,   50,   645. 

Clark,  F.  B.  S.,  314. 

Clark,  F.  P.,   290. 

Clark,   George,   158,   173,  220,  249,   251, 

257,  258,   310,  316,  322,  329,  339,  342, 

350,  353,  363,  366,  367,  389,  390,  549, 

646. 

Clark,  G.  B.,  488. 
Clark,  H.  T.,  235. 
Clark,  H.  W.,  568. 
Clark,  I.  E.,  416,  618,  634. 
Clark,  J.  W.  A.,  631. 
Clark,  James,  287,  384,  390,  452. 
Clark,  John  H.,  174. 
Clark,  L.  W.,  434. 
Clark,  Lee  A..  427,  462,  546,  558,  562, 

618,  619,  623. 

Clark,  Pat  B.,   298,   424,  472,   647. 
Clark,    Randolph,    231,    248,    254,    306, 

378,  478,   501,   6.46. 
Clark,  V.  M.,   462. 
Clark,  W.  H.,  339,   342. 
Clark,  William.  Jr.,   93. 
Clarke,  J.  W.  A.,  489. 
Clay,  John  O.,  366. 
Clayton,  A.   B.,   564. 
Clayton,  J.  A.,  93. 

Clayton,  W.  T.,  305,  306,  308,  336,  378, 

379,  481. 

Cleaves,  F.  L.,  215,  229,  231. 

Cleaves,  Frank,   242,    327. 

Clegg,   G.   C.,   607,   634. 

Clements,  Reuben  R.,  65. 

Clements,  William,  287. 

Clemmens,  W.  E.,   334. 

Clendennin,  A.  J.,  290. 

Clendennin,  W.  H.,  452,  465,  503,  577, 
584,  587. 

Cleveland,  Charles  L.,  93,  163,   175. 

Cleveland,  Grover,  221,  238,  252,  258, 
259,  266,  313,  338,  340,  342,  346,  349, 
354,  367,  369,  375,  425,  549. 

Cleveland,  John   S.,  163. 

Cleveland,  W.  H.,   79. 

Cleveland,   William,   223,   224. 

Clifford,   G.   G.,   357,   434,   475,   478. 

Clifton,  H.   F.,  215. 


Index  to  Names 


659 


Cline,  H.   B.,   394. 

Clinton,  C.  A.,   554. 

Cloar,  E.  G.,  418. 

Clope,  L.  A.,  148. 

Olopton,   A.  G.,   93,  209. 

Clopton,  Lucius  C.,   50. 

Clough,  Georg-e,  348. 

dough,  Jeremiah  M.,  56,  58,  84. 

Clymer,  M.,   500. 

Cobb,  J.   B.,   256,   262. 

Cobb,  Zack  Lamar,  557. 

Cobbs,  T.  D.,   461. 

Cochran,  Dr.  Arch  M.,  177,  193,  195, 

232,  242,  251,  302.  337,  352,  646. 
Cochran,  H.  B.,  418. 

Cochran,  John  H.,  197. 

Cochran,  John  L.,  221. 

Cochran,   T.   B.,   287,   311,   371. 

Cock,  John,  614. 

Cocke,   J.   Walter,    554,    555,    574,    602, 

631. 

Cocke,  John  W.,  514,   519,   538,   542. 
Cockrell,   Fred,   371. 
Cockrell,  J.  V.,  248. 
Cockrell,   Joseph   E.,   416,  432,   492. 
Gofer,   Robert  E.,   546. 
Coffee,  John,  251. 
Coffee,  John  F.,  206. 
Coffee,  Maurice,  218. 
Coffield.  Charles  A.,  371. 
Coke.   Richard.   93.   107,   127,   158,   174, 

233,  267,   356,   427,   549,   645. 
Coker,  L.  B.,  500. 

Colby,  George  B.,  338,  361. 
Cole,  Murray,  120. 
Cole,   S.  H.,  458. 
Cole,  W.  R.,  300,   473. 
Coleman,  W.  S1.,  197. 
Colfax,   Schuyler,   113. 
Collier,  John,  453. 

Collins,  ,   263. 

Collins,  A.,   453. 

Collins,  A.   R.,   214. 

Collins,  G.   K.,  491. 

Collins,  Jasper,  416. 

Collins,  Mrs.  Josephine,  532. 

Collins,  N.  G.,  264. 

Collins,   R.  M.,  326. 

Collins,  T.  P.,  51. 

Collins,  V.  A.,  396,   424. 

Collins,  W.  B.,  547,  550. 

Collins,  W.  W.,  234. 

Collins,  Walter  E.,   533,   587,   612,   614. 

Colquitt,  Oscar  B.,    318,   322,   330,   447, 

520,  533,  542,  549,  576,  584,  607,  608, 
•    648,  651. 
Colson,  G.  A.,  378. 
Colwell,  A.  H.,   345,   359. 
Colwell,  F.,  361. 
Colwell,  R.  E.,  347. 
Colwick,  A.  M.,   453. 
Combs,  Henry,  336. 
Compton,  M.  J.,   504,   508. 
Cone,  C.  A.,  316. 
Cone,  J.  B.,   300. 
Cone,  J.  C.,  216. 
Conibear,    E.    H.,    432,    445,    446,    478, 

481,    500,    513,    530,    568,    628,    629. 
Conine,   R.  E.,   290. 
Conkling,  Roscoe,   253. 
Conkrite,  A.  H.,  353. 
Connallee,  C.  U.,  36£. 
Connally,  Tom,  462T 
Conner,  W.  C.,   264. 
Connor.   E.   S.,   326,   330,   353,    363,   366, 

367,  369. 


Connor,  S.  S.,   514. 

Connor,  T.   H.,   401. 

Connor,  W.  F.,  486,  601,   602. 

Converse,  E.  V.,  615. 

Conway,  J.  T.,  500. 

Cook,  Ben,   533,   550. 

Cook,  E.  G.,   552,   629. 

Cook,  H.  F.,   481,   500. 

Cook,  J.  G..  268. 

Cook,  J.  W.,  290. 

Cook,  James  E.,   93. 

Cook,   Richard  V.,   174. 

Cook,  W.  D.   S.,  128. 

Cook,  William  B.,   527,   647. 

Cooke,  Gustave,  79,  163,   249. 

Coombs,   A.  J.,  554. 

Coon,  R.  P.,  588. 

Cooper,  D.  H.,   478. 

Cooper,  J.  C.,   483. 

Cooper,  James,   552. 

Cooper,  James  B.,  176. 

Cooper,  L.  W.,  115,  176,  177,   190,   214, 

216. 

Cooper,  M.  S.,  401. 
Cooper,  Oscar  H.,  237,  265. 
Cooper,  S.  B.,  287,  401,  404,  415,  427, 

465. 

Cooper,   S.  B.,   Jr.,   504,   508,   537. 
Coopwood,  Bethel,  145,  173. 
Cope,  J.  M.,  617. 
Copeland,  J.  B.,   542,  576. 
Corbin,  J.  M.,  280. 
Coreth,  F.,  308,   323. 
Corley,  A.  P.,  356. 
Cornelius,  W.  P.,  533,  588. 
Corning,  A.   F.,   215,   223. 
Coss,  John  N.,  148. 
Cotter,  G.  W.,  305. 
Cotton,  A.  E.,   124. 
Cotton,  J.  M.,  390. 
Cottrell,  J.  D.,  447. 
Cousins,  R.   B.,   465,   492,   520. 
Cowan,  J.  C.,  103. 
Cowan,  W.,  100. 
Cowden,  C.  W.,  501,  553. 
Cowell,  J.  A.,  199. 
Cowen,  M.  L,.,   281. 
Cox,   E.   Tom,   297. 
Cox,  George  H.,  553. 
Cox,  John  H.,  416. 
Cox,  John  J.,  428,   462,   464. 
Cozart,  H.  M.,   52. 
Crabbe,  E.  G.,   538. 
Crabbe,  R.  H.,  554,  615. 
Oraddock,  John  T.,  322,  330. 
Crafts,  W.  A.,  155. 
Craig,  A.  W.,  241. 
Craig,  R.  K.,   242. 
Crane,  Charles  J.,  615. 
Crane,   Ed.,   614. 
Crane,    Martin    M.,    258,    279,    317,    339, 

384,   401,   403,   557. 
Crane,  William  Gary,  231. 
Cranfill,   J.   B.,   244,   246,   248,   254,   256, 

285,  286,  306,  335,  336,  378,  410,   432, 

446,  478,  481,  500,  502,  512,  513,  543, 

552. 

Crank,  W.   H.,  109. 
Cravens,  J.  E.,  58. 
Cravens,  N.  A.,   238. 
Crawford,  F.  E.,  323. 
Crawford,  J.  T.,  276,  300,  316. 
Crawford,   John  E.,  311,   317. 
Crawford,  M.  L.,    205,   353. 
Crawford,  T.  J.,  51. 
Crawford,  W.   B.,   260,  262,  263. 


660 


Index  to  Names 


Crawford,    W.    L.,    158,    173,    238,    367, 
Crawford,  Walter  J.,  526,  619,  623. 

389,   390. 
Crawford,    Wilbur    F.,    252,    301,    345, 

347,   413,  439. 
Creager,  R.  B.,  631,  648. 
Crenshaw,  Jasper,  314. 
Crews,  B.   F.,   601,   631. 
Crider,  Dan  C.,  529,   654. 
Crier,  J.  M.,  470,  484,  513. 
Critchlow,  W.   E.,  500. 
Crockett,  John  M.,   94,  128. 
Croft,  W.  W.,   105. 

Crooks,  «,   323. 

Crosby,  Josiah  F.,   74,  81. 

Crosby,   Stephen,   55,   63,   75. 

Crosby,  W.,  223. 

Cross,  A.  J.,  391. 

Cross,  E.,   100. 

Cross,  W.   B.,  123,   148. 

Crouch,  J.   P.,   481. 

Crow,  M.  R.,  318. 

Crowley,  Miles,  493,  504,  508,  533,  550, 

558. 

Crozier,  A.  B.,  208. 
Crozier,  A.  R.,  211. 
Crumpton,  R.  S'.,  607. 
Oulberson,   Charles   A.,    218,    287,    317, 

339,  353,  370,  384,  386,  403,  461,  492, 

496,  533,  535,  536,  549,  557,  613,   634, 

646. 

Culberson,  David  B.,  109. 
Cullom,  John  H.,  389,  396. 
Gulp,  George  H.,  588,   607,   614. 
Cummings,  B.  Y.,  606. 
Cummings,  Sam,   155. 
Cuney,   Norris   Wright,    148,    151,    155, 

157,  176,  195,  212,  214,  215,  229,  242, 

251,  252,  272,  301,  345,  357,  359,  392. 
Cuney,  P.,  44. 
Cunningham,  A.  S.,  19. 
Cunningham,  Bryan,  206. 
Cunningham,   J.   F.,   606. 
Cunningham,  L.   C.,   256,   306. 
Cunningham,  S.  C.,  378. 
Cureton,  C.  M.,  423,  424,  426. 
Cureton,  S.  C.,  224. 
Curry,  E.  P.,  416. 
Curtis,  E.  P.,   447,   452. 
Curtis,   S.,   100. 
Gushing,  E.  H.,   68. 
Cypert,  J.  J.,  458,  477,  486,  488. 

Dabbs,  Helen  L.,  298. 

Daggett,  E.  M.,  201. 

Dailey,  A.  B.,  335,  478. 

Dailey,  T.  H.,  326. 

Dailey,  Tom,  486,  602. 

Dale,  L.  A.,  607. 

Dale,  Matt,  84. 

Dale,  W.  H.,  151. 

Dalrymple,  W.  C.,  98. 

Dalwigk,  G.,  154. 

Daly,  Andrew,  8i5,  87. 

Daly,  John,  Jr.,  573,  601. 

Damon,  H.  G.,  284,  306,  335,  482,  444, 

481,  500. 

Dancy,  Jon  W.,  65,  72,  77,  93,  644. 
Daniel,  Irwin,  363. 
Daniel,  I.  A.,  558. 

Daniels, ,  51,  109. 

Daniels,  E.  A.,  281. 
Daniels,  G.  W.,  474. 
Daniels,  P.  D.,  576,  602. 
Daniels,  R.  D.,  437. 


Daniels,  S.,  602. 

Daniels,  W.  T.,  247. 

Darden,  Fred  J.,  144,  158. 

Darden,  Stephen  H.,   69,  124,  147,  158, 

174,  182. 

Darling,  Pat,  571. 

Darling,  Tom  J.,  439,  455,  617,  631. 
Darnell,  A.   L.,   141,   143,   155,   157,  246, 

303. 

Darnell,  Nicholas  H.,  644. 
Darrow,  N.  G,  306. 
Darwin,  J.  L.,  474,  511. 
Dashiel,  George  R.,  208. 
Dashiell,  L.  T.,  357,  371,  384,  493,  520, 

526. 

Daug-herty,  .W.  H.,  369,  546. 
Davenport,  J.  H.,  237,  240,  241. 
Ravenport,  Thomas  G.,  93. 
David,  H.  A.,  290. 
Davidson,    A.    B.,    416,    447,    452,    492, 

520,   533,   607,   634. 
Davidson,  A.  H  ,  93. 
Davidson,  C.  G.,  567. 
Davidson,  Charles,  493. 
Davidson,    Robert    V.,    447,    465,    492, 

520,  651. 
Davidson,  Sam,  475,  488,  498,  519,  542, 

554. 

Davidson,  T.  G.,  143. 
Davidson,  T.  W.,  557,  619,  623. 
Davidson,  W.  D.,  266. 
Davidson,  W.    L,.,    317,    339,    447,    520, 

607. 

Da\is,  ,  109,  215. 

Davis,  Alf,  81. 

Davis,  A.  L.,  606. 

Davis,  B..  H.,  163,  198,  258. 

Davis,  Charles,  326,  367,  533. 

Davis,  D.  F.,  115. 

Davis,  E.,  256. 

Davis,  Ed.,  338,  361,  394. 

Davis,    Edmund   J.,    95,    108,    112,    114, 

116,  117,  120,  135,  142,  155,  176,  177, 

179,  190,  195,  197,  206,  212,  214,  215, 

294,   427,   645 

Davis,  Frank  C.,  497,  618. 
Davis,  Fred  W.,  607,  634. 
Davis,  G.   C.,  401. 
Davis,  G.  W.,  71. 
Davis,  H.  K.,  337,  360. 
Davis,  J.  O.,  478. 
Davis,  J.  S  ,  405. 
Davis,  J.  T.,  350. 
Davis,  J.  W.,  606. 
Davis,  James,  44,  50,  56,  62. 
Davis,  James  H.,  314,  396,  607. 
Davis,  Jefferson,  469,  549. 
Davis,  John  L.,  577. 
Davis,  John  W.,  367,  389. 
Davis,  O.  S  ,  201,  310. 
Davis,  Robert  A.,  174. 
Davis,  S.  M.  C.,  347. 
Davis,  W.  B.,   558,  563. 
Davis,  W.  E.,  301,  357,  359,  392. 
Davis,  W.  H.,  474. 
Davis,  W.  L.,  465. 

Davis,  W.  O.,  363,  367,  389,  390,  391. 
Davis,  W.  W.,  229. 
Davis,  Waters  S  ,  303. 
Davis,  William  B.,  52. 
Daws,  &.  O.,  380. 
Dean,  J.  M.,  242. 
Dean,  Midlay,  182. 
Dean,  P.  W.,  339,  342. 


Index  to  Names 


661 


Dean,  W.  L.,  432. 

Dearmon,  T.  S.,  454. 

DeArmond,  R.,   174,  237,  258,  264,   363. 

DeBruhl,  John,  148. 

Debs,  Eugene  V.,  349,  418. 

Decker,  David  E.,  533,  588,  619,  634. 

Decker,  J.  M.,  394. 

DeCordova,  Paul,  68,  74,  75,  158. 

DeCordova,  Phineas,  78. 

Deen,  C.,  93. 

Deen,  S.  W.,  342. 

Degener,   Edward,   95,   114,   116,   141. 

Deger,  L.  E.,  394. 

DeGraffenreid,  R.  C.,  258. 

DeGress,  J.  C,  215,  252,   254,  272,  302. 

DeLisle,  L.  C.,  81. 

Dellums,  Henry,  458,  475,  477. 

Delmage,  C.  E.,  511. 

DeMontel,   Charles,   93. 

DeMorse,  Charles,  44,  50,  144,  209,  221. 

DeMorse,   L.  C.,   211. 

Denman,  LeRoy  G.,  339. 

Denman,  W.  L.,  211. 

Dennis,  D.  F.,  254. 

Dennis,  I.  M.,  389. 

Dennis,  N.  W.,  318. 

Dennis,  P.  F.,  433,  437,  491. 

Dennis,  P.  J.,  357. 

Denny,  I.  N.,  74. 

Densmore,  J.  H  ,  416. 

Denson,  James,  263. 

Denson,  W.  B.,  248. 

Dent,  Z.  A.,  231. 

Denton,  A.  N.,  176. 

Denton,  Ben  H.,  389,  395. 

Denton,  J.  M.,  147. 

Derrick,  W.  H.,  276. 

Devine,  J.  M.,  65. 

Devine,  Thomas  J.,  93,  124,  182. 

Devine,  W.  H.,  211. 

Devlin,  Harry,  190. 

Diamond,  William  W.,  93. 

Dibbrell,  J.  A.,  371. 

Dibbrell,  James  B.,  248. 

Dibrell,  J.  B.,  447,  452,  607. 

Dlckenson,  John,  52. 

Dickerson,  J.  J.,  301,  474,  617. 

Dickinson,  A.   S.,   488. 

Dickinson,  C.  C..  258. 

Dickinson,  Henry,  102. 

Dickson,  C.  A.,  455,  519. 

Dickson,  Daniel  C ,  44. 

Dickson,   David  C.,   36,   37,   56,    62,   63, 

64,  77,  644. 
Dickson,  J.  L.,  177. 
Dickson,  J.  W.,  157. 
Dickson,  John  T.,  550,  607. 
Dickson,  W.  L,.,  437,  491. 
Dickson,  W.  T.,  311. 
D:es,  W.  W.,  416,  504. 
Diggs,  E.  E.,  576,  602,  606,  631. 
Dillard,  F.  C,  268. 
Dillard,  John  E.,  124,  174. 
Dillard,  W.  W.,  344. 
Dilley,  J.  M.,  195,  215. 
Dillman,  Henry,   441. 
Dilworth,  R.  S.,  521,  524,  557. 
Dittlinger,  N.  V.,  498,  514. 
Divorman,  S.  W.,  601. 
Dix,  John,  119. 
Dix,  John  J.,  318. 
Dixon,  Sam  H.,  287. 
Dixon,  W.  C.,  199,  201,  208. 
Doak,  A.  P.,  389. 


Doak,  N.  P.,  504,  508. 

Doane,  Rufus,  56,  58. 

Dobbs,  A.  M.,  564. 

Dodd,   Thomas  W.,   248,   266,    311,    497. 

Dodson,  B.  H.,  157,  195. 

Dodson,  J.  D.,  573,  601. 

Doe,  R.  W.,  486. 

Dohoney,  A.  P.,  432. 

Dohoney,  E.  L.,  124,  129,  199,  231,  244, 

254,  255,  285,  286,  293,  298,  314,  316, 

332,  335,  432,  646. 
Dollard,  J.  H.,  300. 
Donaho,  J.  B.,  218. 
Donaldson,  John,  254. 
Donavant,  William,  326. 
Donelson,  John,  93. 
Donley,  Stockton  P.,  124. 
Dcnohower,  C.  H.,  394. 
Dooley,  M.  A.,  19,  44,  50,  56. 
Dorchester,  C.  B.,  475,   519. 
Den  emus,  John  W ,  405. 
Dorn,  A.  J.,  158,  174. 
Dornblaser,  O.  F.,  424,  454,  472. 
Dorrough,  R.  P.,   619,   634. 
Doubleday,  C.  S,  330. 
Dougherty,  Edward,   93. 
Dougherty,  J.   R.,   493. 
Dougherty,  J.  S.,   353,  357. 
Dougherty,   T.  W.,   182. 
Doughty,  Walter  F.,  607,  '634. 
Douglas,  Warren,  201. 
Douglass,  J.  P.,  124,  127,  158. 
Douglass,  W.   P.  H.,   62. 
Douthitt,  W.  F.,  314,   316,  511. 
Dove,   W.   F.,   513. 
Dowler,  A.   S.,   497,  647. 
Downes,  James  E.,  322. 
Downey,  Edward,  122. 
Downs,  J.  E.,  258. 
Downs,  J.  W.,  144. 
Doyle,  J.  N.,  268,  290. 
Doyle,  W.  E  ,  427. 
Drake,  C.  C.,  314,  359,  405. 
Drake,  Carl  F.,   475. 
Drew,  Byron,   310,  356. 
Drew,  W.   P.,   254. 
Dreyer,  H,  L.,  470,  527,  529. 
Drummond,  J.  H.,  607,  614. 
Dryden,  Whit,  3*94. 
Duck,   C.  A.,   574,   602,   606. 
Dudley,  Fred  S.,  462,  526,  533. 
Dudley,  J.  W.,  526. 
Dudley,   James   G.,   238,    344,   362,   364, 

365,   370,   390,   503, 
Duescher,  E.  H  ,  418. 
Duff,  F.  J.,  533. 
Duff,  R.  C.,  461. 
Duffy,'  M.  S.,  218. 
Duffy,  T.  J.,  323. 
Duggan,  Thomas  H.,  50,  56,  81. 
Dunbar,  William,  85. 
Duncan,  A.  A.,  478,  500. 
Duncan,  Charles,  497. 
Duncan,  H.  H.,   617. 
Duncan,    John   M,    353,    370,    376,    416, 

427. 

Duncan,   S.  D.  A.,   314. 
Dunham,  Cyrus  M.,  330. 
Dunham,  Joseph  H.,  93. 
Dunlap,  Andrew,  235. 
Dunlap,  J.  S.,  615. 
Dunlap,  W.  W.,  81,  84. 
Dunlop,  E.  L.,  311,  344,  353,  363. 
Dunman,  M.  J.,  474. 

3D 


662 


Index  to  Names 


Dunn,  B.  F.,   174,  176. 

Dunn,  Bascom,  550. 

Dunn,  D.  F.,  186. 

Dunn,  G.  R.,  280. 

Dunn,  J.  M.,  335,  378,  646. 

Dunn,  J.  W.,  223. 

Dunn,  L.  E,  330,  347. 

Dunn,  R.  H.,   486,  631. 

Dunn,  T.  A.,  218. 

Dunstan,  H.  D.,  199. 

DuPont,  F.  L.,  308. 

Dupree,  J.  L,.,   280. 

Durarit,  John  W.,  81. 

Durham,  D.  W.,  297. 

Durham,  George  J.,  112 

Durham,  W.  W.,  314,  316. 

Durrett,  John  B,   533,  537,   558. 

Durst,  J.  W.,   409,   441. 

Durst,  James  H.,  56. 

Duval,  Thomas  H.,  44,  55. 

Dwyer,  Edward,   290. 

Dwyer,   Joseph   E.,    173,    198,    202,   218, 

268. 

Dwyer,  T.  A.,  72. 
Dwyer,  T.  H.,  360. 

Dwyer,  W.   E.,   330,   409,   441,   458,   459. 
Dyer,  John,  332. 

Eager,  J.  J.,  472,  474. 

Eagle,  Joe,  396. 

Eakin,  J.  C.,  617- 

Earl,  Ed.,   266. 

Earle,  S.  G.,  384. 

Earle,   S.  L.,   52. 

Earley,  Elbert,  93. 

Earnest,  R.  H.,  290. 

Eason,  George  W.,  574,  602,  617. 

East,   Ed.   H.,   571. 

East,  George  H.,  488,  519. 

Eastern,  S    W.,  390. 

Eastham,  L.  C.,  588. 

Faston,  J.  C.,"  216. 

F.aston,  W.  E.,  252. 

Echols,  J.   R.,   564,   625. 

Eckhardt,  Robert  J.,  619,  634. 

Eckman,  W.  K.,  488. 

Ector,   Mat  D.,    58,    72,    74,   147,    174. 

Eddy,  Z.  Williams,  50,  51,  55. 

Edmonds,   G.   W.,   397. 

Edmondson,   C.   L.,   557. 

Edmunds,  J.  H.,  500. 

Edwards,  A.,  262. 

Edwards,  A.  B.,  504. 

Edwards,  B.  E.,  50,  58. 

Edwards,  D.  M.,  280. 

Edwards,  George  Clifton,  483,  514,  647. 

Edwards,  H.  H,   93,  564. 

Edwards,  J.  M.,  577,  607,  619,  623,  634. 

Edwards,  James  M.,   497,  526,  557. 

Edwards,  Peyton  F.,  147,  220. 

F.dwards,  Thomas  L,  276,  278. 

Edwards,  W,  R.,  274. 

Edwards,  W.  W.,   519,   542. 

Eichblatt,  P.  A.,  564. 

Eidson,  A.  R.,   462,  614,  643. 

Eidson,  J.   A.,   223. 

Elam,  J.  W.,  105. 

Eldridge,  T.  L.,   262. 

Elgin,  John  E.,   264,  323,   542,  556,   574, 

601. 

Elgin,  Tom  A.,  202,   241. 
ElTett,  N.  A,,  141. 
F.iliott,  George  W.,  461. 
Ediott,  J.  D.,  123,  124,  127,  148,  174. 


Elliott,  J.  F.,  262,  298. 

Elliott,  W.  H,   390,  391. 

Ellis,  H.  E.,   389. 

Eilis,  V.  O.,  202. 

Ellis,  Volney,  186. 

Ellis,  W.  H.,  272. 

Ellison,  J.  L.,   405. 

Ely    George  B.,  481. 

Emanuel,  E.,  290. 

Errerson,  Dan  R.,  475,  574. 

Emmanuel,  C.,  338. 

Hmmett,  W.  P.,  258. 

Emory,   Fred  C.,   483,   500. 

Engelke,  F.  A.,  154. 

PTi;gland,  A.  R.,  306. 

English,  J.  D.,  272. 

Epler,  Miles,  378. 

Epperson,    Ben   H.,    51,    54,    69,    88,    95, 

109,    111,    144,    174,    644. 
Epperson,  J.  L,.,  220. 
Erath,  George  B.,  56,  128,  129. 
Erhard,   C.,   152. 
Ernst,  Albert,   475. 
Erwin,  S.  L.,  465. 
Estis,  John  P.,   209. 
Etheridge,   F.   M.,   571,   597,   615,   648. 
Etheridge,  W.  G.,  260,  262. 
Eudaly,  M.  T.,  500. 
Eule,  William,  308. 

Evans,  ,  215. 

Evans,  A.  H.,  51,  557. 

Evans,  A.  J.,   100,  115,  176,  252,  290. 

Evans,  B.  Q  ,  416. 

Evans,  C.  I.,  515. 

Evans,  C.  J.,  105. 

Evans,  Charles,  158. 

Evans,  F.  V.,  564. 

Evans,  G.  L.,  537. 

Evans,  PI.  G.,  462,   465. 

Evans,   Lemuel   D.,    20,   26,    43,   44,   50, 

63,  71,  107,  141,  644. 
Evans,  Onesimus,  51,  55. 
Evans,  R.  D.,  488. 
Evans,  R.  H.,  339,  342. 
Evans,  R.  J.,  232. 
Evans,  S.  P.,  395. 
Evans,    Sam,    199,    262,    298,    414,    453, 

472. 

Evans,  T.  O.,  472. 
Evans,  William  F.,  50. 

Everall,  ,  264. 

Everts,   Arthur   A.,    444,    446,    481,    482, 

500,   513,   530,   552,   630. 
Everts,   Mrs.   Arthur  A.,   552. 
Ewing,  E.   F.,   78. 
Swing,  James  T.,  127. 
Ewing,  Mrs.   John,   500. 
Exall,  Henry,   218,   241. 

Fagan,  John  C.,  462. 
Fain,  Earl,  588. 
Fairbanks,  Charles  W.,  632. 
Fairbanks,  H.  W.,  446. 
Fairbanks,  J.  J.,  394. 
Faires,  R.  O.,  354. 
Fall,  John  N.,  93. 
Fallis,  J.  N.,  537,  634. 
Fant,  J.  C.,  588. 

Farish,  ,  215. 

Farish,  Oscar,  68. 

Farley,  Joe,  396. 

Farmer,  W.  E.,  206,  256,  273,  298,  418, 

420,  442,  444. 
Farrar,  Bowd,  607. 


Index  to  Names 


663 


Farris,  William  F.,  163. 

Faulk,  Henry,  F64,  590. 

Faulk,  J.  J.,   354,  465,   533,  537. 

Faust,  Joseph,   344. 

Fayle,  William  R.,   100,  112. 

Feagin,  J.   C.,   557. 

Featherstone,  W.  F.,  514,  538,  571,  554 

Fee,  H.  A.,  513. 

Fee,  Mrs.  H.  A.,  527. 

Feeney,  John  H.,  93. 

Feige,  Karl,  418,  420. 

Felder,  M.  M.,  398. 

Felker,  James  A.,  201. 

Ferguson,  ,  215. 

Ferguson,    C.    M.,    242,    251,    301,    329, 

345,    357,    392,    413,    438,    441,    459. 
Ferguson,  H.   C.,   248,   252,   254. 
Ferguson,  Henry  C.,  318,  330,  347,  354, 

357,  405,  411,   412,    413,  433,   441. 
Ferguson,  J.  S.,  109. 
Ferguson,  James  E.,  606,  608,  618,  619, 

623,  634,  635,  636,   648,  652. 
Ferguson,  Lee,  607. 
Ferguson,  R.  L.,  572. 
Ferguson,  W.  M.,  193,  199. 
Ferrell,  J.  R.,  601. 
Ferris,  John  W.,  218,   266. 
Fewel,  W.   J.,   363. 
Field,  Drury,   93. 
Field,  James,  617. 
Field,   Scott,   287,    310,    558,    562. 
Fields,  B.  W.,  601,  615. 
Fields,  W.  A.,  353,  370. 
Fields,  William,  44,  58. 
Files,  J.  O.,  326,   330. 
Finch,  H.  A,,  344. 
Finch,  Harvey,  574. 
Finger,  George  W,  220,  257,  401. 
Finlay,  O.  E.,  209. 
Finley,  D.  M.,   470. 
Finley,   G.   B..    526,   588. 
Finley,  George  P.,  145,  238,  363. 
Finley,  J.  W.,  279. 
Finley,   N.   W.,   205,   217,   220   265,   267. 

290. 

Finley,  R.  W.,  339,   384,  401,  465. 
Firebaugh,  W   H.,  475. 
Fires,  A.  F.,  416. 
Fish,  L.  B.,  251,  290. 
Fishback,  L.   F.,  452. 
Fisher,  A.  S.,  237. 
Fisher,  Homer  B.,  643. 
Fisher,  Mrs.  W.  J.,  500. 
Fisk,  Charles  A.,  615. 
Fitzgerald,  Hugh  N.,  550. 
Fitzgerald,  J.  W.,   447,  469. 
Fitzgerald,  W.  W.,  567. 
Fitzsimmons,  Joseph,  117. 
Flack,  James,  416. 

Flanagan,  C.  C  ,  252,  409,  413,  439,  441. 
Flanagan,  J.  W.,  69,  95,  120,  121,  177. 
Flanagan,  Webster,  141,  176,  195,  215, 

216,  251,  252,  254,  290,  292,  301,   302, 

303,  345,  357,  359,  392,  455,  458,  462. 

486,  556,  646. 
Fleming,  D.  H.,  303. 
Fleming,  J.  F.,  215. 
Fleming,  J.  M.,  248. 
Fleming,  J.  R.,  218,  237,  323,  338. 
Fleming,  J.  T.,  157 
Fleming,  J.  W.,  215. 
Fletcher,  William,  366. 
Flewellyn,  R.  T.,  276. 
Flint,  A.   B  ,  280. 


Flournoy,  George  M.,   81,   89,   93. 

Flournoy,  John  W.,  452,  470,  497. 

Flournoy,  W.  M.,  208. 

Flournoy,  W.  W.,   174. 

Flowers,  W.  T.,   590,   625. 

Floyd,  S.  W.,  314. 

Fly,  A.  W.,  367,  389. 

Fly,  Bon  W.,  533,  577,  586. 

Fly,  G.  W.  L.,  290. 

Fly,  W.  M.,  619. 

Fly,  W.  S.,  211,  258,  287,  317. 

Folts,  L.  W.,  248. 

Forbes,  R.  M.,  127. 

Ford,  H.  C.,  405. 

Ford,  Henry,  318. 

Ford,  J.  B.,  202,  205. 

Ford,   John   S.,    44,   55,   58,   69,    93,    144, 
173,   174,   176. 

Ford,  L.  W.,  211. 

Ford,  R.  L.,  218. 

Ford,  Spencer,  93,  147,  353. 

Ford,  T.  W.,  221. 

Ford,  Thomas,  155. 

Ford,  W.  H.,  248. 

Fore,  J.  A.,  292. 

Foree,  Kenneth,   462. 

Foreman,  Joe,  190,  249. 

Forrest,  J.  B.,  211. 

Forrest,  O.  P.,  218. 

Fort,  T.  W.,  205. 

Forty,  C.,  206. 

Foscue,  F.  F.,  81,  109. 

Fosque,  P.  H.,   577,   586. 

Foss,  J.  M.,  247. 

Foster,  Alexander  G,.  486. 

Foster,  J.  G.,   367,  369. 

Foster,  J.  H.,  397. 

Foster,  L.  L.,  218,  221. 

Foster,  R.   C.,  237,  390. 

Foster,  Samuel,  262. 

Foster,  W.  A.,  558,  562,  643. 

Fowler,  A.  J.,  51,  69. 

Fowler,  W.  E.,  643. 

Fowlkes,  C.  O.,  631. 
Francisco,  A.  B.,  380. 
Frank,  L.  N.,  221. 
Franklin,  G.  F.,  242. 

Franklin,  M.  B.,  182. 

Franks,  W.  B.,  554,  573. 

Frazier,  J.  C.,   409,   437. 

Frazier,  J.  M.,  280. 

Frazier,  Lee,   462. • 

Frazier,  M.  M.  C.,  454,  511. 

Frazier.  M.  W.,  423. 

Frazier,  W.  W.,   347. 

Freodman,    Rube,    455,    488,    498,    515 

542,   554,   573,   615. 
Freeland,  J.  H.,  567,  625. 
Freeman,  A.,  336. 
Freeman,  Fred,  546. 
Freeman,  G.   C.,   481. 
Freeman,  J.  K.,  558. 
Freeman,  Jacob,   148. 
Freeman,  W.  H.,  384. 
Freeman,  W.  W.,  442. 
Fricke,  Arthur,  519. 
Fricke,  J.  H.,   619. 

Fricke,  Paul,  252,  413,   439,  474,  478. 
Friedheim,  J.  B.,  180. 
Fritz,  F.,  360. 
Frost,  Thomas  C.,  93. 
Fry,  A.  J.,  157. 
Frymeier.  E.,  264. 
Frymier,  B.  F.,  218,  223,  237. 


664 


Index  to  Names 


Fulcher,  C.  H.,  298. 
Fulton,  G.  W.,  264,  339,  342,  344. 
Fulton,  R.  Li.,  124,  127. 
Fulton,  R.  S.,  504,  537. 

Gaines,  Fred  H.,  353,  366. 

Gaines,  J.  W.,  465. 

Gaines,  Mathew,  148. 

Gaines,   Reuben  R.,   158,   237,   265,   339, 

427,  492. 

Gaines,  T.  W.,  305. 

Gaines,  Thomas,  293,  297,  299,  314,  316. 
Gaines,   v».  B.  P.,  81. 
Gaines,  William  P.,  218,  366,  391. 
Gaither,  Gordon,  469 
Gaither,  James  C.,  172,  202,  221. 
Galloway,  Amos  P.,  93. 
Gambrell,  J.  B.,   445. 
Gammage,  F.  W.,  205. 
Gammage,  T.  T.,  52,   54,  208,  218. 
Ganahl,  Charles,   81,   93. 
Gano,  J.  T.,   198. 
Gano,  R.  M.,   248. 
Gardenhire,  A.  B.,  498. 
Gardner,  C.  W.,  157. 
Gareisen,  O.,  152,  154. 
Garens,  Louis,  513. 
Garland,  G.  T.,  121. 
Garner,  J.  M.,  511. 
Garner,    John    N.,    395,    416,    432,    462, 

618. 

Garner,  John  T.,  511. 
Garnett,  J.  H.,  211,  242. 
Garnett,  M.  H.,  367. 
Garnett,  Mose  W.,  217,  241. 
Garrett,  C.  C.,  202. 
Garrett,  Daniel  E.,  577,  634. 
Garrett,  O.  E.,  546. 
Garrett,  W.  B.,  344,  362,  416. 
Garrison,  J.  A.,  479. 
Garrison,  John  L.,  342. 
Garrison,  John  T.,  339,  342,  465. 
Garrison,  T.  A.,  469. 
Garrison,  T.  G.,  211. 
Garrow,  H.  W.,   389. 
Garvin,  George  T.,  416. 
Garwood,  H.  M.,  249,  322,  353,  401. 
Gary,  Harnpson,  452. 
Gary,  Thomas,  221. 
Gass,  W.  T.,   276. 
Gaston,  J.  L.,  434,  474,  556,  574. 
Gaston,  M.  A.,  129.     . 
Gatewood,  W.  W.,  371,  401. 
Gathings,  J.  J.,  128. 
Gay,  Bettie,  298. 

Gay,  J.  B.,  314,  316,  380,  384,  470,  513. 
Gear,  M.  R..  371. 
Geers,  Charles  W.,  144/147,  202,  256. 

260,  268,  275,  367,  389,  391. 
Geiser,  D.  H.,  511. 
Gentry,  A.  M.,  85,  87,  98. 
Gentry,  N.  A.,  607. 
George,   Charles,   519. 
George,  J.  W.,  439. 
George,  J.  Collin,  462. 
George,  R.  F.,  306,  336. 
Gerhardt,  William,  532,  553,   629. 
Gehres,  A.  W.,   552. 
Germany,  Julius,  537,  543. 
Gibbons,  J.  C.,  439. 
Gibbons,    John   C.,    489,    556,    574,    601 

606. 

Gibbs,  Barnett,  220,  396,  646. 
Gibbs,  J.  M.,  190. 


Gibson,  A.  W.,  268. 

Gibson,  Ben  F.,   511. 

Gibson,  Ben  H.,  625. 

Gibson,  D.  C.,  474. 

Gibson,  E.  J.,  391. 

Gibson,  Fenton  M.,  85. 

Gibson,  G.  R.,  208. 

Gibson,  J.  B.,  303. 

Gibson,  J.  E.,  418,  442. 

Gibson,  T.  J.,  266. 

Giddens,   T.,   418,   420. 

Giddings,  D.  C.,  105,  173,  218,  249,  257, 

258,  264,  310,  311,  313,  318,  322,  323, 

339,  342,  353,  389,  432,  447,  462. 
Giddings,  D.  C.,  Jr.,  643. 
Giddings,  G.  H.,   104. 
Giddings,  J.  D.,  78,  111,  144    173 
Gideon,  W.  J.,  519. 
Giesecke,  A.,  308. 
Gilbert,  C.  E.,  290. 
Gilbert,  J.  P.,  423. 
Gilbert,   S.  L.,  237. 
Gilden,  E.  B.,  314. 
Giles,  B.  C.,  242. 
Giles,  William  M.,  147,  202    237 
Gill,  A.  S.,  384. 
Gill,  W.  M.,  434. 
Gillespie,  C.  C.,  105,  141. 
Gillespie,  Charles  B.,  322. 
Gillespie,  G.  W.,  254,  292,  303,  305. 
Gillette,  L.  E.,  158. 
Gilliland,  D.  B.,  379. 
Gillis,  John,  338,  361. 
Gilman,  A.,  367. 
Givens,  George  W.,  198,  199. 
Givins,  Demos,  242. 
Glass,  Hiram,  267,  289,  371. 
Glass,  T.  C.,  280. 
Glaze,  Ed  F.,  488. 
Gleed,  J.  R.,  439. 
Glover,  R.  J.,  329. 
Godbold,  N.  W.,  500. 
Goddard,  C.  W.,  618. 
Goddin,  M.  H.,  141. 
Godfrey,  George  A.,  201. 
Goen,  U.  S.,  571,  597,  631. 
Goeth,   A.   C.,   308. 
Goff,  E.  W.,  513. 
Goff,  James  B.,  246,  254,  284,  306,  335 

3r'8. 

Goggan,  James  M.,  405,  416. 
Goggin,  J.  W.,  618. 
Gold.  P.  E.,  470. 
Golden,  P.  H.,  293,  298. 
Goldman,   E.,  152. 
Goldthwaite,  George.  147. 
Gooch,  John  Y.,  182,  223,  289. 
Goode,  John  J.,  68,  158. 
Goodell,  L.  P.,   338,   360. 
Goodgame,  John  C.,  163. 
Goodman,  L,  527. 
Goodman,  J.  L,.,  322. 
Goodnight,   C.,   501,   553. 
Goodrich,  Benjamin  B.,  54. 
Goodrich,  W.  E.,  249. 
Goodson,  G.  H.,  202. 
Goodwin,  G.  J.,  127. 
Goodwin,  G.  W.,  401. 
Goodwin,  Micajah,  56. 
Gordon,  G.  H.,  470. 
Gordon,  J.  F.,   100. 
Gordon,  Joe  W.,  206. 
Goree,    H.   G.,    359,    441,    458,    475,    477, 

488. 


Index  to  Names 


665 


Goree,  R.  E.,  597. 

Goree,  Thomas  J.,  175,  186,  322. 

Goss,  D.  F.,  384. 

Gossett,  M.  H.,  339,  342,  462,  465. 

Goug-h,  J.  R.,   401,   404. 

Gould,  G.  H.,  209. 

Gould,  R.  W.  B.,  554. 

Gould,  Robert  S.,  93,  107,  111,  174. 

Gould,  Robert  S.,  Jr.,  238. 

Gowdey,  H.  C.,  246. 

Grabel,  R.  E.,  444,  478. 

Grace,  Charles  D.,  217. 

Graeb,  August,  488,  519. 

Graham,  Frank,  290. 

Graham,   Malcolm  D.,   75,   81,   89,   93. 

Graham,   Morgan  S.,   527,   564. 

Graham,  R.  H.,   79. 

Graham,  Robert,   93. 

Graham,  W.  J.,  265. 

Cranberry,    Stephen   G.,    332,    380,    424, 

253,  397,   473. 
Grant,  A.,  248. 
Grant,  J.  H.,  367. 
Grant,  John,  345,  347,  359,  538. 
Grant,  Josiah,  54. 
Grant,    U.    S..    113,    121,    142,    148,    151, 

178,  191,  197. 
Graves,  F.  R.,  322. 
Graves,  J.  D.,  378,  379. 
Graves,  R.  L.,   147. 
Graves,  R.  T.,  78. 
Graves,   Spencer,  477    488 
Gray,  A.  M.,  556. 
Gray,  Carey  A.,  458,  477,  486,  488,  497 

519,  538,  542,  554,  571,  573,  615    647 
Gray,  Edward,  401,  416. 
Gray,  Henry  C.(  357. 
Gray,  James,  530. 
Gray,  Peter  W.,   51,   93,   105. 
Grayson,  Gus,  182. 
Grayson,  Mrs.  J.  E.,   552. 
Grayson,  O.  L.,  491. 
Greeley,  Horace,  142,  147. 

Green,  ,  215. 

Green,  B.  H.,  314. 

Green,    Edward    H.    R.,    393,    409     411 

412,  413,  435,  437,  438,  454,  455,  459^ 

460,  489. 

Green,  Frank,  151. 
Green,   George  D.,   424. 
Green,  George  H.,   477. 
Green,  Joseph  F.,   574. 
Green,  John  A.,  93. 
Green,   N.   O.,   129,   158. 
Green,  R.  A.,  363. 
Green,  R.   B.,   466. 
Green,  S.  T.,  631. 
Green,  W.  B.,  475. 
Greene,  H.  R.,  393. 
Greenway,  C.  F.,   310. 
Greenwood,  Charles  F.,  520. 
Greenwood,  J.  J.,  85. 
Greenwood,  T.  B.,  492,  546,  619,  623. 
Greer,  E.,  81. 
Greer,  Eugene,  554. 
Greer,  G.  E.,  423,  447. 
Greer,  Hal  W.,  260. 
Greer,  John  A.,  19,  43,  44,  56,  644 
Greer,  M.  R.,  287 
Greer,  R.  A.,  447,  470. 
Gregg,  G.  W.,  180. 
Gregg,  John,  93. 
Gregory,  D.,  100. 
Gregory,  T.  W.,  401,  462,  557,  622. 


Greiner,  G.   O.,   337,   338,   361. 

Greiner,  John  G.,  452,  470,  497. 

Greiner,  Lee,  469. 

Gresham,  Newton,   453 

Gresham,    Walter,    264,    265,    353,    520 

526. 
Griffin,  Charles,  101 


Griffin,  J.   M.,   268 

Griffin,  W.  N.,  498,  542 

Griffith,  W.  D.    193 

Griggs,  A.  R.,  248. 

Grimes,  t,d  F.,   242 

Grimes,  Jesse,   19,   44,   56,   75,   87 

Grimes,  S1.  F.,  223. 

Grcinnan>  Arch,   344,   389,  546,  557,   558 

562. 

Grinnan,  J.  S.,  588,  614. 
Grinstead,  H.   L,.,   51,   68. 
Griscom,  E.   C.,   488    491 
Groce,  G.  C.,   339,   342,  558,  562 
Gross,  Abe,  533. 
Gross,  J.  J.,  158,  174. 
Gross,  Sam  L.,  573. 
Gross,  W.  L.,  511. 
Gross,  W.  S.,  349. 
Grothaus,  L.  C.,  232,  303. 
Grouch,  J.  P.,   500. 
Groves,  W.  V.,  552,  568,  570. 
Grubbs,  R.  M.,  290. 
Grubbs,  V.  W.,   496    536 
Guenther,  H.,  58. 
Guessaz,  O.  C.,  550. 
Guest,  George  M.,  459,  498 
Guinn,  J.  D.,  326. 
Guinn,  M.  E.,   493. 
Guinn,  R.  H.,  158,  186,  202,  209 
Guion,  John  D.,  607,  614. 
Gunter,  Jot,  223,  404. 
Gurley,  E.  J.,   248. 
Gurley,  J.  M.,  475. 
Gussett,  W.,  218. 
Guy,  J.  M.,  513. 

Hackworth,  S1.  A.,  214,  556. 

Hadsell,   E.   B.,   625. 

Haefling,  W.,   Sr.,  305,  308. 

Hagen,  L.,  367. 

Haggard,  D.   P.,   244,   246. 

Haggard,  J.  M.,  564. 

Haggarty,  John  T.,  268. 

Hague,  J.  P.,  290. 

Haidusek,   A.,    202,    205,    209,    395,    462, 

547,   619. 

Haidusek,  George  L.,  504,  547. 
Hain,  George  W.,  303. 
Hain,  Sam  L.,  338,  394. 
Haines,  John  T.,   290. 
Haines,  John  W.,  44. 
Haines,  T.  W.,  379. 
Hakes,  W.  H.,  195. 
Halbert,  J.  L.,  163. 
Hale,  -  ,  337. 
Hale,  P.  S.,  452. 
Hale,  V.  W.,  350,  352,   353. 
Hall,  A.  B.,  121. 
Hall,  B.  W.,  100. 
Hall,  C.  A.,  274. 
Hall,  E.   F.,  186,   211. 
Hall,  E.  R.,  363. 
Hall,  Ed.,  557. 
Hall,  George,  393. 
Hall,  J.  A.,  85. 
Hall,  John,  574,  576,  601,   606. 


666 


Index  to  Names 


Hall,  John  A.,  84. 

Hall  P.  W.,  100,  116,  117,  118,  120, 
121,  143,  216,  229. 

Hall,  R.  M.,   237,   265. 

Hall,   R.  W.,   322,   416,    521,   526. 

Hall,  W.  L.,   607. 

Hall,  Walker,   546. 

Hall,  William,   201. 

Halling-er,  H.   M.,   418. 

Hallmark,  W.  P.,  571,  573,  597,  601, 
615. 

Hallon,  D.  P.,  254. 

Halowell,   J.   R.   S.,   254,   292. 

Halsell,  W.  J.,   244. 

Hamblen,   E.  P.,  318,  322,  401,  465. 

Hamblen,  W.  P.,  144,  322. 

Hamby,  W.  R.,  338. 

Hamill,  Fred  P.,  521. 

Hamilton,   A.   B.,   452. 

Hamilton,  A.   C.,   615. 

Hamilton,  Andrew  J.,  50,  65,  72,  94, 
107,  112,  114,  117,  122,  128,  129,  136, 
140,  645. 

Hamilton,  Frank,   359. 

Hamilton,  J.  A.,  434. 

Hamilton,  J.  E.,   564. 

Hamilton,  J.  J.,   148,   190. 

Hamilton,  Jeremiah,  176. 

Hamilton,  Morgan  O.,  116,  117,  121, 
128,  129,  140. 

Hamilton,  N.  O.,  317. 

Hamilton,   Seth  W.,   574. 

Hamilton,  T.  J.,   317. 

Hamilton,   T.  P.,   416. 

Hamman,    William    H.,    124,    182,    186, 
187,  199,  244.  246,  254,   255,  286,   645. 
Hammond,   Alfred,   418,  470. 
Hamner,  J.  M.,  511. 
Hampe,  F.,  268. 
Hampton,  J.  W.,   54,   55,  56. 
Hampton,    Sam   J.,    314,    316,    397,    418, 

420,   442,  444. 
Hancock,  Bradford,   432. 
Hancock,  D.  H.,  336,  378,  379,  409,  410, 

432. 

Hancock,  George,  103,   104,  105,  128. 
Hancock,  Hugh  B.,  302,   330,  347. 
Hancock,  John,  63,  69,  71,  98,  104,  107, 

109,  111,  198,  202,  208,  2.49,   264. 
Hancock,  Lewis,   350,   353.' 
Hancock,  Winfield  S.,  104,  198. 
Hanger,  W.  A.,  416,  466,   493,  533,  576, 

607. 

Hanna,  J.  K.  P.,  211,  314. 
Hanna,  John,  127. 
Hanna,  Mark,   459,   461. 
Hanna,   Robert,   180,   199,   S77,   614. 
Hanna,  T.  B.,  216,  252. 
Hannay,  R.  E.,  405,  438,  497,  498,   514, 
554,    615,    647. 

Hanselke,  ,   215. 

Hanschke,  Robert,  394. 

Hansell,   Bob,  475. 

Hanson,  C.  H.,   263. 

Hapgood,  K.  N.,  573,   601,  615. 

Harbert,  R.  W.,  437. 

Harboth,  William,   514. 

Harcourt,   John  F.,   81. 

Harcourt,    John    T.,    68,    75,    128,    140, 

148,  350,  353. 

Hardeman,   Thomas  M.,   58. 
Hardeman,  William  M.,   74,   77. 
Hardeman,  William  P.,  93. 
Hardie,  J.  E.,  552. 
Harding,  Henry  C.,   486. 
Hardwicke,  S.  P.,  533,  577. 


Hardy,  C.   &.,   280. 

Hardy,  D.   H.,   371,    416. 

Hardy,   Hammet,   370,   391. 

Hardy,    Rufus,   350,   352,   353,   363,    366, 

367,   369,  390,   391. 
Hare,    S'ilas,    202,    205,    208,    209,    218, 

220. 

Hare,  Silas,  Jr.,   497. 
Harle,  J.  L.,  332. 
Harman,  L.  G.,  158. 
Harmen,  W.  H.,  206. 
Harms,  E.,   206. 

Harper,  A.   J.,   401,   504,   508,   533. 
Harper,  J.  C.,  511. 
Harper,  J.  M.,  344. 
Harper,  Sid  C.,  379,   384. 
Harper,  W.  B.,  143. 
Harpold,  C.  L,.,  550. 
Harrell,  R.  D.,   202,   205,   310. 
Harrett,  J.  C.,   567,  625. 
Harriman,  Job,  418. 

Harris,  .   109,   413. 

Harris,  A.,   223. 

Harris,  Ben  T..  147. 

Harris,  C.  O.,  345,  439. 

Harris,  D.   B.,   332. 

Harris,  D.  R.,  367. 

Harris,  E.  F.,  462,   497. 

Harris,  F.  A.,   349. 

Harris,   G.   B.,   379,    397,   418,   424,    513. 

6  arris,  Harry,  347,  438. 
arris,  J.'  O.,   432. 
Harris,  J.   T.,   411. 
Harris,  John  A.,  303. 
Harris,  John  W.,   87,   88. 
Harris,  M.  C.,   323,   357. 
Harris,  Mose  C.,   538. 
Harris,   Sam,   95. 
Harris,  Steve  J.,  256. 
Harris,   Thomas,   144. 
Harris,  W.  P.,   458,   477,   498,   606. 
Harris,  William  H.,   281. 
Harrison,  B.,   614. 

Harrison,  Benjamin,  272,  291,  302,  327. 
Harrison,   Chester,   452. 
Harrison,   G.   N.,    498,    514,    554,    631. 
Harrison,  J.  D.,   237. 
Harrison,  James,   85. 
Harrison,  R.   B.,  574,  615. 
Harrison,   Richard  H.,   287. 
Harrison,  T.   A.,   69. 
Harrison,   Thomas,   144. 
Harrison,  W.   L.,   478,   483. 
Harrold,  R.   D..   241. 
Hart,  Barney  B.,   220,  353. 
Hart,  Hardin,   95,  190. 
Hart,  Juan  S.,   357. 
Hartley,  O.  C.,  77. 
Hartley,   R.   K.,   73. 
Hartman,  A.   R.,   280. 
Hartman,   Martin,   511. 
Hartup,  C.  W.,   157. 
Harvey,  H.  S.,  201. 
Harvey,   W.   H.,   338,   361. 
Harvin,  R.  A.,  195,  617. 
Harwell,  T.  F..  500. 
Harwood,   A.,   98. 
Harwood,   J.   M.,   174. 
Harwood,  T.  F.,   223. 
Harwood,   Thomas  M.,   74,   80,   209. 

Haschall,  ,  109. 

Haskell,  O.   S.,  511. 

Hasmer,  B.  C.,  363. 

Hassell,  H.  M.,  479. 

Haswell,  Tyler,  459,   474,   554,   571. 

Hatch,   Francis  L...   44,   50. 


Index  to  Names 


667 


Hatter,  S.  D.,  369,  391. 

Haughton,   R.  O.,  254. 

Haupt,  Henry,   141. 

Hawkins,   George,  195,  216. 

Hawkins,  Sam.  550. 

Hawkins,  W.  H.,  504. 

Hawkins,  William  E.,   577,   607. 

Hawley.  E.  W.,  452. 

Hawley,   J.   H.,   538,   556. 

Hawley,   John  B.,   409. 

Hawley.  R.  B.,  290,   327,  345,  357,  406, 

411,  412J  413,  414,  433,  438,  441,  454, 

455,  459,  460. 
Hawn,  W.  A.,  617. 
Hay,   S'am  D..    56. 
Hay,  W.  L.,   558. 
Hayes,  J.   M.,   513. 
Havers,   John  P..   93. 
Hayes,  R.  H.,  297,  298. 
Hayes.   Rutherford   B.,   191 
Haynes,   A.,  Jr.,  529. 
Haynes,  Harry,   248. 
Haynes.  James  J.,   455,   498. 
Haynes.    John    L.,    102,    112,    115     117. 

143,   157,   216,   232. 
Haynes,   John  T.,   254. 
Haynes,  M.  M.,   439. 
Haynes,   T.   J.,   564. 
Haynie,  H.   H.,    75. 
Haynie,   L.   B..    280. 
Hays,  B.  F.,   158. 
Hays,  F.  M.,   128,   141. 
Hays,  P.  J.,  572. 
Hay-;,   W.   L.,   314. 
Haywood,   R.,   100. 
Hazlewood,  J.  G.,  175. 
Hazzard,   Prince,   515. 
Head,  H.  O.,   221,   248. 
Head,  R.   P.,   643. 
Headley,  A.  M.,  475. 
Hearn,  J.  H..   500,  513. 
Hearne,  J.  W.,  251,  301. 
Heath,    E.    C.,    218,    284,    306,    308,    335, 

336,  378,  409,  410,  432,  446,  478,  481, 

482,  500,  512,  568,   646,  647. 
Hector,  James  P.,   122. 
Hefley,   W.   T.,   310,   366,    369.   390,   391, 

537,   588. 

Heilig,  Gus.  A.,   623. 
Heiman,  J.  H.,  264. 
Hellberg,   Albert,   623. 
Heller,  Ed.  S.,   337. 

Heller,  W.   F.,   500,    513,  532,   553,   628. 
Heller,  Mrs.  W.  F.,  500. 
Helm.  T.  H.,  303. 
Henderson,   E.   J.,   258. 
Henderson,   H.    E.,    371,    404     432,    462, 

469. 

Henderson,  J.  C.,  280. 
Henderson,  J.  N.,  492. 
Henderson,  J.  Pinckney,  19,  58,  68,  74, 

644. 
Henderson,   James   W.,    32,    34,   44,    50, 

56,    98,    105,    107,    111,    122,    124,    127, 

144. 

Henderson,  Jerome  W.,   378,   379. 
Henderson,  John  M.,   557,   558,  562. 
Henderson,    John    N.,    209,    218,     237, 

249,    339,   427. 
Henderson,  Nat,  527,   537. 
Henderson,   Nat  Q.,   455,   474. 
Henderson,   R.    M.,    129,    158,    211,    264, 

363,   367,   389,   390. 
Henderson,   R.  W.,   354. 
Henderson,   T.  H.,   281. 
Henderson,  T.   S.,   268,  311,   401,   546. 


Henderson,   Travis,   353,   384,   427. 
Henderson,  W.   O.,   427. 
Henderson,  W.  F.,  56. 
Henderson,  W.  \V.,  174. 
Henderson,  William,   366. 

Hendricks, ,   44. 

Hendricks,  E.   B.,   643. 

Hendricks,  S.  J..  218,  344. 

Hendricks,  Thomas   A.,   221. 

Henne-sy,  P.  H.,  242. 

Henning,  A.  F.,   423. 

Henry,  A.,  100. 

Henry,  F.   M.,  186. 

Henry,  J.  L.,  265. 

Henry,   John  R.,  182,   209. 

Henry,    Robert   L.,    289,    384,    395     415 

557,   619. 

Henry,  W.  C.,  56. 
Hepperla,   J.  C.,  81. 
Herbert,  C.  C.,   78,   98. 
Herbert,   Philemon  T.,   93. 
Herd,  G.,  514. 

Herndon,  W.   S.,   173,   174,   197,  198. 
Herring,  J.  A.,  533. 
Herrington,    Joseph,    51. 

Hertzberg, ,   58. 

Hervey,  A.  S.,  186. 

Heslep,  J.  R.,  388. 

Hester,  H.   L.,   293. 

Hewitt,  J.   S.,   297,   300. 

Hewitt,  L.  M.,   568,  570,  629    631. 

Hickey,  B.  F.,  290. 

Hickey,  G.   M.,   305. 

Hickey,   J.  M.,  305,   329,   347. 

Hickey,  James,   298,  299. 

Hickey,  T.  A.,   564,   625. 

Hickman,  John,  500. 

Hicks,  A.  W.  O.,   93. 

Hicks,  E.  S.,  310. 

Hicks,  Henry  C.,  77. 

Hicks,  J.  L.,   625. 

Hicks,   Marshall,   427,   493,   557,   619. 

Hicks,   R.  H.,   462. 

Hicks,  W.  P.,   174. 

Hickson,   Jerry  L.,   606,   631. 

Higginbotham,  T.  L.,  500. 

Higgins,  C.  C.,  619. 

Higgins,  E.  T.,   625. 

High,  R.   A.,    474. 

Highsmith,  Charles,   503. 

Hightower,  W.   E.,   252. 

Hildebrand,  H.   E.,   533. 

Hill,  A.  P.,   186. 

Hill,  Bart,  391. 

Hill,  Benjamin  F.,   69. 

Hill,  D.  G.,  339,  342. 

Hill,   E.  P.,  322,  344. 

Hill,  E.  Pinckney,  173,  174,  206. 

Hill,  F.  A.,   98. 

Hill,  F.  F.,  401,  404,  452,  533,  618. 

Hill,  F    H.,  554,  571. 

Hill,  George  W.,   65. 

Hill,  Isaac  L.,   56,   85. 

Hill,  J.  G.,   265. 

Hill,  J.  Gregg,   526. 

Hill,  J.  J.,  175. 

Hill,  J.  W.,  389. 

Hill,  James  E.,   209,  238,   267. 

Hill,   L.   O.,   481,    504,    508. 

Hill,  Marion,   390. 

Hill,   R.   J.,   367,  389. 

Hill,   Robert,   631. 

Hill,   Thomas  N.,   588,   614. 

Hill,   Thomas  B.  J.,   93. 

Hill,  W.  L.,   557,  634,   642. 

Hillendahl,   Theo.,   316. 


668 


Index  to  Names 


Hillsman,   J.  C.,  481,   483. 
Hiner,  John  H.(  462,  558. 

Hobart,  ,    392,   394. 

Hobb,  F.  M.,  157. 

Hobby,    Alfred  M.,    93. 

Hobby,  Edwin,  248. 

Hobby,  Will  P.,  470,  492,  606,  634. 

Hodges,  G.  P.,  280. 

Hodges,   Jake,    310,   317,   371,   416. 

Hodges,  S.  H.,   249. 

Hodges,  William,   322. 

Hoffmaster,   James,   391. 

Hofford,  J.   T.,   481,  483. 

Hofheinz,  Fredrick,   486,   538,   574. 

Hogan,  J.  R.,  437. 

Hogan,  Shell,  389. 

Hogg,    James    S'.,    211,    237,    265,     286, 

287,  310,  316,   317,  325,  329,  330,  347, 

370,  496,  549,  646. 
Hogg,  Joseph  L.,   93. 
Hogshead,  J.  M.,   206. 
Hohrath,   Albert,   521,   524,    526. 
Holcomb,   Guy  R.,   643. 
Holland,  F.  P.,   371. 
Holland,  J.  H.,  151. 
Holland,  J.  K.,  56. 
Holland,  N.,  158,  173. 
Holland,   S.,  72. 
Holland,  S.  H.,  511. 
Holland,  W.  C.,  205. 
Holland,   W.  H.,   148,   195. 
Holler,  J.  M.,   554. 
Holliday,  William,  361. 
Hollingsworth,  O.  L.,  158. 
Hollingsworth,  S.  B.,  129. 
Holloway,  W.   C.,  470. 
Hoi  man,  H.  C.,   483. 
Holman,  W.   S.,   557. 
Holmes,  H.   B.,   483. 
Holmes,  Willis,  231. 
Holt,  J.  J.,  93. 
Holt,    O.    T.,    218,    258,    310,    317,    339, 

342,   353,   371,   493. 
Homan,  W.   K.,    231,   248,   260,   345. 
Honey.  George  W.,  118,  120. 
Honeycutt,  A.  B.,  526. 
Hood,  A.  J.,   50,   58,   65,   77,  78,   249. 
Hood,  R.  B.,  503. 
Hood,  W.  J.,  344. 
Hooker,  James,  93. 
Hooks,  F.  M.,  511. 
Hooks,  W.  J.,   318,  371. 
Hooper,  A.  J.,  124. 
Hopkins,  C.  L.,  588. 
Hopkins,  F.  N.,  542,   554. 
Hopkins,  George  C.,  574. 
Hopkins,   S.  H.,  371. 
Horboth,  Alvin,  631. 
Hord,  Edward  R.,  56,  74,  93. 
Hord,  H.  O.,  384. 
Horger,  John  A.,  513,  631. 
Horn.  W.  E.,  100. 
Hornberger,  J.  G.,  434. 
Home,  A.  L..   500,   532,   570,   629. 
Horner,   Joe  M.,   511. 
Hornsby,  John  W.,  416. 
Horton,  Henry,  254,   255. 
Hostraser,  Charles,   498. 
Hottman,  W.,   542. 
Houching,  W.  A.,   242. 
Houssels,  R.   E.,   459. 
Houston,  A.  J.,  290,  303,  530,  546,  552, 

568,   570,  631,  646,   648. 
Houston,    A.    W.,    218,    238,    241,    367, 

504,   577. 
Houston,  D.   F.,   622. 


Houston,   Joshua,   251. 

Houston,   Reagan,   390. 

Houston,  S.  W.,  489. 

Houston,  Sam,  11-14,  20,  26,  27,  32,  37, 

40,  41,   51,   68,  74,   80,   85-88,   89,    549, 

644,   645. 

Houx,  N.   P.,  380,   396,  526. 
Hovenkamp,  E.,  231. 
Hovey,  S.  B.,  498. 

Howard,  ,   238. 

Howard,  J.  W.,  180. 

Howard,  M.  B.,   462,   465. 

Howard,   Russell,   93. 

Howard,  Volney  E.,   32,   43,   50. 

Howden,   G.  F.,   Jr.,   483. 

Howell,  G.  A.,  109. 

Howell,  H.   C.,   384. 

Hoyl,  A.  C.,   93. 

Hubbard,  A.  G.,   280. 

Hubbard,   Richard  B.,  65,  81,  144,  158. 

174,  182,   198,  202,  353. 
Hubbell,  Frank,  529. 
Huddleston,  Charles  H.,  634. 
Hudgins,  W.  P.,   363. 
Hudgins,  W.   T.,   390. 
Hudson,  Oscar,  629. 

Hudson,  R.  W.,  218,  258,  290,  427,  557. 
Hudson,  William,   175. 
Hudspeth,  Claude  B.,   576,  634. 
Hudspeth,   Joe  F.,   625. 
Huff,  R.  E.,  345,   452,   462,  557,   619. 
Huff,   S1.  P.,  311,   357,   371. 
Hufford,  George  B.,   511. 
Huffman,  August,   542. 
Hughes,  A.  O.,  557. 
Hughes,  Charles  E.,  632. 
Hughes,  H.   R.,   552. 
Hughes,  J.  H.,  413. 
Hughes,  Peter  H.,   366,   588,   614. 
Hughes,  R.   E.,  190,   199. 
Hughes,   Thomas  P.,   93. 
Hughes,  W.   E.,   127,   280,   350,   352. 
Hughs,  C.  M.,   498. 
Hull,  W.  P.,   244,  246. 
Hultzman,  B.  U.,   349. 
Humber,   C.   L.,   438. 
Hume,   F.   Charles,   310,   318,   389,   390. 
Humphries,  J.  H.,  249. 
Humphries,  R.  M.,  262. 
Hungerford,   S.  B.,   329. 
Hunt,  D.  G.,   434,   438,  441. 
Hunt,  E.  P.,  359. 
Hunt,  John  F.,   564. 
Hunt,   Marshall,   359. 
Hunt,  Nat  B.,   470,   513,   590,   625. 
Hunt,  P.  B.,  405,   556. 
Hunter,  H.   J.,   175. 
Hunter,  O.   S.,  573,   601,   614. 
Hunter,  William,   434. 
Hurley,   J.   A.,   345,    392,    441,    519,   538. 
Hurley,  Mike  C.,  514. 
Hurley,   Thomas  J.,   264. 
Hurt,  James  M.,  98,  174,  202,  209,  265, 

339 

Hutcheson,   J.  W.,   93. 
Hutchins,  J.  H.,  69. 
Hutchins,  J.  V.,   206. 
Hutchinson,  C.  W.,   538,   554,   571,   615. 
Hutchinson,    J.   C.,   144,    182,    198,    287. 
Hutchinson,  W.  A.,   215. 
Hutchison,   W.   E.,   180. 
Hutchison,  W.  T.,  305. 
Huth,  Luis,   80. 
Hyatt,  F.  A.,   264. 
Hyde,  A.   O.,   77,   78,   80,  84,   85. 
Hyman,  J.  H.,  218. 


Index  to  Names 


669 


Hynson,  George  W.,  232. 
Hynson,  H.  C.,  220. 

Imboden,  Wiley  M.,  371,  395,  533. 

Ingerton,  Henry,  617. 

Ingerton,  W.  H.,  515. 

Ingraham,    George    F.,    205,    258,    267, 

384. 

Ingram,  A.  B.,  254. 
Ingram,  George  F.,  238. 
Ingram,  W.  J.,  190,  576. 
Ions,  Penrose  N.,  558,  562. 
Ireland,  George,  572. 
Ireland,   John,    93,    128,    140,    144,    163, 

173,  198,  208,  220,  229,  264,  310,  54°>, 

645,  646. 

Ireland,  John  C.,  145. 
Irion,  R.  A.,  50. 
Isaacs,  A.  C.,  258,  384. 
Isaacs,  Leonard,  223. 
Isaacs,  S.  J.,  465,  493. 
Isbell,  Thomas  D.,  504. 

Jack,  Tom,  198. 

Jackson,  A.  S.,  458. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  175,  293,  351,  367. 

Jackson,  B.,  215. 

Jackson,  C.  J.,  314. 

Jackson,  D.  W.,  201. 

Jackson,  Dan  M.,  619. 

Jackson,  George  B.,  302,  357,  413. 

Jackson,  Hugh,  208. 

Jackson,  J.,  300. 

Jackson,  J.  D.,  619. 

Jackson,  J.  L.,  554,  573,  601. 

Jackson,  J.  Stonewall,  491. 

Jackson,  M.  G.,  371. 

Jackson,  N.  P.,  371. 

Jackson,  W.  D.,  244,  255,  256,  284,  306, 

336,  378,  478,  647. 
Jackson,  Z.  T.,  571. 
James,  B.  O.,  345. 
James,  E.  L.,  190,  199. 
Jameson,  W.  S.,  497. 
Jamison,  C.  C.,  631. 
Jamison,  E.  S.,  109. 
Jamison,  J.  G.,  389. 
Jamison,   J.   R.,    478. 
Jamison,  W.  S.,  384,  416,  428. 
Jefferson,  John  R.,  211. 
Jefferson,   Thomas,   175,   219.   293,   311, 

323,   367,  404,   463,  549. 
Jeffries,  H.  D.,  631. 
Jenkins,  Charles  H.,  206,  223,  314,  316, 

332,  380,  462,  465,  493,  521,  526. 
Jenkins,  Cooke,  148,  151. 
Jenkins,  J.,  276. 
Jenkins,  J.  S.,  290. 
Jennings,  Henry  J.,  297,  298. 
Jennings,  J.  W.,  163. 
Jennings,  R.  L.,  391. 
Jennings,  Thomas  J.,  93. 
Jennings,  William  H.,  174. 
Jester,  George  T.,  339,  384,  447. 
Jeter,  J.  R.,  205. 
Jewett,  H.  J.,   19,  43. 
Jobe,  Will  H.,   530,   532. 
John,  George  E.,  511. 
John,  R.  A.,  447. 

Johns,  Clement  R..  65,   74,  75,  81,  129. 
Johnson,   A.   A.,   248. 
Johnson,  A.  B.,  190. 
Johnson,  A.  H.,  631. 
Johnson,  A.  J.,  252,  292. 


Johnson,  Andrew,  98,  111. 

Johnson,  B.  H.,  416. 

Johnson,  C.  N.,  242. 

Johnson,  C.  W.,  302,  574,  617,  648. 

Johnson,   Cone,   353,   363,  367,  465,   503, 

504,  510,  533,  537,  546,  557,  558,  562, 

577,  584,  587,  651. 
Johnson,  F.  J.,  205. 
Johnson,  Frank,  458,  459. 
Johnson,  G.  W.,  483. 
Johnson,  H.  D.,  231. 
Johnson,  J.  D.,  473. 
'Jehnson,  J.  H.,  472. 
Johnson,  J.  M.,  497. 
Johnson,  J.  R.,  206. 
Johnson,  J.  T.,  625. 
Johnson,  Jeff.,  371,  395. 
Johnson,  John,  262,  263. 
Johnson,  Lewis,  542,  554,  574. 
Johnson,  Luther,  618. 
Johnson,  M.,  242. 
Johnson,  M.  T.,  32,  34,  67,  74,  75,  87, 

98,  644. 

Johnson,  M.  W.,  366. 
Johnson,  Moses,  44. 

Johnson,  O.  F.,   477,  488,  514,  542,  573. 
Johnson,  S.  E.,  297. 
Johnson,  Sam  M.,  232. 
Johnson,  T.  F.,  202. 
Johnson,  T.  L.,  248. 
Johnson,  T.  W.,  574. 
Johnson,  Tom  B.,   337,  338,   361,  394. 
Johnson,  Thomas  J.,  65. 
Johnson,  William  H.,  95,  155. 
Johnston,  Fred  B.,  416. 
Johnston,  J.  T.,  280. 
Johnston,  R.  M.,  322,  330,  344,  384,  389, 

396,  447,  465,  508,  586. 
Johnston,  W.  M.,  147. 

Jones,  ,  109. 

Jones,  Anson,  12,  14. 

Jones,  B.  L.,  504,  508. 

Jones,  C.  P.,  574. 

Jones,  E.  A.,  202,  248. 

Jones,  Evan,  235,  260,  268,  380. 

Jones,  F.,  93. 

Jones,  George  W.,  85,  98,  109,  112,  144, 

262,  474,  576,  645,  646. 
Jones,  H.  H.,  292. 
Jones,  H.  P.,  473. 
Jones,  Henry  F.,  263,  400,  426. 
Jones,  Ira  P.,   556,  573. 
Jones,  J.  B.,  173. 
Jones,  J.  Martin,  651. 
Jones,  J.  J.,  625. 
Jones,  J.  O.,  310. 
Jones,    James    H.,    127,    144,    198,    202, 

326,  390. 

Jones,  John  C.,  643. 
Jones,  M.  P.,  349. 
Jones,  Morgan,  434. 
Jones,  P.  M.,  264. 
Jones,  S.  M.,  305,  338,  361. 
Jones,  T.  D.,  247,  263. 
Jones,  T.  N.,  247,  248,  267,  289,  546. 
Jones,  W.  D.  C.,  493". 
Jones,  W.  G.,  264. 
Jones,  W.  P.,  275. 
Jones,  Walter  N.,  614,  643. 
Jones,  William  E.,  68,  69,  95. 
Joppich,  Adolph,  588. 
Jordan,  A.  N.,  85. 

Jordan,  J.  T.,  308,  336,  379,  478,  481. 
Jordan,  L.  G.,  254. 


670 


Index  to  Names 


Josselyn,  Robert,  111,  144. 
Jowers,  W.  G.  W.,   56,   63. 
Joyce,  J.  T.,  105. 
Joynes,  J.  R.,  265. 
Judd,  E.  T.,   615. 
Jungmichel,  J.,   154. 
Justiss,  A.  N.,  469. 

Kalteyer,  G.  H.,  249. 

Kane,  H.  B.,  359,  392. 

Karber,  H.,  154. 

Kariaziewicz,  J.  E.,  418. 

Karlsburg,  Harry,  542,  573. 

Kaufman,  David  S.,  20. 

Kauffman,  J.  E.,  310. 

Kay,  C.  M.,  504,  508. 

Kayser,  G.  W.,  619. 

Keaghey,  J.  S.,  344. 

Kealy,  L.  M.,  574. 

Kearby,   J.   G.,   186,   221,    260,   276,   279. 

Kearby,  Jerome  C.,  380,  424,  646. 

Kearby,  M.  S.,  481. 

Keeling,  Walter  A.,  452. 

Keenan,  C.  G.,  58,  62,  74. 

Keidel,  William,  58. 

Keith,  C.  M.,  481. 

Kelley,  George,  625. 

Kelley,  R.  L.,  434. 

Kelley,  W.  R.,  542,  57'3. 

Kelly,  C.  O.,  85. 

Kelly,  M.  C.,   572. 

Kelly,  W.  C.,  93. 

Kelsey,  Benton,  625. 

Kelsey,  Emma  G.,  590. 

Kelso,  Winchester,  384. 

Kelsy,  W.  A.,  254. 

Kemble,  A.  A.,  350. 

Kemble,  W.  S.,  558,  562. 

Kemp,  J.  A.,  276. 

Kendall,  C.  H.,  144. 

Kendall,  J.  S.,  401,  427. 

Kendall,  W.  A.,  218,  221. 

Kendall,  W.  C.,  574. 

Kendrick,  B.  J..  317. 

Kennard,  John  R.,  158.  182. 

Kennedy,  A.  M.,  384,  508. 

Kennedy,  L.  D.,  513. 

Kennedy,  R.  T.,  179,  193,  198,  199,  201 

211. 

Kennedy,  Roy,  491. 
Kennedy,  T.  M.,  554,  574. 
Kennon,  M.,  249. 
Kenyon,  B.   B.,   347. 
Kenyon,  W.  C.,  574,  602. 
Keppard,  John,  117,  120. 
Kepple,  George  E.,  571,  597,  614,  615. 
Kern,  John  W.,  521. 
Kerr,  J.  S.  F.,  439. 
Kerr,  R.  N.,  229. 

Kerrigan,  John,  418,  444,  472,  514. 
Kerrigan,  Mike,  634. 
Kessinger,  W.  B.,  513. 
Kessler,  A.  L.,  256. 
Kettner,  Francis,  115. 

Keys,  ,  405. 

Kidd,  J.  A.,  218,  3B3. 
Kilgore,  C.  B.,  163,  202,  237,  249 
Killough,  Isaac  G.,  122,  158. 
Kimble,  James,  242. 
Kimble,  Richard,  462. 
Kimmons.  W.  R.,  360. 
Kincaid,  W.  A.,  330. 
Kinchion,  L.  B.,  357,  434. 
Kindred,  — — ,  439. 


Kindred,   J.   C.,   290. 

King,  C.  R.,  231,  254. 

King,  J.  B.,  310. 

King,  J.   C.  J.,   248. 

King,  J.  M.,   462. 

King,  John,  189,  201. 

King,  John  J.,  427. 

King,  John  M.,  314,  397. 

King,  R.  Y.,  279. 

King,  Thomas  B.,  384. 

King,  W.  E.,  405,  488,  491. 

King,  W.  W.,  389. 

Kingsbury,  R.  B.,  115. 

Kingsbury,   R.   H.,   353,   434. 

Kingsbury,  W.  G.,   345. 

Kinkaid,  J.  H.,  554. 

Kinney,  H.  B.,  232. 

Kinney,  Somers,  77,  109,  123. 

Kirby,  J.  C.,  199. 

Kirby,  J.  E.,  29,  52. 

Kirby,  John  H.,  241,  461,  537,  618. 

Kirgen,  Lee  C.,  619. 

Kirk,  Charles  J.,  612,  618,  634,   640. 

Kirk,  Lafayette,  280. 

Kirkpatrick,  E.  W.,  379,  396  511. 

Kirven,  Carter,  Jr.,  550. 

Kirvin,  O.  C.,  264. 

Kittrell,  Norman  G.,  158,  311. 

Kittrell,  P.  W.,  69. 

Kleberg,  M.  E.,  390. 

Kleberg,  Robert  J.,  405,  416,  462. 

Kleiber,  John  R.,  371,  376. 

Kline,  Henry,  242,  302,  303,  337,  360. 

Knapp,  J.  D.,  570. 

Kneese,  Oscar,  100. 

Knight,   George  A.,   252,    345,    347,   441, 

458,   478,  631. 
Knight,  H.   M.,  289. 
Knight,  M.  W.,   266. 
Knittel,  H.,  308. 

Knowles,  W.   D.,  285,   286,   306,   335. 
Knox,  T.  A.,  212. 
Knox,  W.  E.,  147. 

Koch,  ,  154. 

Koester,  T.,  93,  152,  154. 

Kohl  man,  ,  154. 

Kolp,  D.  C.,  290,  301,  302,  303,  330,  345, 

347,  357,  392,  405,   411,  413,  438. 
Kone,    Ed    R.,    223,    322,    384,    466,    503, 

520,  533,  577. 
Kratz  R.,  322. 
Kretz,  H.,  218. 
Kubena,  J.  R.,  558,  619. 
Kuechler,  Jacob,  120,  155,  177,  187,  190, 

197,  199. 
Kulow,   G.,  154. 

Kurth,  J.  H.,  474,  488,  514,  554. 
Kuteman,  R.  B.,  279. 
Kuykendall,  J.  W.,  442. 
Kyle,  Claiborne,  56. 
Kyle,  S.  C.,  615. 

Lacy,  W.  M.,  258. 

Lamar,  Mirabeau  B.,  11-14,  84. 

Lamb,   W.   R.,   260,    263,    279,    293,   297, 

298,  314. 

Lambert,  Will,   208,   218,   237,  249,   265. 
Lambreth,  G.  A.,  590,  625. 
Lamkins,   A.   C.,   190. 
Landes,  Daniel,  54,  111. 
Lands,  A.,  141. 
Lane,  Alex,  195. 

Lane,  C.  E.,  447,  465,  497,  526,  607. 
Lane,  E.  R.,   182,  209,  310. 


Index  to  Names 


671 


Lane,  H.  K.,  242. 

Lane,  Hunter  P.,   577. 

Lane,  J.  Felton,  492. 

Lane,    Jonathan.     317,     322,     330,     339, 

342,  371,  376,  401,  415,  520,  524,  52C, 

533,  547,  550,  558,   563,  577,  586,  607, 

641. 

Lane,  Walter  P.,   533,   577. 
Laney,  E.  P.,  570. 
Lang,  John,  Jr.,   643. 
Lang,  W.  W.,  158,  179,  193. 
Langmoor,  J.  E.,  318. 
Lanham,  G.  W.,  310. 
Lanham,   S.   W.  T.,    202,    446,   465,    467, 

493,   524,   647. 
Lanham,  W.  S.,  530. 
Larkin,  P.,  305,  330. 
Lasater,  Ed.  C.,  488,  498,  519,  538,  542, 

554,  571,  572,  573,  648. 
Lasker,  M.,  390. 
Lassiter,  W.  H.,   390. 
Latham,  E.  B.,  444,  513. 
Latham,  F.  W.,  72,  93. 
Lathrop,  A.   S.,   129. 
Latimer,  Albert  H.,  95,  117. 
Latimer,  H.  R.,  124. 
Lauderdale,  C.  L.,  344. 
Law,  F.  M.,  246,  247,  248,  285. 
Lawhon,  J.  C.,  56. 
Lawrence,  W.  H.,  155. 
Lawson,  F.  M.,  454. 
Lawson,  Henry  M.,   50. 
Lawson,  L.  F.,   186. 
Lawson,  T.   N.,   453. 
Lawther,  Harry  P.,  557,  618. 
Lawther,  R.  R.,  211,  223. 
Layne,  M.  E.,   532. 
Lea,  Pryor,  93. 
Leader,  W.  Y.,  232,  234. 
League,  H.  B.,  144. 
Leather,  D.  N.,  438. 
Leatherman,  J.  H.,  143. 
Ledbetter,  Hambleton,  85,  95,  100. 
Ledbetter,  J.  S.,  357. 
Ledbetter,  W.  H.,  182,  211. 
Lee,  F.  L.,  498. 
Lee,  Fitzhrugh,  407. 
Lee,  William,  301. 
Lee,  Z.  S.,  299. 
Lefevre,  Arthur,  447. 
Lefteller,  L.  B.,  423. 
Legate.  R.   S..  305,  574,  576,  617. 
Leggett,   K.   K.,   220. 
Lehmann,   C.    F.,   432. 
Lehmann,  Hugo,  152. 
Leisewitz.  P.,  154. 
Leitner,   Frank,   481,   647. 
Leland,  W.  W.,   80. 
Lemon,  Hubbard,   614. 
Lenert,  George  E..   550. 
Leonard,  J.  D.,  439. 
Leonard,  S'.  J.,   254. 
Leonard,  W.  A.,  81. 
Leonard,  W.  M.,  488. 
Leonard,  Wade  B.,   554. 
Leslie,  Frank,   254. 
Les^ing,  W.   H.,   268. 
Lester,  James  S.,   93. 
Lesueur,  C.  M.,   93. 
Let«on,   T.   S.,   279. 
Letzerich,  Otto,  488,  519,   542. 
Leverett,  M.,   266. 
Leverton,   C.   A.,   314. 
Levi,  Leo  N.,   353. 
Levy,  R.  B.,  202,  280,  465. 


Levy,  Rich,  317. 

Lewelling,  Thomas,   51. 

Lewellyn,  J.,   526,  577. 

Lewis,  Asa  M.,   32,   50,   74,   77,   84. 

Lewis,  H.  W.,   629,   630,   648. 

Lewis,  J.   L.,   311. 

Lewis,   Perry  J.,   367,   427,   452,   557. 

Lewis,  S.  L.,  504,  508. 

Lewis,  W.  H..  363. 

Lewis,  W.  W.,  155,  190. 

Lewis,  Walter  D.,  454. 

Lewis,   Yancy,   310,   558,    562. 

Leyendecker,  T.   F.,   154. 

Lidey,  H.  W.,   147. 

Lightfoot,    Henry    W.,    173,    175,    248, 

258. 

Lightfoot,  Jewel  P.,   533. 
Lignan,  Arch,   625. 
Likens,  T.  M.,  94. 
Lillard,   George,  546. 
Lillard,   L.   D.,    223. 
Limbocker,  I.  M.,  574. 
Lincoln,   Abraham,   243,    293,    549,   574. 
Lindheimer,  F.,   77. 
Lindner,  M.,   290. 
Lindquist,   J.   E.,   629,   631. 
Lindsay,  J.  M.,   98,   218,   390. 
Lindsay,   Lewis  B.,   538,   554,   571,   615. 
Lindsay,  S.  A.,  391. 
Lindsey,   R.   J.,   52. 
Link,  J.  B.,  254,  256,   286,  306. 
Linn,   E.  D.,   218,   249,   258,   268. 
Linn,  Ed.,  367. 
Linn,  J.  J.,   68. 
Linn,  John  E.,   322,   344,  371. 
Linthicum,  W.  P.,   262,   263. 
Linton,  W.   N.,   199,   330,  347. 
Lippard,  John  H.,  100,   187,  190. 
Lipscomb,  G.   B.,  144,  198. 
Little,  J.  L.,   462. 
Little,  John  B.,   550. 
Little,  R.  H.,  423. 
Littlefield,   George  W.,   550. 
Littlefield,  J.  H.,  175. 
Littlejohn,   R.   P.,   267. 
Littleton,  C.   C.,   498,   459,   538,   554. 
Littleton,  John,   93. 
Littleton.  M.  W.,  389,  459 
Lively,  M.  T.,   461,   577. 
Lochridge,  Lloyd  P.,   614,   643. 
Locke,   M.  F.,   93. 
Locke,  W.  J.,  141,  157,  176,   177. 
Locke,  W.  W.,   390. 
Lockett,  A.  T.,  345. 
Lockett,  Henry,   390. 
Lockett,  O.  L.,   223,  371. 
Lockett,  R.  R.,   310,  416,   447. 
Lockett,   S.   C.,   481. 
Lockhart,   J.   B.,   519,   542. 
Loe,  J.   T.  W.,   247,  263,    274,   316,   335. 
Loeffler,  Gustav,   154. 
Loessin,  A.  F.,  498. 
Lofton,   Oliver,   93. 
Logan,  G.  W.,   336,  378,  379. 
Logan,  J.  D.,  144. 
Logan,  John  A.,   230,   231,   233 
Logan,  Mark,   427,   446. 
Logan,  O.  J.,  415. 
Loggins,   John  M.,   469. 
Lomas,  W.  M.,  286. 
Long,   B.   C.,    242. 
Long,  George  B.,  424. 
Long,  J.   B.,  363. 
Long,  J.  H.,  384. 
Long,  J.  L.,  384. 
Long,  John,  58. 


672 


Index  to  Names 


Longley,  A.  H.,  102,  141. 
Longman,  J.  E.,  264. 
Longworthy,  R.  O.,   442,  470. 
Looney,    Ben    F.,    492,    543,     576,    606, 

634. 

Lord,  Charles  A.,  631. 
Lory,  J.  J.,  500,  513. 
Lott,  E.  E.,  50. 
Lott,  Uriah,  264. 
Love,  O.  N.,  434. 
Love,  E.  J.,  554. 
Love,  G.  H.,   85. 
Love,  R.  M.,  427,  447,   465. 
Love,  Thomas  B.,   447. 
Love,  W.  D.,  462. 

Love,  W.  H.,  301,   329,  411,  437,  574. 
Lovejoy,  J.  L.,  141,   155. 
Lovejoy,  John,   371,  389,  405. 
Lovet,  Henry,   511. 
Lowden,   G.  W.,   345,   460. 
Lowden,  James  G.,  392,  411,  433,  434, 

436,  455,  460/475,   647. 
Lowe,  W.  H.,  556. 
Lowrey,  Sam,  462. 
Lloyd,  H.  D.,  330. 
Lubbock,    Francis    R.,    65,    72,    78,    81, 

182,  202,  208,  221,  237,  265,  496,  549, 

645. 

Lubbock,  O.  L.,  317. 
Lubbock,  Thomas  S.,   68,  93. 
Luby,    J.    O.,    216,    392,    405,    439,    458, 

478. 

Luckett,  P.  N.,  93. 
Lucy,  J.  E.,  452. 
Ludal,  Martin,  625. 
Lueders,  F.,  308. 
Luitwieler,  Lewis,   359. 
Lunday,  R.  W.,  93,  94. 
Luse,  J.  E.,  423. 
Lusk,  R.  M.,  258. 
Lutz,  J.  E.,  361,  413,  441,  458,  478,  486, 

488,  498,  519,  556. 
Lyday,  D'.  E.,   335,   384. 
Lyday,   S'.  S'.,   280. 
Lyle,  H.  Q.,  481. 
Lyles,  R.,   550. 
Lynch,  John,  311. 
Lyon,  Cecil  A.,  405,  409,  441,  454    455, 

458,  459,  460,  477,  487,  488,  497    499, 

519,  542,  553,  554,  555,  570,  573,   601 

616. 

Lyon,  Dupont  B.,  614,  631. 
Lyon,  O.  T.,  215. 

Mabray,  E.,  50. 

Mabray,  H.  P.,  98,  127. 

McAdoo,  J.  D.,  176,  197. 

McAleny,  W.,   470. 

McAndrews,  G.   C.,   434. 

McAnulty,  Mrs.  Alice,  376. 

McArdle,  J.  H.,  186. 

McBride,  J.  C.,  617. 

McBride,   T.   S.,   554,   571,   572,   597. 

McBride,  W.   P.,   442. 

McCain,  W.   B.,   409. 

McCall,  F.  A.,  289. 

McCall,  George  A.,  238,   240,  241. 

McCall,  J.  L.,  176,  290,  397. 

McCall,  J.  M.,  69. 

McCall,  John  D.,   237,   265,   287,   317. 

McCampbell,  A.  J.,  606. 

McCampbell,  Andrew,  458. 

McCan,  J.  F.,   574. 

McCann,   Bernard,   303. 

McCart,  Robert,  258. 

McCarthy,   Ed.,    554,   573. 


McCarthy,   Milton,   614,   643. 

McCartney,  A.  L.,   466. 

McCartney,   C.  L.,   619. 

McCarty,  B.   J.,   553. 

McCarver,  W.  H.,  252. 

McCasner,  W.  H.,   290. 

McCauley,    A.    J.,    434,    437,    455,    458, 

460,   489. 

McCauley,  C.  M.,   504. 
McChristian,   Harrison,   301. 
McChristy,  W.  D.,  526. 
McOlain,  John,  115. 
McClain,  W.  G.,  631. 
McClarty,  F.  C.,   43. 
McClarty,  John,  78. 
McClure,  Robert,   367,   389. 
McClusky,  B.,   77. 
McCollum,  A.   R.,  557. 
McComb,  J.  E.,  197,  209,  220. 
McCommon,   T.   T.,   322. 
McConnell,  H.  H.,  215,  305. 
McConnell,  R.   M.,   357. 
McConnell,   Thomas,   359. 
McCord,  Felix  J.,  163,   384,   557. 
McCord,   Patt9n,   590,   625. 
McCormic,   Michael,   85. 
McCormick,  A.  P.,  95,   112. 
McCormick,   G.   W.,    302. 
McCormick,  George,   176,  182. 
McCormick,   J.   M.,   216,    301,   345,   357, 

392,  438,  475,  514,  554,  571,  573,  601, 

614. 
McCormick,  R.  M.,  357. 

McCown,  ,  155. 

McCoy,  ,  69. 

McCoy,  John  C.,  147,  173. 
McCoy,   Sam  C.,  216,  254. 
McCracken,  O.  A.,  416,  588,  614. 
McCraven,   William,   93. 
McCraw,   Thomas  M.,   93. 
MacOready,  E.  D.,   268. 
McCroary,  L.  P.,   629. 
McCuistian,  H.   J.,   424. 
McCuistian,  H.   M.,   472,   473,   474,   511. 
McCulloch,   H.   E.,   109,   124,   301,   332. 
McOulloch,  M.  C.,   301. 
McCulloch,  R.  A.,   511. 
McCutcheon,  W.  S.,  360.  554. 
McDaniel,    Jerry,    353,    366,    369,    390, 

391. 
McDaniel,    Lodowick,     195,     229,     231, 

232,  242,  254,  292,  301,  302,   327,  337, 

360,  458,  475,  515. 
McDonald,    H.    D'.,    202,    266,    310,    353, 

366. 

McDonald,   James,    267,    289,   357,   391. 
McDonald,  John  D.,   252. 
McDonald,  John  W.,  120,  121,  216,  242, 

272,   290. 

McDonald,  William,   617. 
McDonald,  William  M.,   330,    347,    411, 

412,  433,  434,  436,  437,  489,  556. 
McDonnell,  H.  J.,   491. 
McDougall,  E.   A.,   249. 
McDowell,  C.,  576,   606,  617. 
McDowell,  C.  K.,   438,   556,   576. 
McDowell,   E.  A.,   258,   322,   577,   586. 
McDowell,  James  K.,    231,   290. 
McDowell,    L.    S.,    488,    519,    542,    554, 

576,   606. 

McElreath,  S.  R.,  570,  631. 
McElroy,  W.  A.,   554,   631. 
McFadden,  Alf,  550. 
McFadden,  Mrs.  Alice,  513. 
McFaddin,  J.  N.,   199,   256,   260. 
McFarland,  J.  A.  L.,  478,  629. 


Index  to  Names 


673 


McFarland,   J.   F.,   570. 

McFarland,   T.   J.,   323. 

McFarland,   W.   P.,   218. 

McFarland,   William,   85. 

McGar,  Hiram.   413. 

McGary,   Dan  S.,    109.   123. 

McGaughey,  W.  L.,  287,  317. 

McGee,   George  F.,  366,   390. 

McGee.   T.   D'.,   310. 

McGinnis,  W.   G.,   474. 

McGowan,  A..  85. 

McGrady,  J.  G.,   538. 

McGreel,  Peter,   105. 

McGregor,   Claude  P.,   574. 

MacGregor,    H.    F..    303,    360,    361,    394, 

439    455,  553    556,  574,  605,   616,  617, 

631. 

McGregor,  John   S.,  405. 
McGregor,  R.,   631. 
McGregor,  T.   H.t   607. 
McGuire,  J.  E.,  530,   532. 
Machemehl,  L.  H..   613. 
McHugh,   T.    J.,  .190,    195. 
Mcllwaine,  A.  G.,  322,  330. 
Mclnnis,   L.   L..    344. 
Mclntosh,   H.    F.,    379. 
Mclntosh,  William,  93. 
Mack.  J.   H.,   263. 
Mack,   Theo.,   323. 
McKane,  R.  H.,   326. 
McKay.   A.   X..    519. 
McKay,  D.,   155.  158. 
McKay,   Gilchrist,    93. 
McKee,  S'cipio  P.,   100. 
McKeever.   J.   J.,   158. 
McKenzey,    F.   O.,    254,   255,    256. 

McKenzie, ,   162. 

Mackey,  W.  B..   483. 

McKinley,   J.   S.,  500. 

McKinley,  William,  357,  359,  360,   392, 

394,   406,  407,  410,  412,  413,  434,  439, 

455,  459,  461,  476. 

McKinney,  A.  T.,   202,   221,   258,   318. 
.Mrivinney,  J.  M.,  371. 
McKinney,   J.  W.,   327,   460. 
McKinney,  John,   262. 
McKinnon.   A.   P..    249. 
McLain,  J.   R.,   218,   221. 
McLane,  John,   118. 
McLaughlin,  Chat.  E.,  187. 
McLean,  J.   P.,   322. 
McLean,    William    P.,    144,    147,     172, 

401,   446. 

McLeary,  J.  H.,  182,  202,  220,  258,  310. 
McLemore,  Jeff,   607,  634. 
McLemore,  John  T.,   405. 
McLemore,  M.  C.,   129,   147,   405,   486. 
McLendon.  J.   S.,   248. 
McLeod,   Hugh,   69. 
McLeod,  John  D.,   50. 
MrLester,  G.  P.,  527. 
Mi-Mahan,   M.   V.,   141. 
McMahon.  A.  G.,   258. 
McMahon,  T.   H.,   102. 
McManus,  C.  A.,   256. 
Mi-AIanus.   W.    M.,    292. 
McManus,  William,  305,  330,  338. 
McMeans,  C.  A.,   298. 
McAIeans,   S.   A.,   344,   357,   389. 
McMillan.   Benton,   492. 
McMinn,  T.   J.,  293,   380,   396,  453,   454, 

472.    647. 

McMurray.  T.  J.,  503. 
McXeal,    Thomas,    211,    258,    266,    558, 

562. 
McXealus,  James  C.,   503,   537. 

43—328 


McXulty,   B.   F.,   389. 
McQuiston,    H.    L.,    597. 
McRae,   John  D.,   558. 
McRae,   Taylor,  300,   301,   511. 
McReynolds,   R.   A.,   405. 
McVeal,  William.   434. 

McZeal,  ,  411. 

Madarasz.  L.  W.,   290. 

Madden.   J.  W.,   546. 

Maddox,  John  F..   550. 

Maddox,  R.  E.,  389. 

Maddox,  W.  B..   280. 

Maetze,   E.   G..   258. 

Maier,  F.  J..  526,  537. 

Maiorana.   Frank.   527,   530,   588. 

Majors.  P.  C.,   199. 

Makemson,   W.   K.,    290,    302,    327,    329, 

345,   357.   646. 
Malcom,   G.  W.,   453. 
Malevinsky,  M.  L.,  367. 
Mallett,  J.   M.,   314,  453,   461,   472,   511, 

647. 

Malloy,   A.  G..    154,   176,   195,   302. 
Malloy,  F..   195. 
Malone,  George,  413. 
Malone,  J.  M..   254. 
Malsch,  M.,   158. 
Maltby,   Henry  A.,   93. 
Manchester,  W.  Z..  434. 
Mangum,  T.   F.,  462. 
Manley.   John  H.,   85,   87. 
Mann,  Edgar  M.,  619. 
Mann,  M.  W.,  337. 
Mann,  W.  H.,  118. 
Mannan,  F.  G..  513. 
Manning,  H.  C.,   439. 
Manning,  Wentworth,  335,   378,   486. 
Mansfield,  J.  J..   577. 
Maples,  J.   A.,   500. 
Marbach,   John,   474. 
Marchbank,  H.  D.,  109. 
Maricle,  O.  P..  572,  615. 
Marioule,  Lodovick,  201. 
Maris.  C.  H.,   345. 

Marr,  D.   P.,   206,   221,   237,   287,   317. 
Marr,  H.  S.,  511. 
Marsh,  D.  C.,  121. 

Marsh,  Henry  B..  344,  371,   492,   546. 
Marshall,  A.   S.,  174. 
Marshall,     Bart.,     497,     514,     542,     571, 

597,   614. 

Marshall,  C.  C.,   615. 
Marshall,    Eugene,    272,    357,    573,    574, 

616. 

Marshall,  H.  C.,   652. 
Marshall,   J.   B.,   274. 
Marshall,  J.  M.,   424. 
Marshall,  Jesse,  93. 
Marshall,   John,   37,   38,   40,   68,   74,   75, 

77,  78,  79.   80,  81,   84. 
Marshall,   Thomas   R.,   577,   619. 
Marshall,  W.  E.,  418. 

Martin,  ,  248. 

Martin,  A.  D.,   279. 
Martin,   A.  F.,   442. 
Martin.  B.  D.,  174. 
Martin,  C.  C.,  617. 
Martin,   C.  L..   647. 
Martin,  C.  W.,  322. 
Martin,   Clarence.   462. 
Martin,   E.  M.,   303. 
Martin,  E.  W..   214. 
Martin,  J.  A.,  218,   390. 
Martin,  J.  C.,   251,  305,  338. 
Martin.  J.  C.  C.,  478. 
Martin,  J.  D.,  483. 


674 


Index  to  Names 


Martin,    J.   E.,  229,   247,   260,   262,    263, 

314,  379. 

Martin,  J.  R.,  366. 
Martin,  J.  W.,  208. 
Martin,  Louis,  497. 
Martin,  Marion,  202,  208,  218,  254, 

260,  314,  332,  646. 
Martin,  N.  C.,  514. 
Martin,   T.   J.,    554,    571,    573,    597,    601, 

615. 

Martin,  T.  O.,  322. 
Martin,  Thomas,   85. 
Martin,  W.  B.,  314. 
Martin,  W.  W.,   220,  221. 
Mason,  D.  N.,  359. 
Mason,   George,   144,   158,   173,   174. 
Mason,  Harry,   416. 
Mason,  J.  C.,  630. 
Mason,  Sanford,  117. 
Massett,  J.  P.,  246. 
Masterson,  A.  E.,  503,  462,  470,   503. 
Masterson,  Harris,  497,   538,   615. 
Masterson,  James,  158. 
Masterson,  William,  462,   497,   526. 
Matheny,  M.   P.,   244,   254. 
Mathes,  W.   M.,   235. 
Mathews,  A.,  432. 
Mathews,  J.   J.,  258. 
Mathews,  W.  M.,   276,   278. 
Mathis,  A.,   401. 
Mathis,  John   M.,   558,   619. 
Matlock.  A.  L,.,  220,  258,   266,  326,  330, 

331,  350,  352,   366,  367,  391. 
Matthaei,    W.    A.,    514,    538,    554,    573, 

601,    615. 

Matthews,  J.  C.,   248,  323. 
Matthews,  J.   H.,   323,   363,   521,   526. 
Matthews,  W.   H.,   380. 
Matthies,  Fred.,   617. 
Mattier,   D.,   ?48. 
Maupin,   Sam  B.,  423. 
Maverick,  Sam  A.,  74,  105,  107,  111. 
Maxey,  A.  G.,  551,  552. 
Maxey,  James  M.,  93,  109,  144. 
Maxey,  Rice,   503,   543,   546. 
Maxey,   S'.   B.,    127,   144,    163,    233,    258. 
Maxwell,   O.   T.,   357,   371,   416. 
May,  A.  W.,   154. 
Mayer,  Pierce,  615. 
Mayes,  Will  H.,  576. 
Mayfield,    Allison,    339,    342,    385,    401, 

405,   533,   634. 

Mayfield,   Earl  B.,   577,   607. 
Mayhew,  J.   R.,   557. 
Maynard,  A.  L.,  330,   347,   411,   437. 
Maynard,  Frank,  409. 
Maynard,  W.  H.,  252. 
Mays,   Melton,   371. 

Mays,  Richard,  405,  416,  462,  546,  557. 
Mead,  G.  P.,  218. 
Meade,  G.  H.,  311. 
Meek,  J.  H.,  552,  570,  628. 
Meeks,  T.   B.,   498. 
Meerscheidt,   Paul,    623. 
Meisner,  M.,   216. 

Meitzen,  E.  O.,  301,  332,  380,  552,   564. 
Meitzen,  E.   R.,  484,  514,  527,  529,  590, 

625,   648. 

Melson,  J.  M.,   526,  533. 
Melton,  W.   T.,  504. 
Menard,  A.   L.,   290. 
Mentz,  E.   B.,  439,   455. 
Mercer,  W.   H.,  558,   562. 
Merchant,  W.   S1.,   465. 
Meriwether,   J.    S.,  470. 
Merriman,   F.   H.,   56. 


Merritt,  Clarence,   557. 

Mertz,  C.  W.,  254. 

Messmer,    W.    S.,    242,    254,    292,    327, 

330,   345. 

Metcalf,   J.  F.,   256. 
Metcalf,  W.  B.,   314. 
Metzler,  A.,  303. 
Metzner,  Charles,   141. 
Meusebach,   John   O.,   50,   55. 
Meyenberg,   J.,  308. 
Meyer,  F.,   564. 
Meyer,  J.  F.,  326. 
Meyer,  J.  L.,  390. 
Meyers,  John,  634. 
Middlebroock,  J.   W.,   311. 
Miebach,  Charles,  308. 
Mierow,  Charles,  H16. 
Mikniewics,  Paul,  529. 
Milham,   J.   L.,    78. 

Miller,  377. 

Miller,   Barry,   326,   427. 

Miller,  Daniel,   274. 

Miller,  F.  J.,  418. 

Miller,  George  P.,  206. 

Miller,   James  B.,  44,  644. 

Miller,  James  Z.,   247,  248,  516. 

Miller,  L.  S.,  292. 

Miller,  L.  T.,   234. 

Miller,  N.  F.,   267. 

Miller,  Owens,   424. 

Miller,  R.   D.,   552. 

Miller,  S.  S.,  254. 

Miller,   T.  G.  P.,  483. 

Miller,    Theodore,    405,    413,    439,    441, 

458,   459,   477,   486. 
Miller,    W.    A.    H.,    181,    187,    189,    198, 

199    323 
Miller,   Washington  D..   30,   35,   51,   54, 

55,   56. 

Miller,  Will  A.,   Jr.,   550,   607,   643. 
Miller,  William  Goodloe,   93. 
Millican,  J.  H.,  176. 
Milliken,  C.  B.,  574. 
Milliken,  W.  O.,  293,  297. 
Millroy,  William  G.,  367. 
Mills,  Albert  N.,   68,   93. 
Mills,  O.  C.,  28,   51,  52. 
Mills,    Charles    H.,    492,    557,    618,    619, 

623. 

Mills,  J.  J.,  293. 
Mills,  J.  S.,  120. 
Mills,  John  T.,   43,   64,  65,   644. 
Mills,  Roger  Q.,   69,  144,  249,  259,  549. 
Mills,   Sumter  R.   G.,   65. 
Mills,  W.  W.,   115. 
Mills,  Word  H.,   446,  470,   647. 
Milner,   Robert   T.,    223,    287,    371,    401, 

404,   416,   462,   492,   520. 
Milton,   George,  326. 
Mims,   Charles,   497. 
Miner,  Fred  W.,  141,  176,  177,  190,  195, 

232,   290. 

Minter,  W.  J.,  572. 
Minton,  J.  C.,  357. 
Minton,  W.  H.,   453. 
Misener,  E.  R.,  601. 
Missell,  Hardie  P.,   537. 
Mitchell,  J.  F.,  310. 
Mitchell,  J.  W.,  249,   614,   643. 
Mitchell,  P.  C.,  201. 
Mitchell,   W.  A.,   418,   529. 
Moch,  K  J.,  2-80. 
Mock,  H.'B.,  461,  557. 
Moeller,  Hugo,  623. 
Moes,  U.,   625. 
Moffatt,  John  H.,   72. 


Index  to  Names 


675 


Moffett,  F.  G.,  526. 

Moffett,   J.  W.,   339,   342. 

Monk,  James,  201,   208. 

Monroe,  Armistead  T.,  117,  155,  176. 

Monroe,  C.  J.,  301. 

Monroe,  M.  L.,  190. 

Montague,  Charles,  176,  186. 

Montfort,  August,   187. 

Montgomery,  Andrew,   85. 

Montgomery,  Charles,   231. 

Montgomery,  J.  T..  493. 

Montgomeiy,  N.,   628. 

Moody,  G.  W.,  470. 

Moody,  J.  J.,  317. 

Moody,  W.  L.,  173,  416. 

Mooney,  J.  C.,  314. 

Mooney,  John  L.,  454,  511. 

Moore,  A.  W.,   71,  98,  129. 

Moore,  Bart,  326,   330. 

Moore,   Eugene.   371,   432,  447,   452. 

Moore,  F.  W.,  390. 

Moore,  George  F.,  174. 

Moore,   Henry,  155. 

Moore,  Hugh  N.,   551,   552. 

Moore,  J.  M.,   223,  513. 

Moore,  John  M.,  405.  416,  432,   618. 

Moore,  L.  W.,  124,  172. 

Moore,  Lewis  M.,  93. 

Moore,  Monta  J.,  322,   330. 

Moore,  N.  B.,   329,   345. 

Moore,  N.  J.,  158. 

Moore,  P.  B.,  366. 

Moore,  P.  J.,  148. 

Moore,   T.  M.,  390. 

Moore,  T.  W.,  474. 

Moore,  Thomas,   84,   93,   248. 

Moore,  Thomas  C.,  93. 

Moore,  W.  A.,   206. 

Moore.  W.  B.,  100. 

Moore.  W.  C.,  418. 

Moore,  W.  D.,  199. 

Moore,  \V.  E.,  316. 

Moore,  W.  F.,  367,  390,  558,  562. 

Moore,  W.  G.,  247. 

Moore,  W.  T.,  201. 

Moore.  W.  W..   504. 

Morehead,  H.   S.,   537,   550. 

Morehead,  J.  D.,  256. 

Moreland,  Q.  T.,  452,  470,  497. 

Morgan,  James,  85. 

Morgan,    Simpson    H.,    51,    55,    58,    68, 

74,   77,  80. 

Moroney,   James,   384. 
Morris,   C.   H.,   652. 
Morris,   D.  H.,   498,   519,   542,   554,   576, 

606,  617,  631. 
Morris,   G.   G.,   418. 
Morris,   G.  H.,   488. 
Morris,   J.   R.,   491. 
Morris,   J.   S.,   235. 
Morris,  J.   T.,  625. 
Morris,   Leopold,    652. 
Morris,   Ned.   356.    371,   416. 
Morris,  W.  W.,   500. 
Morrison,  A.   M.,   439,   441,  574. 
Morrison,  J.  H.,  143. 
Morriss,  Will  A.,  526. 
Morrow,   J.  H.,   199,   235. 
Morrow,  John  H.,   409. 
Morrow,  W.  C.,   432,   634. 
Morton,  Frank  C.,   617. 
Morton,   Levi  P.,   272. 
Morton,  O.  W.,  337. 
Morton,  W.  E.,   252. 
Moseley,  A.   L.,   345. 
Moseley,  J.  M.,  411,  489,  491. 


Moses,  Dayton,   405,   432,   576. 

Moses,  Norton,  182,   318,  357,   371. 

Moses,  W.  B.,  469. 

Mosheim,  Emil,   577. 

Mosley,  N.    S.,   254. 

Moss/B.  F.,   93. 

Mott,  M.   F.,   391. 

Mueller,  Alfred,  527. 

Mueller,   Henry,   308. 

Mueller,  Theo.,   623. 

Mulcahy,  M.   J.,   201. 

Mulkey,  E.  M.,  601,  615. 

Mullen,  E.,  338. 

Mullen,  Marion,   290. 

Muller,   John,  93. 

Mullins,  M.,   347. 

Mullins,  S.  G.,   244,  254,   255,   284. 

Mullins,  Sheppard,   100,   117,  118. 

Mundine,  T.  H..  85. 

Munn,  D.  A.,  "264. 

Munson,  M.   S'.,  182,   209. 

Murchison,  D.   H.,   607. 

Murchison,  Daniel,   95. 

Murchison,  J.   M.,  526. 

Murchison,  W.  H.,   493. 

Murdock,  J.  G.,   306. 

Murphy,  A.  J.,   474. 

Murphy,  J.  C.,   462. 

Murrah,  Pendleton,   77,   645. 

Murray,  B.  C.,  326. 

Murray,  Carlos,   206. 

Murray,  Q.   C.,   618. 

Murray,  Thomas  H.,  173,  175,  186,  205, 

211/217,  223. 
Murray,  W.  L.,   317. 
Murray,  W.  O.,  466,   619. 
Murray,  W.  V.  T.,  552. 
Murrell,  Jesse  C.,  526. 
Myers,  Frank  A.,   519,   542. 
Myers,    J.    Allen,    441,    458,    477,    498, 

538.   554. 

Xabors,  W.  J.,  472. 

Xagle,  W.  M.,  489 

Nance,  A.  J.,  280. 

Nash,  D.  W.,   504,   508. 

Nash,  John  D.,  98. 

Nash,  T.   F.,  465. 

Nash,  Thomas  J.,   93. 

Nau,  Oscar  B.,  631. 

Nauendorf,   A.,   93. 

Neal,  George  D.,  344,  446,  465. 

Neal,  J.  F.,  478. 

Neal,  W.  A.,  481. 

Neblett,  R.  S.,   634. 

Neel,  T.  C.,  93. 

Neely,  M.  H.,  248. 

Neighbors,  Robert  S.,  26,   50. 

Neill,  James,  198. 

Neill,  W.  R.,   367. 

Nelms,  Frank,   529. 

Nelms,  W.  W.,  380. 

Nelson,  A.  L.,  475. 

Nelson,  A.  W.,  98. 

Nelson,  Allison,   93. 

Nelson,  J.  L.,   356. 

Nelson,  O.  W.,   497,  530. 

Nelson,  Richard,  195. 

Nemitz,  C.  H.,  Jr.,  326. 

Neumann,  Phil,  308. 

Neviells,  George  E.,  441. 

Nevins,   John   A.,   303. 

Nevins,  W.  S.,   338. 

Newcomb,    James    P.,    114,    141,    176, 

195,    229,    303,    338,    394. 
Newell,  G.  G.,  489. 


676 


Index  to  Names 


Newell,  O.   S.,  554,  571,   597. 

Newman,   H.,   298. 

Newman,  Theo.,  530. 

Newsom,   James  F.,   93. 

Newton,   S.  G.,   155. 

Newton,   S.  T.,  176. 

Neyland,  R.  R.,  249,  326. 

Neyland,  W.  M.,  93. 

Nichols,  E.  B.,  93. 

Nichols,  H.  B.,  77. 

Nicholson,  A.  J.,   93. 

Nicholson,   E.   P.,   93. 

Nicholson,   J.   C.,   310. 

Niece,  J.  R.,  330. 

Nix,   John  G.,   301,   424. 

Nixon,  S.   M.,  452. 

Noble,  W.   S.,  564,   567,   590. 

Nolan,  M.   J.,   198,  201,   215,   229,   247. 

Nolle,  Eugene,  363,  478,  498,  601,  617. 

Nolte,  Walter,  455. 

Noonan,   George  H.,   441,    458. 

Norman,  A.  P.,   432,  458. 

Norman,  Wyatt-T.,  557,   577. 

North,  J.  H.,   329. 

Norris,  F.  O.,  546. 

Norris,  James  M.,  93,   98. 

Norton, ,  252. 

Norton,  A.   B.,   141,   155,    176,   190,   195, 

232,   234,  302,  303,  360,  645,  646. 
Norton,   E.  W.,   303,   360. 
Norton,  J.  H.,  394. 
Norton,  J.  M.,   292. 
Norton,  M.   P.,   75. 
Norton,  W.  N.,    232,   338,   360,   394. 
Norwood,  A.   O.,   254,   255. 
Norwood,   Ewing,   488. 
Nowlan,   S.  G.,   56. 
Nugent,  C.  W.,   503. 
Nugent,   Clarence,   424,   472,   567,    625. 
Nugent,  Thomas  L.,  248,  260,  314,  332, 

646. 
Nunn,    D.    A..    109,    129,    173,    217,    238, 

241,  326,  352,  353,  390'. 
Nunn,  E.  E.,  577. 
Nunn,  W.  M.,  201. 

Oatis,  M.  A.,  206. 
Oatman,   B.,   314. 
Obenchain,  Alfred  T.,  93. 
Obenchain,  C.   E.,   567. 
Ochiltree,  Thomas  P.,   78,  81. 
Ochiltree,   William   B.,    18,    34,    51,    52, 

54,   72,   93,   644. 
Odell,    D'.    W.,    371,    415,    427,    452,    634, 

642,   643. 
Odem,  D.,  462. 

O'Brien,  George  A.,  155,  231,  303,  338. 
O'Brien,   George   C.,   462. 
O'Brien,  George  W.,   289. 
O'Brien,   S.  D.,   276,   278. 
O'Bryan,  W.  C.,  290. 
O'Byrne,   John,   260,  262,   293,  297,  316, 

379. 

O'Connor, ,  147,  148. 

O'Connor,  D.  M.,  330. 

O'Neal,   H.   F.,   163,   199,   229,   371,   401, 

504,  508,  526. 
O'Neal,    Hardy   A..    339,    342,    353,    492, 

504,  546. 

O'Neil,   A.  H.,   405,   475. 
O'Neil,  Harry  H.,  404. 
O'Neil,  John,  280. 
O'Neill,  A.   J.,    515. 
O'Quinn,  W.  B.,  432. 
Ogden,  Charles  W.,  455,  458,  475,  486, 

497,   498,   514,   515,   538. 


Ogden,  Wesley  B.,  176. 

Oldham,  Williamson  S.,  38,  55,  56,  65, 

75,  93. 

Oliver,  A.  C.,  432. 
Oltorf,  J.  O..  344. 
Oltorp,  P.  C.,  462. 

Onion,  J.  F.,  354,  371,  384,   395,   401. 
Opp,  Fred,  310. 
Oppenheimer,  J.  M.,   498,   606. 
Oppenheimer,   Julius,  576,   60], 
Orgain,  B.  D.,  206. 
Orr,  John,   276. 
Osborn,  O.  J.,   511. 
Osterhout,    J.    P.,    195,    231,    242,    254, 

292,   302,    392. 
Oswald,  Fr.,  58. 
Otterbein,  Charles  A.,  418. 
Ousley,  A.  C.,   276. 
Ousley,    Clarence,    461,    504,    508,    533, 

558,   563. 

Owen,  Clark  L.,  56. 
Owens,  B.  W.,   306. 
Owens,   Edward,  570. 
Owens,  G.  W.,   336,  378. 
Owens,  Joe  A.,  223. 
Owens,  T.  B.,  190. 
Owsley,    Alvin    C.,    310,    339,    342,    462, 

577,   614. 

Pabor,  W.  E.,  264. 

Pabst,  Fred  E.,  618. 

Pace,  Alfred  E.,  68. 

Pace,  S.  A.,  504,  5}0. 

Paddock,  B.  B.,  182,  198,  322,  326,  330, 

352,  367,  389. 
Page,  Paul  D.,   503,   521,  524,   526,  537, 

607,   618. 

Page,  W.  B.,  249. 
Paige,  P.  F.,  479,  481,  500,  512,  513, 

530,   532,   552,   630. 
Painter,  J.  H.,  643. 
Palmer,  A.   C.,   470. 
Palmer,  E.  A.,   58,   78. 
Palmer,  G.   L.,   474. 
Palmer,  J.  T.,  572. 
Palmer,  R.  J.,  93. 
Palmer,  W.  A.,   497. 
Palmer,  William,  201. 
Pannell,  H.  G.,  85. 
Pardue,  P.  H.,   322. 
Paretti,  Mayo,  349. 
Parish,  J.  Frank,   634. 
Park,   Milton,    423,    424,    453,    454,    461, 

511. 

Parker,  Alton  B.,  464,  466. 
Parker,  F.  J.,   50,  51,   95. 
Parker,  H.  J.,  625. 
Parker,   Isaac,   78. 
Parker,  J.  A.,  453. 
Parker,  J.  F.,   292. 
Parker,  J.  H.,   576,  606. 
Parker,  John,  310. 
Parker,  W.  E.,  120,  155. 
Parker,  W.   R.,   462,   527.  . 
Parkhouse,   George  F.,   530. 
Parr,  Archie,   526,   537,  588,   634. 
Parrish,  E.  L.,  326. 
Parrott,  R.  B.,   248. 
Parson,  William  H.,  56. 
Parsons,  A.  R.,   155. 
Parsons,   J.  H.,   65,   98. 
Parsons,  W.  H.,  81,  105. 
Paschal,  F.  M.,  371. 
Paschal,    George    W.,    65,    68,    80,    88, 

112. 
Paschal,  I.  A.,  50,  95. 


Index  to  Names 


677 


Paschal,   Sam,  85. 
Pasco,  G.  W.,  216. 
Patillo,  W.  S.f   513. 
Patrick,  George  D.,  186. 
Patrick,   Henry  D.,   72. 

Patten,  ,   141. 

Patten,  George  W.,  157. 

Patten,  Nathan,  116,  121,  215,  292,  330, 

574. 

Patterson,  M.  M.,   631. 
Patterson,    Millard,    530. 
Patterson,  Otto  I.,   538,   554,   572. 
Patterson,  R.  R.,  511. 
Patterson,   S.  W.,   378. 
Patton,  George  M.,   437,   460. 
Patton,   M.   M.,   491,   576,    606. 
Paulus,  D.  A.,  504,   508. 
Paulus,  Henry  D.,-619. 
Payne,   D.   M.,    550. 
Payne,  J.  B.,  254. 
Payne,  Jonathan,   211,   287. 
Payne,  W.  M.,   93. 
Payne,  W.  K.,   93. 
Peak,   Howard,   275. 
Pearre,  C.  G.,  175. 
Pearson,  E.  J.  E.,  411. 
Pearson,  J.  W.«  478,  479,  481,  483,  513, 

647. 

Pearson,  P.  E.,   127,   163. 
Pease,  Elisha  M.,  19,  32,  34,  36,  37,  40, 
43.  44,  50,  56,   62,   64,  68,  77,  95,  100, 
112,   128,   129,   644,   645. 
Peat,  C.  M.,  176. 

Peck,  Charles  B.,   337,  338,   438,   439. 
Peck,  E.  R.,  56,   69. 
Peck,  William  M.,  93. 
Peebles,  A.  A.,  470. 
Peebles,  A.  M.,   542. 
Peebles,  T.  H.,  379. 
Peers,  Phil  E.,  326. 

Pedigo,  H.  C.,  121. 

Pedigo,  g.  H.,  574. 

Peeler,  A.   J..   202. 

Pellerin,  A.   E.,   513. 

Pendleton,  George  C.,  209,  237,  249, 
258,  265.  287,  446,  462,  466,  504,  510, 
547,  550. 

Pendleton,  W.   S1.,  266. 

Penick,  R.  L.,  537. 

Pennel,  Mrs.  Laura,   254. 

Penniger,   R.,   554. 

Pennington,  Levi,   75. 

Penry,  J.  L.,  558. 

Perdue,  J.  M.,  229,  235,  263,  268,  276, 
278,  297,  298,  314,  453,  454,  472,  511, 
530. 

Peretti,  Mayo,   349. 

Perkins,  David,  303. 

Perkins,  E.   B.,   182,  415. 

Perkins,  G.  B.,  258. 

Perkins,  J.   J.,   202,  310. 

Perkins,  Tom  C.,   543. 

Perkins.  W.  W.,  371. 

Perry,  George  F.,   268,   318,  428,  493. 

Perry,  George  H.,   311. 

Perry,  H.  T.,  305. 

Perry,  L.  B.,   249. 

Ferryman,  L.   R.,  202. 

Ferryman,   Sam  R..   218.  427. 

Peteet,   Walton.   447,   452. 

Peters,  C.  H.,  300. 

Peters,  E.  S.,  300,  301,  314,  380. 

Petersen,   R..   143. 

Pettigrew,  J.  M.,  454,  511. 

Peyton,  J.  W.,  336,  379. 

Peyton,   John  B.,   404,   416,   427. 


Pfeuffer,  George,  128,  158,  163. 

Pharr,  B.  H.,  445. 

Pharr,  S.  M.,  532. 

Phelps,  A.  A.,   628,   630. 

Phelps,   R.  H.,   220,   238,   242,   323. 

Pheythian,  T.   R.,   625. 

Phillips,    Nelson,    416,    447,    520,    524, 

526,  533,  577,  634. 
Phillips,  W.  C.,  71,  229,   232. 
Phillips,  W.   J.,   115,  121. 
Phillips,  William,  115,  234. 
Philp,  John  W.,  601,  648. 
Philpot,  J.  P.,  260. 
Pickett,  E.  B.,  Jr.,  503. 
Pickett,    Edwin    B.,    84,    111,    124.    127. 

147,   164. 

Pickett,  G.   B.,  163,   217. 
Pierce,   H.   Olay,   509. 
Pierce,  H.  F.,  439. 
Pierce,  J.   S.,   500. 
Pierce,   R.  L.,   481. 
Pierce,  Winbourne,  357,  371,  415. 
Pierson,  C.   C..   470. 
Pierson,  P.  W.,   607. 
Pillod,   Eugene,   418. 
Pilsbury,  Timothy,   20. 
Finer,  F.   E.,  287. 
Piombino,  Joe,   527. 
Pirkey,  S.   H.,   72. 
Pitkin,  J.  T.,  478. 
Pitt,  R.  E.,   223. 
Pitts,  E.  S.,  81. 
Pitts,  H.  B.,  318. 
Pitts,  J.   F.,  215. 
Pitts,  John  D.,   44,   81. 
Plato.  Nelson,  176,  177. 
Pleasants,   Robert  A.,   371,   401,   521. 
Plemmons,  W.   B.,   389,  405. 
Plumley,  B.  Rush,  117,  177. 

Poag.  W.  R.,   93. 

Poindexter,     William,     330,     353,     363, 
503,  543,  546,  577,  584,  587,  623,  651. 

Poland,  W.   H.,  249. 

Polk,  J.  D.,   326,   339,   342. 

Pollard,  Charles  Joseph,  481. 

Pollock,  William  C.,  50,   65. 

Ponton,  Thomas,   206. 

Pool,  George  F.,  338,  360. 

Pope,  Alex,  93. 

Pope,  J.  W.,   127,   301. 

Pope,  Thomas  A.,  327,  345,   514. 

Pope,  Thomas  C.,  530. 

Pope,  W.   E.,   497. 

Pope,  W.  H.f  223,  238,   240,  258,  265. 

Pope,  Walter  Scott,  558. 

Porter,  H.  A.,   280. 

Porter,   S.  M.,  607. 

Porter,   &  W.,   550. 

Portis,  David  Y.,  54,  56,  93. 

Portwood,  D.   M.,   520,  526. 

Posey,  J.  W.,  128. 

Posey,   R.   T.,   77. 

Potter,  C.  B.,  469. 

Potter,  C.  C.,  266. 

Potter,  O.  L.,   258,  353,   384. 

Potter,  M.  M.,  58,  65. 

Pouncey,  W.  A.,   470. 

Powell,  Ben,  546. 

Powell,  Ben  H.,  Jr.,  405,   452. 

Powell,  F.  P.,  371. 

Powell,  J.   J.,  301. 

Powell,   R.  H.,   503. 

Powell,   R.  M.,  81. 

Powell,  T.  H.,  143. 

Powell,   T.   J.,  155,   323,  352. 

Powers,  Stephen,   68,  111. 


678 


Index  to  Names 


Prather,  H.  V.,  478,   481,   500. 

Prather,   Robert,   256. 

Prather,  W.   L.,   202. 

Prendergast,  A.  C.,  577. 

Prendergast,  D.  M.,  77,  93,  129,  158, 

237,  241,  247,  248,  284,  305,  306,  335, 

378,   478,  500,  646. 
Pressler,  J.  M.,  268,   290,  371,  395. 
Pressler,  Paul,  154. 
Preston,  Walter  F.,   93. 
Price,  F.  P.,  93. 
Price,  H.  L.,   434,   491,  602. 
Price,  J.  P.,  462,   635. 
Price,  R.  S.,  444. 
Price,  Rufus,   129,   322. 
Price,  W.  A.,  141,  148,  155. 
Price,  W.  D.,  120. 
Price,  W.   H.,   177. 
Price,  W.  W.,   348,   349. 
Prichard,  W.  H.,   298. 
Pridgen,  R.  S.,  182,  186. 
Pridgion,  O.  F.,   434. 
Priest,  M.  D.,  247. 
Prince,   R.   E.,   310,   427. 
Pritchard,  W.   R.,  567. 
Pritchett,  H.  Carr,  287. 
Proctor,  D.  C.,   147,   163. 
Proctor,   F.  C.,   326,   390. 
Proctor,  William  A.,  280. 
Pughes,  W.  F.,   554. 
Pyle,  W.  H.,   124. 

Quarles,    James   Hays,    322,    401,    415, 

427. 

Quill,  Dan,  489. 

Quinan,  George, '56,  128,  174,  175,  208. 
Quintero,  J.  A.  81. 

Rabb,  Sam  T.,  206. 

Raby,  J.  R.,  384. 

Radney,  W.  L.,  447. 

Ragland,  A.  M.,   286,   306,   432,   481. 

Ragsdale,  J.  W.,   238,  241,   503,   537. 

Raider,  John,  529. 

Raines,  James,  144. 

Rainey,  A.  T..  80,  81,   93,  144. 

Rainey,   Anson,   218,   223. 

Rainey,  Robert  W.,  72. 

Rains,  J.   S.,  187. 

Ramey,  William  Neal,  172. 

Ramsdell,  C.  T'.,  361. 

Ramsey,  F.  T.,  501. 

Ramsey,    William    F.,    220,    287,    290, 

370,  384,  395,  492,  520,   651. 
Ranck,  James  E.,  95. 
Rand,  W.  H.,  267. 
Randall,  H.  g.t   205. 

Randell,  Andrew  L.,  558,  562,  634,  642. 
Randell,   C.   B.,  371,   465. 
Randolph,  Benton,  98. 
Randolph,  Cyrus  H.,  75,  81. 
Randolph,   H.   C.,   322,   384. 
Randolph,  John  O.,  416. 
Randolph,  M.  L.,  265. 
Randolph.  M.  Y.,  221,  289,  317. 
Rankin,  George  C.,  543. 
Rankin,  J.   D.,   206,   223,   224,   229,   262, 

298. 

Ransom,   C.  W.,  553,  631. 
Ransome,  J.  R.,  Jr.,  618. 
Rasbury,  Charles,  462. 
Rasco,  A.  J.,  552. 
Rathburn,   J.  C.,   255. 
Rather,  W.  S1.,  109. 
Rawlinson,  A.  D.,  473. 
Ray,  Fisk  M.,  532,   628. 


Ray,  G.  H.,   606. 

Ray,  G.  W.,  615. 

Raymond,   James  H.,   65. 

Rayner,  J.   B.,  332,  384. 

Read,  C.  A.,  552,  631. 

Reagan,  John  H.,  51,  93,  105,  107,  109, 

111,  144,  147,  158,   172,  267,  318,  353, 

370,  371,  384.  385,  427,  451,  461,  462, 

465,  469,  496. 
Real,  Julius,  542. 
Record,  J.   K.  P.,   98,   115. 
Rector,  C.,  93. 
Rector,  J.  K.,  Jr.,   619. 
Rector,  John  B.,   216,   251,   301. 
Redd,  J.  A.,  389. 
Redfield,  David,   229,   327. 
Redwood,  M.  H.,  232. 
Reed,  John,  148. 
Reed,  Joe  B.,  552,  628. 
Reed,  John  M.,  370. 
Reed,  Warren,  458. 
Reedy,  D'.  M.,   423. 
Reese,  Thomas  S.,  209,  242. 
Reeve,  W.  O.,  248. 
Reid,  Scott,  618. 
Reid,  Whitelaw,  327. 
Reily,  James,   28,   29,  52. 
Reinecke,  H.  W.,  628. 
Reinhart,  J.,  100. 
Reisinger,  M.  W.,  554,  571. 
Renfro,   Robert  B.,   215,   252,   290,   292, 

302,  345,   357. 
Renfro,  W.  B.,  §02. 
Renken,  G.  C.,  349. 
Renne,  Charles  T.,  267. 
Rennick,  J.  M.,  279,  483. 
Reynolds,  J.  J.,   121. 

Rhodes,   J.   C.,   314,   470,   472,   513,    647. 
Rhodes,  L.  L.,   275,   418,   470,   484,   514. 
Rhome,  B.   M.,  242. 
Rhome,  C.  L.,  488. 
Rhome,  P.  G.,  93. 
Rice,  B.  H.,  211. 
Rice,  C.  S.,  570. 
Rice,   H.   B.,   371,   415,   618. 
Rice,  H.   M.,  390. 
Richards,   A.,   290,   292,   302. 
Richards,   J.   M.,   543. 
Richards,  John,   491. 
Richardson,   D.  D.,   564. 
Richardson,  F.  I.,   254,   272. 
Richardson,  J.  A.,  629. 
Richardson,  J.  M.,  371. 
Richardson,   TV.  H.,   186,   258. 
Richbuzer,  Francis,   85. 
Richer,  W.  C.,  148. 
Richie,  William,  100. 
Richter,  H.  R.,  519. 
Riddle,  Claud  S.,  470. 
Riddle,  J.  G.,  631. 
Riddle,  Lee,   310,  339,  342. 
Ridgell,  P.  T.,  462. 
Ridgeway,  E.  B.,   619. 
Rigley,  J.  W.,   260,   263. 
Rimes,  B.  W.,  147,  175,  182. 
Ring,  H.  F.,  287. 
Ripetoe,  Walter,  148. 
Ripsdorph,  B.,   357. 
Roach,  I.  N.,  147,  209,   248,   280. 
Roach,  L.   D.,  574. 
Roach,  S.  M.,   454. 
Roach,  W.  T.,  303,  360,  441. 
Robbins,   John  W.,   401,   427,    447,   465, 

546. 

Roberts,  B.  W.,  229. 
Roberts,  E.  W.,  242. 


Index  to  Names 


679 


Roberts,  J.  E.,  513. 

Roberts,  Oran  M..   89,  93,  98,  174,  182, 

194,   201.    202,   279,    549,   645. 
Roberts,   S.,   155. 
Roberts,   Samuel  A.,  51,   54. 
Roberts,  T.  B.,   314. 
Roberts,  W.  A.,  155. 
Roberts,  William   R.,   439,   474. 
Robertson,   E.  Sterling  C.,   69,   93,   128. 
Robertson,  Relix  H.,   266,   267. 
Robertson,  George  A.,  497. 
Robertson,  H.  G.,   218,   370,    492. 
Robertson,  H.   P.,   211,   287,   371. 
Robertson,   J.  C.,   52,   93,   147. 
Robertson,  James  H.,   493,   521,   526. 
Robertson,   James  M.,    287. 
Robertson,    Jerome   B.,   56,    72,    79,    93, 

645. 

Robertson,  John  W.,  128,  211,  258,  322. 
Robertson,   Joseph  W.,   290. 
Robertson,   O.   B.,   254. 
Robertson,   Sawnie,   287. 
Robertson,  W.  S'.,   258. 
Robinson,  D.  A.,  195,   231,  252. 
Robinson,  Fred  B.,   395. 
Robinson,  George,   350,   353,   363. 
Robinson,   George  C.,   258. 
Robinson,   J.  A.,   513. 
Robinson,  J.   J.,   644. 
Robinson,  J.  M.,   478. 
Robinson,  J.  W.,   345,  359. 
Robinson,   John,   279. 
Robinson,  Joel  P.,  145. 
Robinson,   S.   T.,    469,   497. 
Robinson,   T.  A.,   576,   602,   606. 
Robinson,  W.  G.,   155. 
Robinson,  W.  L.,  298. 
Robinson,  W.  O.,   299. 
Robinson,  W.   R.,  332. 
Robison,  Frank,  279. 
Robison,   James  T'.,  520,  533,   577,   607, 

634. 

Robison,  Joel,   237. 
Robison,  T.   W.,   242. 
Robson,  John  R.,  88. 
Robson.  W,   S.,   221,  371,  384,  389,  427. 
Roche,  F.  T.,  389. 
Rock,  Thomas,  68. 
Rockholt,    George    F.,     556,    576,     601, 

606. 

Rodes.  O.  H.,  634. 
Rodgers,  A.  D.,  557,  643. 
Rodgers,  H.  H.,   459. 
Rodgers,  M.  O.,   85. 
Roe,  W.  E.,  206. 

Rogan,  Charles   H.,  427,   533,  577. 
Rogers,  A.  G.,  193,  199. 
Rogers,  B.  F.,  235.   248. 
Rogers,  Ben   S.,   405. 
Rogers,  C.   M.,   209.   322. 
Rogers,  Ed.,   305,   335.   378,   478,   512. 
Rogers,   F.  P.,   223,  224.   229. 
Rogers,  G.  W.,   248,   254. 
Rogers,  James  H.,  93. 
Rogers,  M.  M.,  252,  411,  455,   458,  478, 

574. 

Rogers,  Robert  H.,   223,   242. 
Rogers,  Mrs.  S.  A.,   305. 
Rogers,  W.  B.,  576,  606. 
Rogers,   William  P.,   93. 
Roland,  A.  H.,  413. 
Roosevelt,     Theodore.     434,     439,     455, 

459,  461.   463,  476,  486,  487,  489,  491, 

498,  499,  519,  553,  554,  555,  570,  572, 

598,  616. 
Roper,  W.  H.,  418,   453. 


Rose,   A.   J.,  211,   248. 

Rose,  B.  W.,  367. 

Rose,  Charles  E.,  630. 

Rosenthal,    A.    J.,    215,    229,    242,    251, 

252,  290,  301,  327,  413,  459,  475. 
Ross,  B.   F.,    94. 
Ross,  Edward  M.,  93. 
Ross,  Lawrence  S.,  172,   237,  '253,   259, 

265,  270,  278,  469,  549,  646 
Ross,  R.  L.,  356. 
Ross,  W.   E.,   432. 
Rosseau,  M.   T.,   254. 
Rounsavall,   R.   O.,   247. 
Rountree,  Lee  J.,,  370,  389,  396,  504. 
Rowell,  T.  D.,  577,  584. 
Rowland,   T.  B.,  359. 
Royal,   G.   H.,   410,    420,    446,    527,    530, 

588,  646,   647. 
Royder,  T.  M.,  497. 
Ruby,    George    T.,    100,    116,    117,    118, 

120,   121,   141,   148,   155. 
Ruce,  O.,  221. 
Rucks,  A.   R.,   618,   634. 
Rud.   Warren,   302. 
Rudd,   Jonathan  D.,   389. 
Rugeley,  John,   93. 
Rugely,  R.  D.,   311. 
Runge,  Julius,  264. 
Runnels,  Hardin  R..  41,  56,  64,   65,  72, 

78,   81,  93,  98,  644,  645. 
Runnels,  Hiram  G.,   43,   44. 
Rushing,  J.  N.,  205. 
Rushing,   J.   W.,   242. 
Rusk,   Thomas   J.,   20,   36,   50,   68. 
Russell,   E.   A.,   254. 
Russell,   J.   Gordon,   339,   342. 
Russell,  J.  M.,  481. 
Russell,  L.  B.,  363,  614. 
Russell,  L.  J.,  242. 
Russell,  Pierre  L.,  552,  630. 
Russell,   S.  H.,  143,  155,  176. 
Russell,   T.   H.,   157. 
Russell,  Tom,   332. 
Russell,  Thomas  J.,  157,   231. 
Russell,  W.  H.,  158. 
Russey,  J.  A.,   274. 
Rust,  William  M.,   128,  389. 
Rutledge,  J.  W.,  384. 
Ryan,  L\  W.,   576. 
Ryler,  George  W.,  276. 

S'abin,  C.  B.,  100. 

Sackett,  Henry,  350,  353. 

Sadler,  Ira  B.,   163. 

St.  John,  R.  A.,  470. 

Samuels,  Sidney  L.,  390. 

Sanchez,  Amador,   452. 

Sandefer,  J.  D.,  546. 

Sanders,  W.  D.,  550. 

Sanders,  W.  M.,   491. 

S'ands,  W.  A.,  151. 

Sanford,  Allan  D.,   618. 

Sansom,  Cooper,  557. 

Sansom,  F.  M.,   209. 

Sansom,  J.  W.,  491. 

Sargent,  W.   L.,  317,  338,  353. 

Sass,  Ben,   556,   617. 

Saunders,  X.  B.,  95. 

Saye,  W.  L.,   533. 

Sayers,   Joseph   D.,   128,   147,   158,   163, 

173,  175,  182,  208,  217,  218,  401,  427, 

428,  448,  462,  549,  646,   647. 
Sayers,  T.  G.,   268. 
Sayers,  W.  B.,  158,  310. 
Sayles  H.,  264. 
Sayles,  John,  69. 


680 


Index  to  Names 


Saylor,  W.   A.,   120,   141,   143,   190. 

Scanlan,  William,   182. 

Scarbrough,   Ed  B.,   80,   84,    93. 

Schawe,  O.  E.,  554. 

Scherffius,  Henry,   223. 

Schlickam,  F..  118. 

S'chlickum,   Julius,   58. 

Schluter,  A.  H.,   279. 

Schmidt,  Carl,   497,   527,   530,   588,   648. 

Schmidt,  E.  F.,  308. 

Schmidt,  Joseph,  514. 

Schmitz,    John   B.,    290,    303,    337,    360, 

394,  409,  438,   439,  455,  646. 
Schneck,  J.  W.,  190. 
Schneider,  A.  C.,   500. 
Schneider,  Mrs.  A.  Q,   500. 
S-choolfield,  William  D.,   62,   93. 
S'chorre,    Max    P.,    519,    542,    554,    571, 

573,   601. 

Schramm,  Edgar,   258. 
Schreiner,  Charles,  470. 
Schuettler,  Otto,  497,  530. 
Schurmann,  I.  D.,  470. 
Schutze,  'Carl,   229. 
Schutze,  Julius,  115,  141,   152,  176,  195, 

308. 

Schutze,   L.,   58. 
Schurz,   Carl,   120. 

Scott, .,   28,0. 

S'cott,  C.   R.,   201. 

Scott,  D.  H.,   211. 

Scott,  D.  M.,  201. 

Scott,  E.   P.,   360.  • 

Scott,  G.  R.,  100,  220. 

Scott,  J.  C.,   384,   514,   515,   554,   571. 

Scott,  J.  D'.,   248. 

Scott,  J.  W.,  50. 

Scott,  John  G.,  141. 

Scott,  M.   M.,   371. 

S'cott,  Sam  R.,  416,  503. 

Scott,  Tom  M.,  557,  618. 

Scott,  William  T.,  93. 

Scrogrgins,  J.  R.,  625. 

Scudder,  S.  D.,  390. 

Scurry,   Edgar,   428. 

Scurry,  Richardson,   50. 

Scurry,  William  R.,  56,  65,  72,  93. 

Searcy,  Tom  A.,  481,   483. 

S"earcy,  W.   W.,   266,   390. 

Scale,  E.  B.,  182. 

Sears,  A.  W.,   474. 

Seat,  B.  B.,  163. 

Seawright.  S'.   A.,   615. 

Seay,  E.  B.,  470,  550. 

Sebastian,   W.   P.,   310,   354,   416    497. 

Sebrecht,  G.   L.,   290. 

Seehorn,  John,  416. 

Seele,  Herman,  77,   252,   292. 

Seeley,  J.   O.,  459. 

Seelig-son,  A.  W.,   619. 

Seeligson,  Michael,   80. 

S'eely,  James  R.,  175. 

Seideman,   Adolph,   550. 

Sells,  Cato,  563. 

Senter,  E.  G.,   370,  504,   510. 

Sessions,  E.  G.,  379,   454,  511. 

Sexton,  Frank  B.,   74,   81,   112,   173. 

Sewall,  Arthur,   385. 

Sewall,  W.  J.,   391. 

Seydler,  F.,  154. 

Shands,  E.  W.,   144. 

Stands,  N.  E.,   546. 

Shannon,  D.  W.,  105. 

Shannon,  J.   A.,  329. 

Shannon,  W.   R.,   220,   221. 

Shannon,  W.   T.,   521,   526. 


Sharp,  J.   Milo,   326. 

Sharp,  W.  B.,  571. 

Sharp,   W.   H.,    462. 

Sharpe,   M.   O.,   491. 

Shaw,  Gus  326,  416,   447. 

Shaw,  J.  M.,  366. 

Shaw,  James,  56,   95,   128. 

Shaw,   James   B.,   55,   65. 

Shaw,  W.    A.,    281,   317. 

Sheeks,  David,   148. 

Shelbourn,  J.  P.,   65. 

Shelburn,   J.  H.,   249. 

Shelburne,  J.  A.,   323. 

Shelby,  J.   O.,   115. 

Sheldon,  Ben,   538. 

Shelley,  N.  G.,  144,  176. 

Shepard,  C.  E.,  614,  619,   643. 

Shepard,   James   E.,   93. 

Shepard,   Seth,   127,  158,   218,   249,   310, 

317. 

Sheppard,   O.  B.,   75. 

Sheppard,   John  L.,   287,   317,   353,   371. 
Sheppard,   Morris,   577. 
Sheridan,  P.  H«  101. 
Shermack,    J.    G.,    216,    231,    254,    292, 

330,  347,   409.   439,  459,  474,  486. 
Sherrill,  B.   V.,   389,   452,   462. 
Sherrill,  J.   S.,   223,   384. 
Shertleff,  V.  L.,   643. 
Sherwood,  Lorenzo,   64. 
Shetfall,  Cooper,  573. 
Shields,  B.  G.,  95. 
Shields,  H.   P.,   303. 
Shields,   Lee  L.,   310,   504. 
Shirley,   Thornton  E.,   198.  ' 
Shivers,   John  M.,   514. 
Shoaf,  G.  H.,   418. 
Short,  D.  M.,   78,  79,  144. 
Shorts,   R.,   306,   308. 
Shropshire,  E.  L..  186,  209.  218. 
Shropshire,  H.  C.,  416. 
Shuford,  A.   P.,  95. 
Shumate,  William,  247. 
Siemering,    A.,    58,    120,    121,    152,    155, 

190,  195,  197,  212,  214. 
Silverman,   S.,   420. 
Silvius,  W.  A.,  546. 
Simkins,  E.  J.,   218,   317. 
Simmons,  John  J.,  546,   588. 
Simmons,  L.  D.,   441,   458. 
Simmons,  Lee  S.,   489. 
S'immons,  T.  J.,   237. 

Simonds, ,   546. 

Simpson,  B.  D.,   182. 

Simpson,  Cecil,   607. 

Simpson,  D.  W.,   625. 

Simpson,  French,  367. 

Simpson,   H.  F.,   564. 

Simpson,  James  B.,  158,   275,   276. 

Simpson,   John  N.,   390,    391,    514,    647. 

Simpson,   R.  W.,   389. 

S'impson,  S.  B.,  221. 

Simpson,  Sloan,  615. 

Simpson,  William  D.,   484. 

Simpson,  W.  D.,  Jr.,  470. 

Sims,   C.   A.,   500. 

Sims,  J.  W.,  56. 

Sims,  M.  L.,  353. 

Sims,  M.  W.,   266,   367. 

Sims,   S1.  W.,   56,  69. 

Sinclair,  B.,   290. 

Singleton,    J.    M.,    554,    571,    572,    573, 

601,    615. 

Singleton,  W.  C.,  Jr.,  290. 
Singleton,  W.   E.,   347,   439,  615. 
Singleton,  Will  E.,  Jr.,   514,   574,  576. 


Index  to  Names 


681 


Sinks,   Ed   R.,    223,    287,   290,   317,    322, 

618. 

Skillern,  W.  A.,  454,  472. 
Skillman,  W.  F.,   390. 
Skinner,    Richard,   353. 
Slade.   S.  C..   216. 
Slator,   M.   Damon,   558. 
Slaughter,  George  H.,   121. 
Slaughter,  R.  F.,  98. 
Sledge.  R,   J.,  268,  332,  334,   380. 
Slight,  R.  B.,   617. 
Sloan,  J.   M.,   498. 
Sloan,  W.  W..   306. 
Slosson,  W.  B.,   360. 
Sluder,   J.   T.,   619. 
Smallwood,   Ed.,    318. 
Smelzer,  J.  H.,  265. 
Smelzer,  Sam  H.,  404.   416. 
Smeltzer,  W.  F.,   434. 
Smith,  A.,   95. 
Smith,  Ashbel,  50,  65,  72,  74,'  105,  124, 

144,   173,   197. 
Smith,  C.   E.  F..  530. 
Smith,    Cecil    H.,    427,    462,    577,    584, 

5S6,   614. 

Smith,  D.  Fort.  218. 
Smith,    E.    O.,    258,    268,    353,    366,    493, 

527. 

Smith,  E.  J.,  262,   618. 
Smith,  E.  W.,   513. 
Smith,  George,  121,   520. 
Smith,  George  R.,  339,   342. 
Smith,   George  W.,   112,   116,    144,   145, 

205,  287,  428,  498,  515. 
Smith,  Gideon,  93. 
Smith,  H.  C.,  481. 
Smith,  H.  E.,  392. 
Smith,  H.  H.,  254. 
Smith,  H.  M.,  606. 

Smith,   J.    A..    330,    345,    347,    439,    458, 
iTs,    498,    552. 

Smith,  J.  C.,  85,  590. 

Smith,   J.   M.,   262.   263.   276. 

Smith,   J.  Peter,   218.   366,  367,   390. 

Smith,  J.   Texas,   157. 

Smith,   Jake,   199. 

Smith,  John,   303. 

Smith,  John  R..  366. 

Smith,   Junius   W.,   94. 

Smith,  M.  A.,   470,  484,  513,   527. 

Smith,  Major,   458. 

Smith.   Marshall,   441,   458,   478.   617. 

Smith,   Nath,   69. 

Smith,  Owen  P..  619. 

Smith,  R.   A.,   625. 

Smith,  R.  B.,  460. 

Smith,  R.   L.,   359,  392,   433. 

Smith,   R.   M.,   242,   258,   634. 

Smith,   Sam  S.,   77,   93. 

Smith,  Stewart  R.,  618. 

Smith,   T.  M.,   268,   279. 

Smith,  T.  S.,   268,  356,  371,  401,  427. 

Smith,  Tom,  532. 

Smith,   W.   A.,   280. 

Smith,  W.   Fort,   326. 

Smith.  W.   H.,   418. 

Smith,  W.   R.,   554,   562. 

Smith,  W.   P.,   477,   511. 

Smith,    William.   77,   292. 

Smithdeal.   C.   M.,   497. 

Smither,   Joseph,   62. 

Smothers,  S.  H.,  151. 

Smyth,   George  W.,   26,   32,   50,   68,   74, 
87. 

Sneed,   Alexander  TV'..   56. 

Sneed,  Seaborn  G.,  68,  124,  127. 


S-need,  Thomas  E.,  186,  221. 

Snodgrass,   D.   S..   246,   254,   256. 

Sommer,  A.  M.,   606. 

S'on,  J.  C.,   504. 

South,  I>.  B.,   483. 

Southwick,   Stephen,   85,   87. 

Soward,   Charles,   447. 

Spain,   F.  H.,   452. 

Spalding,  H.  M.,   251,  303. 

Spann,  F.   M.,  607. 

Sparenberg,  G.  H.,   498. 

Sparkman,   L.   C.,   223. 

S'parks,  James  R.,   211. 

Sparks,  M.  V.  B.,   81. 

Sparks,   Sam,   492,   504,   508,   520,    533. 

Sparks,  W.   J.,    94. 

Speak,  John,  51. 

Spears,  A.  H.,   607. 

Speight,   J.  H.,  56,  68. 

Speight,  J.  W.,   78,   80. 

Spell,  W.  E.,  353,   416,   503,   520,   526. 

S'pence,  Joseph,   117. 

Spence,   R.   C.,   574. 

Spencer,   Frank  M.,   311. 

Spencer,  H.  A.,  187. 

Spencer,  L.  J.,   455. 

Spielhagen,  G.   R.,   623. 

Spillman,  J.   T.,  332. 

Spinks,  J.   S.,   218,  258,   280,  310,   432. 

Spivey,  W.   M.,   186.   221,   249,   258. 

S'pooner,   Thomas   H.,   427,   432. 

Spoonts,   Marshall,   447,    634. 

Sporer,   J.   G.,   268. 

Sprague,  P.   B.,   474. 

Springer,  Arthur,  303,  337. 

Springer,  John  W.,  353. 

Spurlin,  J.   L.,   389. 

Stafford,  Josiah,   54. 

Stafford,  R.  N.,  223,  310,  356,  395,  416, 

550. 
S'tallworth,  F.  W.,  573. 

Stamps,  P.   R.,   254. 

Stanberry,  Laten,    618. 

Standart,   C.   W.,   338,   360,   361. 

Standifer,    Ike   M.,    310,    389,    404,    416, 
503. 

Stanford,  M.   S.,  260. 

Stanley,  O.  N.,  78. 

Stanley,   Frank  B.,   434,   438,    441,    486. 

Stanley,  J.  H.,  462. 

S'tanley,  John  R.,  474,  475. 

Stansberry,  L.  D.,   199,   384. 

Stanzell,  Joseph,  514. 

Staples,   S.   L.,   371,   384,   452,   504,    508. 

Stapleton,  M.  V.,  441. 

Stapp,  D.   M.,   58. 

Stapper,   Julian,   314,   623. 

Stark,  J.  T.,  554,   571. 

Stark,  V.  H.,  643. 

Starling,  C.  W.,  439,  498,   514. 

Starr,  A.  R.,  258. 

Starr,  Emery  R.,  289. 

Starr,  James  H.,  107,  111. 

Startwell,  W.  L.,  182. 

Stay,  F.  M.,  474. 

Stayton,  John  W.,   209,   265. 

Stayton,  R.  W.,  310,   322,  330. 

Stedman,  William,  69,  88,  95,  109,  144, 
174,   197. 

Steele,  H.,  199. 

S'teele,  S.  A.,  501. 

Steere,  James  M.,  361,  394. 

Steger,  Ed  D.,  537. 

Steid,  W.  H.,  201. 

Steiner,   George  F.,  576. 

Sleiner,  J.  M.,  72,  74,  79. 


682 


Index  to  Names 


Stell,  John  D.,  93. 

Stell,  R.  M.,  78. 

Stencil,  Jesse,  100. 

Stephens,  A.  D.,  465. 

Stephens,  J.  D.,   174. 

Stephens,  J.  W.,   492,   520. 

Stephens,  John  H.,  354. 

Stephens,  John  L,.,  432. 

Stephenson.   Albert,   462. 

S'tephenson,  J.   C.,    248. 

Stephenson,   John  L.,  452,  466. 

Sternberg,  J.,  256. 

Sterrett,.  William  G.,  202. 

Stevens,  C.   F.,   462. 

Stevens,   Charles,   519,   542. 

Stevens,  E.  A.,   432. 

Stevens,  Fred,  619. 

Stevens,  J.  J.,  141. 

Stevenson,  Adlai  E.,  425,  428. 

Stevenson,  John  L.,  452. 

Stewart,  A.  C.,   503,  533,  619,   643. 

Stewart,  Charles,  51,  93,  158,  175,  182, 

202,  205. 

Stewart,  Charles  B.,  50.  y 

Stewart,  G.  W.,  434. 
Stewart,  J.  E.  B.,  554,   574,   617. 
Stewart,  J.  G.,  93,  292. 
Stewart,  J.  H.,  252,  413. 
Stewart,  J.  J.,  254. 
Stewart,   Solon,   223. 
Stewart,  U.  S.,  554. 
Stewart,  William  H.,  58,  93,  272. 
Stewart,  Willis,  391. 
Stickney,  W.  B.,  254. 
S'tiles,  Harvey  C.,  554,  571,   597,   615. 
Stiles,  J.  W.,  242. 
Stiles,  W.  Z.,  571. 
Still,  H.  C.,  201,   206,   208. 
Stite,  R.  B.,  574. 
Stockdale,  Fletcher  S1.,  78,  81,  93,  144, 

158,  173,  174,  198,  209,  266. 
Stocking,  J.  D.,   483,  500,   628. 
Stoddard,  H.  B.,   369. 
Stone,  D.  C.,  405. 
Stone,  Heber,  371.  ' 

Stone,  O.  M.,  618. 
Stone,  S.,  322. 
Stone,  Thomas  H.,   558. 
S'topple,  W.  W.,  472. 
Storey,   A.   B.,   339,    342,   401,   462,   504, 

508,  526. 

Storey,  H.  B.,  242. 
Storey,  L.  J..  202,  218,  238,  318,  385, 

427,  470,  492,   503. 
Story,  John  S.,  69. 
Stovall,  George  H.,  235. 
Strach,   Robert,   527,   530,   588. 
Stratton,  T.  W.,  390. 
Street,  Robert  G.,  202. 
Stribling,  O.  L.,  356,   558,  562. 
Stribling,  Thomas  H.,   115. 
Strieker,  A.  D.,  180,  190. 
^Stringfellow,  F.  R.,   209. 
Strong,  Beeman,  618. 
Strong,  J.  M.,  322. 
Strong   Seth  B.,   305,  361. 
Strong,  Sterling  P.,   432,  546. 
Strong,  T.  H.,  339,  342,  357. 
Stroud,  L.  D.,  366. 
Stuart,  H.  L.,  432. 
Stuart,  Hamilton,  19,  44,  104,  105,  107, 

109,  111,  122,  645. 
Stuart,  J.  S.,  105. 
Stubbs,    James   B.,    503,   526,    537,    577, 

588,  614.  618,  643. 
Suhler,  William,  474. 


Sullivan,  J.   S.,  105. 

Sullivan,  J.  W.,  558,   619. 

Sulzbacher,  Nat,   617. 

Summers,  Hatton  W.,  577. 

Summers,  W.   M.,  472,  473. 

&umner,   Charles,   149,   151. 

Sumner,  W.  F.,  121,  141. 

Surber.  A.  B..   384. 

Sutherland,  G.  M.,   276,  279. 

Sutherland,   Hugh   R.,   558. 

Sutherland,  John,   553. 

S'utler,  J.  B.,  332,  334. 

Swain,    William  J.,   163,    208,   221,   290, 

318. 

Swallow,   Silas  C.,  480. 
Swan,  J.  L.,  470,   484,   513. 
Swan,  S.  G.,  51,  52. 
Swan,  W.  R.,  628. 
Swann,  J.  J.,  405. 
Swartz.  C.  G.,  530. 
S'wayne,  James  W.,   357,  371,   415. 
Swearingen,  P.  H.,   607. 
Sweeney,  C.  C.,  186,  2,06,  218,  310. 
Sweeney,   T.  H.,   258. 
Sweet,  J.  S.,  538. 
Swinford,   S.  D.,   337. 
Swinford,   Sam  T.,  514,  538. 
S'wink,  G.  M.,  201. 
Swisher,  James  M.,  44,  55. 

Tabb,  George,  144. 

Tackaberry,   S.  B.,  223. 

Taft,   William   H.,    499,    519.    538,    553, 

555,  556,  570,  572,  573,  575. 
Tage,  H.  A.,   268. 
Tait,  G.  L,..   515. 
Talbot,  J.  M.,  356. 
Talbot,  J.  W.,  116,  141,  216. 
Tankersly,  Sam  G.,  357. 
Tarleton,   Benjamin  D.,   237,  287. 
Tarlton,  William  A.,   69. 
Tarver,  E.  R.,  326. 
Tarver,  H.  M.,  327. 
Tarver,  L.  L.,  301. 
Tarver,  W.  A.,  558,  562. 
Tate,  E.  M.,  265. 
Tatum,  C.   S.,   266. 
Tatum,  Reese,  614. 
Taylor,  A.  M.,  202,  205,  218. 
Taylor,  C.  W.,   558. 
Taylor,  D.  E.,  552. 
Taylor,  D.  H.,  500. 
Taylor,  Daniel,  232. 
Taylor,  E.  W.,   221. 
Taylor,  F.   S.,   453,  511. 
Taylor,  G.  W.  M.,  484.   564,  590. 
Taylor,  George  R.,   416. 
Taylor,  Gus  F..   404. 
Taylor,  H.  A.,  570. 
Taylor,  H.  M.,  115,  157. 
Taylor,  Henry  E.,  439. 
Taylor.  J.  J.,  310. 
Taylor,  J.  L.,  216. 
Taylor,  M.  D.  K.,  56,  75,  144,  158,  173, 

182,  202,  258. 
Taylor,  M.  A.,  617,  631. 
Taylor,  M.  I.,  570. 
Taylor,  Pleasant,  93. 
Taylor,    Robert    H.,    69,    95,    141,    155, 

214,  216. 

Taylor,  T.  B.,  377. 
Taylor,  T.  C.,  322. 
Taylor,  T.  H.,  491. 
Taylor,  T.  M.,  416. 
Taylor,  Thomas  U.,  280. 
Taylor,  W.  A.,  118. 


Index  to  Names 


683 


Taylor,  W.   S.,   65,  85. 

Taylor,  Ward,  198,   199,   206,   260. 

Teagle,  C.  A.,  275. 

Teague,   I.   E.,    483,    513,   532,   552,   629. 

631. 

Teague,  J.  S..  424. 
Teel,  T.  T.,   202,   205. 
Teichmueller,   H.,   323. 
Temple,  T.  F.,  306. 
Templeton,   Frank,   265, 
Templeton,  Howard,  238,  240,  258,  310, 

339,  342,  461,  492. 
Templeton,  J.  A.,  268,  371. 
Templeton,  John  D.,  208,  221. 
Templeton,  L.  A.,  143. 
Templeton,  S.   M.,   285. 
Tendick,  R.  P.,   120,  157. 
Terhune,  E.  W.,   218.   241. 
Terrell,  Alexander  W.,  74,  98,  127,  218, 

258,  504,  510. 
Terrell,  B.  F.,   332. 
Terrell,  C.  V.,  395,   619,   623. 
Terrell,  E.  V.,  462. 
Terrell,   Edwin   H.,   195,   252,   347,   357, 

411,  434,   438. 
Terrell,  Fred,  411. 
Terrell,  George  B..  462. 
Terrell,   Henry,  302,   345,  405,   459. 
Terrell,  Henry  B.,   607,   634. 
Terrell,  J.   J.,   447,   465,   492. 
Terrell,  J.  M.,   345. 
Terrell,  J.  M.  L.,   242. 
Terrell,  J.   O.,   538,   554,   648. 
Terrell,  John  L.,   369. 
Terrell,  W.  H.,   302. 
Terry,  B.,  511. 
Terry,  B.  F.,  93. 
Terry,  C.  E.,   557. 
Terry,   J.  L.,  246. 
Terry,  J.  M.,  404. 
Terry,    Nathaniel,    65,    72,    74,    77,    80, 

84,   93,  124. 

Thayer,  E.   S.,   232,   488,   519,   542,   572. 
Thomas,  A.  A.,   357,   371. 
Thomas,  C.  C.,  470,  607. 
Thomas,  Cullen  F.,   353,  504,   510,   533, 

537,  557,  619,  623. 
Thomas,  Edgar  B.,   614. 
Thomas,  G.   G.,  176. 
Thomas,   Granville,    615. 
Thomas,  J.   B.,   95. 
Thomas,  J.  N.,  483. 
Thomas,  James  W.,  117,  155,  197,  254, 

272. 

Thomas,   Rosser,    416,   452. 
Thomas,  W.  H.,  94. 
Thomas,  W.   R.,  201. 
Thomason,   J.  M.,  231,  284. 
Thomason,   R.   E.,   619. 
Thompson,  E.,  93. 
Thompson,  George  B.,   619. 
Thompson,   J.  B.,  268. 
Thompson,  J.  M.,  553,   628. 
Thompson,   James  G.,   93. 
Thompson,   R.  P.,   182. 
Thompson,  Richard  W.,   303. 
Thompson,  T.  F.,   618. 
Thompson,   Thad,   557. 
Thompson,  Victor  W.,  123. 
Thompson,  W.  B.f  501,  631. 
Thompson,  W.   D.,   54. 
Thompson,    Wells,    98,    128,    147,    163, 

182,  220,  221,  318. 
Thompson,  William,  175. 
Thordy,  William,  564. 
Thornton,  D.,   492. 


Thornton,  D.  T.,   314. 

Thornton,  J.  M.,  498,   519. 

Thornton,  W.  G.,  618. 

Thrasher,   S.  R.,   634. 

Threadgill,  John,  223. 

Throckmorton,    J.    W.,    28,    52,    77,    98, 

99,    107,    109,    111,   129,   140,   158,   182, 

198,    202,    257,   310,    645. 
Thurman,  A.   S.,  371,   384. 
Thurman,  Allen  G.,   266. 
Thurmond,  P.  C.,  492. 
Tibbetts,  J.  G.,  345. 
Tibbitt,   J.   S:,   302. 
Tibbies,  Thomas  H.,  473. 
Timon,  Walter  F.,   577,  586. 
Tinkham,  D'.,   274. 
Tips,  Walter,  128. 
Tipton,  S.  J.,  478. 
Todd,    George    T.,    208,    238,    249,    276, 

317,  396,   424,   472. 
Todd,  L.  L.,  254. 
Todd,  W.   S.,  93.    • 
Tomlinson,  G.  A.,   345,  576. 
Tomlinson,   S.  G.,   284,  306. 
Tooney,  Ben,   371. 
Torbett,  James  H.,   75,  78. 
Towne,  Charles  A.,  425. 
Townley,  M.  D.,   574,   602. 
Townsend,  G.  R.,  347,  441. 
Townsend,  H.  A.,  533. 
Townsend,   J.  H.,   141. 
Townsend,  M.  H.,   237. 
Townsend,  M.  L.,  344. 
Townsend,  Murphy  W.,   537,   634. 
Townsend,   W.  J.,  Jr.,  497. 
Townes,  John,   248. 

Tracy,  ,   377. 

Tracy,  E.   M.,  617. 

Tracy,  Harry,  301,  314,  397. 

Tracy,    J.    G.,    117,    118,    119,    121,    143, 

154,  176,  195,  212,  215,  229. 
Tracy,  N.  H.,  300,  301,  317. 
Tracy,  S*.   E.,  405. 
Tramblade,  W.   R.,   514. 
Trammell,  Tom,  588. 
Trau,  R.  F.,  361. 
Travis,   Phil  O.,   469. 
Travis,  W.  C.,   100. 
Traylor,  J.  H.,   218. 
Traylor,  S.  H.,  264. 
Tremble,  W.  S.,  498. 
Trenckmann,  A.  F.,  128. 
Trenckmann,   W.   A.,   520,   524,   526. 
Trezevant,  J.  T.,  390. 
Trigg,  B.,  105. 

Trimble,  ,  52. 

Triplett,   J.   B.,   564,   625. 
Trotter,  Charles,   420. 
Trowell,  A.  B.,   458,   478. 
Truehart,  D.,  128. 
Trupe,  T.  W.,  491. 
Tubb,  J.  ,F.,   554. 
Tubbs,  H.   J.,   500. 
Tucker,  J.  B.,  306. 
Tucker,  S.  H.,  527. 
Tucker,  W.  H..  144,  173,  197. 
Tuggle,  E.  B.,  570. 
Tugwell,   A.   P.,  254. 
Tullos,   William,   418. 
Tunstall,  W.  V.,   112. 
Turnbull.   E.   M.,   297. 
Turner,  J.  H.,  144,  366,  447. 
Turner,   M.   M.,    554. 
Turney,   M.  M.,  573,   601. 
Turney,  W.  W.,  447. 
Turpin,  T.  J.,  384. 


684 


lex  to 


Turpin,  T.  W.,  437. 
Tweedy,  Joseph,   409,   438,   441. 
T'womey,   Hasten,   268. 
Tyler,  George  W.,  174,   220. 
Tyus,  Benjamin  R.,   98. 

Ulmer,  C.  C.,   500. 

Umdenstock,  William,   176. 

Underwood,  F.  M.,  190. 

Underwood,   R.  .H.,   497. 

Upshaw,  A.   M.   M.,   54,   56,    58,    78. 

Upson,  Columbus,    72,   74,   77,   109,   128, 

129,  139,  322,  323,  353,  389. 
Upthegrove,  Samuel,   163. 
Upton,  W.   F.,   218,   220. 
Urwitz,   Max,   303,  393. 
Utterback,  B.  M.,   557. 

Vance,  C.  S.,  326. 

Van  Demark,  John,  616,  631. 

Vanderlight,  E.,   359. 

Van  der  Stucken,  Alfred,  514. 

Vandaver,  J.,  552. 

Vanmeter,  C.  H.,  474,  511. 

Vandewort,  F.,   486,   574. 

Van   Zandt,   K.   M.,   163,   174,   248,   264, 

352. 

Vardeman,  J.  J.,   263. 
Varnell,  W.  M.,   95,  115,  121. 
Vaughan,   Ben,   618. 
Vaughan,   F.   A.,   361.  j 

Vaughan,    Horace    W.,    465,    520,    526, 

546. 

Vaughn,  ,  109. 

Veach,  J.  V.,   293. 

Veale,  William,   163,   367. 

Venney,  Felix,  354. 

Vernon,  J.  A.,  478,   481. 

Vesey,  E.  J.,  481,  512,   513. 

Vivian,  George  S.,   511. 

Vogan,  J.  W.,   501,   553,   628. 

Vogel,  O.  G.,  254. 

Vogelsang,   N.  M.,   401. 

Vogue,  C.  G.,  330. 

Voight,  F.,   158. 

Von  Boeckmann,  Edgar,  Sr.,  504. 

Vontress,  Ed  H.,  80. 

Vowell,  C.  L.,  520. 

Waddell,  J.  W.,   69. 

Waddell,  W.  N.,   504,   508. 

Wade,  A.,  100. 

Wade,  Melvin,   232,   274,   275,   302. 

Waelder,  Jacob,  65,  73,   84. 

Wagner,  H.,  338,   361,   434,  491. 

Wagner,  Henry  G.,  557. 

Wagstaff,   J.  M.,   619,   623. 

Wahrmund,   W.,   154. 

Waldrip,  S.  D.,   477,  488,  514,  519,  538. 

Walker,  A.  S1.,  127. 

Walker,  A.  S.,  Jr.,  344. 

Walker,  Hamilton,  252. 

Walker,  J.  C.,  211. 

Walker,  J.  J.,   199. 

Walker,  John,   144. 

Walker,  Lee,  427. 

Walker,  Lery,  503. 

Walker,  R.  H.,  144. 

Walker,  W.  A.,  564. 

Wallace,  A.  D.,  199. 

Wallace,  Ben  F.,  413. 

Wallace,  David  R.,   144,   158. 

Wallace,  E.   A.,   497. 

Wallace,  H.  H.,  401,   404,   447. 

Wallace,  W.   R.,   202,  205. 

Waller,  Edwin,   78,   93. 


Waller,  W.   S.,   478. 

Walley,  I.  W.,  500,   532. 

Wallis,  E.   T.,  157. 

Walsh,  William  C.,  158,   164,   182,   202, 

209,   221,   322. 
Walter,  C.  K.,   260,   262,   297,   332,   397, 

424. 
Walton,  William  M.,  98,  111,  124,  127, 

128,  129.   135,  140,  145,   158,  173,  322, 

326,  380. 

Walworth,   James   93. 
Wann,  B.  C.,  190. 
Wangemann.  A.,   526  . 
Waples,   Paul,   537,   588,   614,   640,   643. 
Ward,  John  L.,  360. 
Ward,  John  W.,  470. 
Ward,   Matthias,   50,   64,   65. 
Ward,   R.  H.,   93,   310. 
Ward,   Richard,  81. 
Ward,  W.  B.,   248. 
Ward,   W.   I.,    247. 
Ware,  James  A.,   147. 
Ware,  W.  B.,  466. 
Ware,  W.   C.,   369. 
Warner,  Pat,   643. 
Warnken,    Charles    A.,    486,    542,    573, 

576,   602,    606,   631. 
Warren,   Bates,   483. 
Warren,   D.  C.,   482,   483. 
Warren,  E.  B.,  235. 
Warren,  Henry,   264. 
Warren,  J.  R.,  588. 
Warren,  Robert  L.,  618. 
Warren,  W.  H.,  345. 
Warren,  William,  93. 
Wascom,   J.  M.,   182. 
Wascom,  S.  E.,  175. 
Washer,  Nat  M.,  597. 
Washington,   J.   H.,   141,   148,   151,  155, 

176,  231,  254,  292. 
Waters,  C.,  157. 
Watters,  C.  B.,   606. 
Watham,  B.  S.,  264. 
Watkins,  A.  B.,  267,  287,  353,  389,  396, 

452. 

Watkins,  J.  C.,  93. 
Watkins,  Royal  A.,   557,   618. 
Watkins,  T.  R.,  300. 
Watrous,   Benjamin  O.,   112,   114,   115. 
Watson,  A.  E.,  390. 
Watson,  B.  F.,  280. 
Watson,  I.  T.,   513. 
Watson,  Q.   U.,   558,   562,   563,   614. 
Watson,  T.  W.,  615. 
Watson,   Thomas   E.,   473. 
Watson,    William,    363,    390,    498,    542, 

554. 

Watts,  A.   T.,   186,  363,   367,   369,   389. 
Watts,  P.   S.,   262,   263. 
Wattson,   G.  F.,   290. 
Waul,  Thomas  N.,  65,  72,  81. 
Waul,  W.  B.,   175. 
Wayman,  R.  H.,  262. 
Wear,  W.  C.,  344,  618. 
Weatherhead,  W.  W.,   248. 
Weaver,  James  A.,  173. 
Weaver,  James  B.,  206. 
Weaver,  Willis,  628. 
Webb,  A.  G.,  543. 
Wrebb,  B.   R.,   258,   317. 
Webb,  J.   B.,  420. 
Webb,  J.  J.,  148. 
Webb,   James,   44. 
Webb,  John  L.,   511. 
Webb,  Robert  M.,  486. 
Webb,  W.  T.,  470. 


Index  to  Names 


685 


Webber,  W.  H.,  434. 

Weber,  E.  J.,  588. 

Webster,   E.  C.,   576. 

Webster,  J.  M.,  378. 

Webster,  L.  B.,  513. 

Weeks,  J.  F.,  379. 

Wegner,  E.   W.,   280. 

Weinert,  F.   C.,  623,  634. 

Weir,  Adolphus  G.,   64,   68,   72. 

Welch,  O.  H.,  305,  447. 

Welch,  Horace,  229,  231,  234. 

Welch.   Stanley,   447, 

Welden,  W.,  202. 

Wells,  J.  F.,  453. 

Wells,    James    B.,    220,    258,    268,    389, 

401,  404,  427,  432,  452,  461,  466,  493. 

504,   533,  619. 

Wells,  Joseph  K.t   614,   643. 
Wells,   R.   G.,   215. 
Wells,   Stacy,   511. 
Wentworth,  W.  H.,  155. 
Wertzner,  C.,  154. 
West,  C.  H.,   264. 

West,  Charles  S.,  98,   140,   148,  209. 
West,  R.  G.,   306,  379,  553. 
West,  T.  F.,   366. 
West.  W.  C.,  208. 
Wester,  J.  M.,  481. 
Westermark.  B.  S.,  317. 
Westfall,  William  H.,   163. 
Westhoff,  William,   176,   195.   290,    303, 

439. 

Whaley,  F.   J.,   481,   483. 
Whaley,  M.   D.,   69. 
Wharton,  Earle,   615. 
Wharton,  John  A.,   72,   81,   93. 
Whatley,  L.   A.,   223,   287. 
Wheeler,  A.  Z.,   489. 
Wheeler,  E.  M.,  143. 
Wheeler,   M.  W.,   157. 
Wheeler,  Royal  T.,  75. 
Wheeler.   T.   B.,   173,   237,   265. 
Wheelock,  E.   M.,  115. 
Whetstone.   G.  W.,   187. 
Whilley,  S'.  R.,  397. 
Whipkey,  S.   E.,  306.  308. 
Whitaker,  H.  M.,  350. 
White,  A.  W.,  437. 
White,  Alex,   242,  292,   411,  434. 
White,   B.  F.,   439. 
White,  C.  G.,  303,   327,  345,   475. 
White,   C.   P.,   326. 
White,  Charles  B.,  504,  508. 
White,  E.,   434. 
White,  E.   E.,  500. 
White,  Frank  M..   72.   78,   95,   128. 
White,  G.  W.,   78,   281. 
White,  Hal.   445. 

White,  H.  E.,   482,   483,   500,   513,   552. 
White.   Ike  !>.,   537. 
White,  J.  C.,  201. 
White,    J.    T.,    306,    308,    336,    478,    479, 

483.   500. 

White,  Jesse,  85,  87. 
White,  John,  537. 
White,  John  D.,  552. 
White,  John  P.,   174,  209,  265. 
White,   R.   C,,   248. 
White,  Scott,  514. 
White,  W.  M.,  290. 
White,  William,  617. 
White,  Z.   T.,   571. 
Whitehead,  H.   C.,  256,   262. 
Whitehead,  W.  W.,   163,  175. 
Whitfield.   John  W.,   98,   109,   112,    164, 

172,  173. 


Whitfield,  M.  J.,  322. 
Whitman,  M.  J.,  390. 
Whitman,  W.  P.,  500. 

Whitmeyer,  ,   215. 

Whitmore,  G.  W.,   115,  116,  155. 

Widmer,  A.  E.,  377. 

Wier,  Joseph  P.,  93. 

Wigfall.  Louis  T.,   72,   75. 

Wiggins,  C.  C.,  416. 

Wilbar,  J.  F.,  473. 

Wilburn,  A.  J.,  263. 

Wilcox,  C.  M.,  235. 

Wilcox,  John  A.,   69,  89,   93. 

Wilder,  A.  W.,   155. 

Wiley,  A.  P.,  68.  80,   84,  89,  93. 

AViley,  J.  E.,  272. 

Wilhite,  J.  H.,  500. 

Wilkes,  F.  B.,  182. 

Wilkes,  F.  D.,  221. 

Wilkes,  T.  D.,  202. 

Wilkinson,  Ed.,   102. 

Wilkinson,   F.,   413. 

Willacy,    John    G.,    504,    508,    521,    526, 

547,  550. 
Willard,  J.   S.,  567. 

Williams,  ,   44. 

Williams,  B.  F.,  81,  112,  114,  116,  141, 

148,    244. 

Williams,  B  H.,  147. 
Williams,  B.  W.,  286,  306,  308,  335, 

336. 

Williams,  Ben,  93. 
Williams,  C.   W.,  306. 
Williams,  D.  A.,   220. 
Williams,  D.  P.,  446,  513,   570,   628. 
Williams,  E.  F.,  87. 
Williams,   Eugene,   520,   526. 
Williams,  F.  A.,  427,  447,  520. 
Williams,  F.  R.,  437. 
Williams,  Fred,  453. 
Williams,   J.  Howard,   630. 
Williams,  J.  L.,   215. 
Williams,  J.   Sheb,   537,   588. 
Williams,  James  N.,   173. 
Williams,  James  W.,   615. 
Williams,    Joe    E..    441,    458,    478,    486, 

488,  498,  519,  538,  542,  554,  572,  573, 

597,  601,  614. 

Williams,  L.  W.,  176,  177. 
Williams,  Lud,   607/ 
Williams,  M.  W.,   349,  384. 
Williams,  Marion   M.,   379. 
Williams,  N.  B.,   533. 
Williams,  P.  D.,  532. 
Williams,  P.  P.,  84. 
Williams,   R.   R.,   651. 
Williams,   Sam  H.,   157,   254. 
Williams,  T.  B.,  465. 
Williams,  W.  A.,  389. 
Williams,  W.  M.,  529. 
Williams,  William  D.,   533.   577,  634. 
Williamson,   J.    B.,   141,   176,    195,    214. 
Williamson,  R.   M.,   43,   44. 
Willie,  Asa  H.,  144,  209. 
Willie,  James,  65. 
Willingham,  C.  H.,  405. 
Willis,  F.,   208. 
Willis,  Henry,   143. 
Willson,   Sam  A.,   163,    209.   265. 
Wilmot,   E.  P.,   392,  405,   409,   437,   455, 

538,  542,  554,  574. 
Wilson,  A.   C.,  571. 
Wilson,  C.  J.,   298. 
Wilson,  D.  G.,  529. 
Wilson,  G.  H.,  511. 
Wilson,  G.  W.,  260. 


686 


Index  to  Names 


Wilson,  George  W.,   472,  473. 

Wilson,  H.  B.,  554,   615. 

Wilson,  H.   O.,   458,  477,   515. 

Wilson,  J.,  177. 

Wilson,  J.  D.,  302. 

Wilson,  J.  H.  M.,   306,   308,  378. 

Wilson,  J.  G.,  264. 

Wilson,  J.   R.,   462. 

Wilson,   James   O.,   51,   55,   56,   68,   248. 

Wilson,   Jason,   93. 

Wilson,   N.   S.,  588. 

Wilson,  S1.  P.,   339,   342. 

Wilson,  W.  H.,  434,   470,   513,   567. 

Wilson,  Webster,   409. 

Wilson    Woodrow,    557,   558,    562,    577. 

613,  619,  620,  621,  622,  635. 
Wilson,  Mrs.  Woodrow,   605. 
Wiltsie,  A.  R.,  513. 
Wiltsie,  T.  E.,  513. 
WJnans,  G.  M.,   144. 
Winchell,  H.   L.,   481,   629,   630. 
Wingo,   E.   A.,   335,   378,    379,   409,   410. 
Winkler,  A.  B.,   481. 

Winkler,  Clinton  M.,  127.  144,  147,  174. 
Winn,  Charles  W.,   100. 
Winn,  E.  E.,   231. 
Winn,  H.  D.,  437. 
Winston,   S.  J.,   462,   619. 
Winters,  J.  N.,   597. 
Winters,  L.  J.,  481,  501,  513,  570,   629, 

631. 

Wipprecht,  Paul,  308,  367. 
Wipprecht,  R.,   152,  154. 
Wise,  S.   T.,  378. 
Wiseman,  Mrs.  L.   B.,   570. 
Wishart,  A.,   231. 
Withers,  D.  B.,  206,  208. 
Wofford,  George  M.,   537. 
Wofford,  John  T.,  500. 
WofCord,  R.  P.,  503. 
Wofford,   S.  O.,   503. 
Woldert,  Theodore,   353,  390. 
Wolfe,  J.  A.  L.,  452,   520. 
Wolfkill,  J.  W.,   441. 
Wolters,   Jacob  F.,   416,   452,   462,   470, 

634. 

Womack,  A.  M.,  305. 
Womack,  L.   J.,   311. 
Wood,  G.  C.,  503. 
Wood,  George  T'.,   44,  644. 
Wood,  H.  D.,   379,  397. 
Wood,  H.  G.,  332. 
Wood,  J.  A.,  625. 
Wood,   J.  E.,   588. 
Wood,   J.   J.,   369,   390. 
Wood,  J.  O.,   619. 
Wood,  James.   258. 
Wood,   S.  D.,  177,   190,   195,   197. 
Wood,  T.  D.,   390,   537. 
Wood,    W.    D'.,    84,    202,    209,    322,    323, 

367,  390. 

Wood,  William.  498. 
Woodall,  L.  T.,  481. 
Woods,  J.  N.,   597. 
Woods,  J.  W.,   504. 
Woods,  John,   218. 
Woods,  W.  H.,  193. 
Woodson,  L.  J.,   481. 
Woodward,   J.   L.,   290. 
Woodward,  Scott,  634. 
Woodward,  W.  H.,  238,   240. 
Woodward,  W.  W.,  81,  221. 
Woodward,  Walter  C.,  577,  584,  587. 
Woodward,  William,   68. 
Wooldridge,  A.  P.,  367. 


Woolsey,  S.  M.,  423. 

Wootan,  J.   C.,   311. 

Wooten,  Dudley  G.,  310,   317,   322. 

Wooters,   J.   C.,   186,   267,   310,   311. 

Word,  Jeff,  223. 

Work,  Philip  A.,   93. 

Worley,   S.   T.,   274. 

Worrall,  J.  R.,  81. 

Worsham,  W.  B.,   411,  439. 

Worsham,  W.   J.,   231. 

Wortham,  John  L.,   416. 

Wortham,  Louis  J.,   618,   619. 

Wortham,   R.  W.,    520,   526. 

Wortham,    William   A.,    127,    175,    186, 

220,  287. 

Wortham,  William  B.,   317,   339,   384. 
Worthington,  W.   R.,   532. 
Wozencraft,  Frank  W.,   619. 
Wray,  George  H.,  576. 
Wren,    T.    L.,    232,    327,    338,    361,    439, 

441,  458,  478,  488,  498. 
Wright,  F.  M.,  573,  597,   601,  614. 
Wright,  G.  A.,  264. 
Wright,  H.  P.,   249. 
Wright,  J.  V.,  256. 
Wright,   S.  D.,    619. 
Wright,    Sam    J.,    251,    290,    302,    305, 

332. 

Wright,  W.  A.,   428. 
Wright,  W.  B.,  124,  127,   172. 
Wroe,  John  L,.,  614. 
Wurzbach,  Charles  L.,  145. 

Wynne, ,  337. 

Wynne,  Richard  M.,  237,  258,  264,  354. 

384. 

Wynne,  T.  C.,  318. 
Wyschetzki,  A.,  308. 
Wythe,  T.  A.,  619. 

Yandell,  William,   287,  289. 

Yantis,  J.  E.,   614,   634. 

Yarbrough,   John  B.,   564,   625. 

Yates,  J.  B.,   614,   643. 

Yeager,  E.  F.,  221. 

Yell,  P.  M.,  157. 

Yell,  R.  M.,   143. 

Yessen,   J.   R.,   229. 

Yoakum,  C,  H.,   248,   353. 

Yoakum,  F.   E.,  254,   255. 

Yoakum,  Henderson,   56. 

Yoakum,  T.  L.,  244. 

York,  M.  G.,  289. 

York,   O.   S'.,   439,  475,   602,   631. 

York,   S.  P.,   504. 

Young,   Andrew,   199,   224. 

Young,  J.  M.,  618. 

Young,  James  R..   432. 

"Young,  John  L.,  344. 

Young,  P.  M.,  537. 

Young,   Ras,  462. 

Young,   S.  M.,  95. 

Young,  William  C.,   44,   55,  58. 

Younger,  F.  E.,   141. 

Younger,   Thomas   E.,   141,   155,   157. 

Younger,  S.  W.,  439. 

Zadek,  Adolph,  152,  154,  157,  176,  242, 

252. 

Zapp,  Robert,  141,  155,   215. 
Ziegenhalz,   Charles  B.,  576. 
Ziegler,  George,  434. 
Zimmerman,  P.  G.,  527. 
Zimpleman,  George  B.,  353. 
Zoeller,  A.,  154. 
Zweifel,  H.  J.,  617,  631. 


2.     SUBJECT  INDEX 


Abolitionists,  opposed  by  Texas 
Whigs,  53,  67;  disregard  State 
rights,  90,  91. 

Africanization  of  Texas  threatened, 
102,  106. 

Agriculture,  disproportionate  share  of 
tax  burden,  194,  284,  294,  346. 

Agriculture,  Department  of  (U.  S1.), 
Commissioner  to  be  a  cabinet  offi- 
cer, 193;  to  be  adequately  support- 
ed, 194:  (State),  to  be  established, 
495;  liberally  supported,  579,  609. 

Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College, 
experimental  farm  to  be  estab- 
lished, 180;  textile  school  to  be 
established,  449;  rebuilding1  of  mess 
hall  and  main  building,  562,  569; 
liberal  support  of,  403,  430,  448, 
534,  569;  to  be  improved,  429,  495; 
board  of  directors  to  be  removed 
from  partisan  politics.  .  429,  449; 
veto  of  appropriation  for  barracks 
deplored,  540.  See  also  "University 
of  Texas,  A.  &  M.  College."  etc. 

Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College 
for  West  Texas,  640. 

Agricultural  produce,  dealing  in  fu- 
tures to  be  prohibited,  235;  tariff 
protection  for  252,  272;  marketing 
to  be  facilitated,  612.  See  also 
"Cotton,"  "Marketing,"  and  "Ware- 
hou«es." 

Agricultural  resources  to  be  adver- 
tised, 203. 

Alamo  mission  property,  purchase  of 
by  State,  468. 

Allied  People's  party  convention,   453. 

American  party.  See  Know-Nothing 
party. 

Amnesty  proclamation,  a  vote  of 
thanks  given  the  President,  111. 

Annexation,  effect  on  political  parties, 
14-17;  relation  of  Texas  to  the 
Union,  82-83,  89;  articles  repealed, 
92. 

Anticipation  warrants,  issued  by  com- 
missioners' courts  and  city  coun- 
cils, condemned,  640. 

Antimonopoly  convention,  246;  party. 
332. 

Antiprohibition    convention,    249,    547. 

Antisaloon  league,  criticised,  623,  624. 

Antitrust  law  enacted,  429;  unsatis- 
factory, 572;  legal  and  illegal  acts 
to  be  defined,  603;  law  strength- 
ened, 623. 

Arbitration  between  capital  and  labor, 
favored,  243,  245,  255,  285,  315,  454, 
531;  law  passed  by  Congress,  406; 
compulsory  arbitration  indorsed, 
622;  opposed,  561;  State  law  t.i  be 
broadened.  581;  arbitration  b0ard 
to  be  established,  430,  561. 

Armory,  construction  recommended, 
111. 

Arms,   right  to   bear,   invaded,   134. 

Army,  reforms  recommended,  59;  In- 
crease opposed,  402;  favored,  406; 


volunteers  from  Texas  to  be  re- 
tained in  service  after  close  of 
Spanish-American  war,  408. 

Army  canteen   condemned,   409/  410. 

Assembly,   freedom  of.   567. 

Asylum  lands,  gradual  sale  advocat- 
ed, 160;  to  be  protected  for  use  to 
which  dedicated,  222.  . 

Attorney  general,  law  restricting  his 
giving  official  opinions,  criticised, 
595. 

Automobiles  to  be  taxed,  638. 

Back  salary  grab  act,   156,   162. 

Baird  independent  school  district 
case,  522. 

Ballot,  secrecy  to  be  guarded,  200; 
free  ballot  to  be  maintained,  210, 
217,  221,  257.  261,  382,  399;  official 
blanket  ballot  favored,  477,  600. 
See  also  "Elections." 

Bank  deposits,  guarantee  of,  favored, 
521;  opposed,  516,  524. 

Banks  to  be  abolished,  60;  State 
banks  favored  by  Whigs,  53;  banks 
of  issue  to  be  abolished,  333,  463, 
464;  subtreasury  plan,  indorsed, 
295,  300;  questioned,  312;  system  of 
branch  banks  opposed,  448;  Federal 
tax  on  State  banks  to  be  repealed, 
319;  State  banks  to  be  established, 
319. 

Banks,  Federal  Reserve,  621. 

Banks,  national,  opposed,  210,  257, 
259,  261,  271,  274,  275,  284,  288,  295, 
301,  319,  348,  368;  monopolies,  194, 
269;  repeal  of  law  demanded,  180, 
188;  law  to  be  revised,  560;  earn- 
ings, 269;  issuance  of  notes,  op- 
posed, 47,  236,  271,  312,  373,  386, 
402;  notes  to  be  abolished,  184,  188, 
227,  257,  261,  295,  268. 

Barratry,  law  against  to  be  enforced, 
576. 

Bell  punch  law,  repeal  demanded,  196, 
200,  204. 

Birds,  protection  of,   613. 

Blacklisting,  stringent  law  against, 
demanded,  454,  567,  593,  627. 

Blind,  State  school,  to  be  fireproof, 
604,  609. 

Boll  weevil,  means  for  combatting, 
448. 

"Bombshell"  Democratic  convention, 
37. 

Bonds  (U.  S.),  to  be  paid  in  green- 
backs, 180,  184,  188;  to  be  redeemed 
at  once,  181,  184,  227;  not  to  be 
exempt  from  taxation,  184,  188;  no 
more  to  be  issued,  188;  no  more 
gold  bonds  to  be  issued  in  times  of 
peace,  333,  336,  354;  no  interest- 
bearing  bonds  to  be  issued  in  times 
of  peace,  372,  386,  397. 

Bonds  (State),  to  be  funded  and 
taxed,  189;  no  more  interest-bear- 
ing bonds  to  be  issued,  271. 

Bonded    indebtedness — State,    county, 


688 


Subject  Index 


and  municipal — not  to  be1  increased 
except  by  vote  of  the  people,  398; 
law  on  this  subject,  429;  annual 
reports  on  bonded  indebtedness  and 
sinking  funds  required,  429. 

Boundary,  Texas-Mexican,  attitude  of 
Whigs,  19;  of  Democrats,  19-21,  48, 
49. 

Bounty  on  scalps  of  predatory  ani- 
mals, 408,  613,  639. 

Bounty  on  sugar,  favored,  361;  due 
to  State  penitentiary,  collection  fa- 
vored, 321,  325,  328;  failure  to  col- 
lect, condemned,  383. 

Bounty   system   condemned,    321. 

Buchanan's  administration  indorsed, 
84. 

Campaign  expenses  increased  by  pri- 
mary election  system,  492,  600,  633; 
corporations  not  to  contribute,  431, 
494,  508,  560,  580;  persons  doing  a 
licensed  business  not  to  contribute, 
580;  amount  contributed  by  an  in- 
dividual to  be  limited  by  law,  560; 
total  amount  of,  to  be  limited  by 
law,  600,  611,  614,  643;  State  to 
publish  each  candidate's  platform, 
600;  purposes  for  which  to  be  spent 
to  be  defined  by  law,  638,  643;  ex- 
penditure to  be  made  by  candidate 
only,  600;  statement  of  expendi- 
tures to  be  published  before  elec- 
tion, 508,  560;  itemized  statement 
to  be  filed,  430,  431,  494,  508,  560, 
580;  publicity  for  contributions  and 
expenditures,  569,  580. 

Campaign  lies,  punishment  for  circu- 
lation, 580,  639. 

Capital  and  labor,  equality  before  the 
law,  demanded,  60,  188,  243,  262, 
274,  320;  conflicts  between,  513. 

Capital  driven  out  by  hostile  legis- 
lation, 327,  328.  489,  515,  516; 
charge  denied,  522;  needed  to  de- 
velop the  State,  324,  325,  449;  in- 
vited and  protection  assured,  539, 
584,  609,  637. 

Capital  punishment  to  be  abolished, 
60. 

Capitol  building  to  be  safeguarded  by 
removal  of  explosives,  611. 

Capitol  lands  used  to  foster  land  mo- 
nopoly, 207. 

Carpetbagger,  use  of  the  word  con- 
demned, 120. 

Catholic  Church,  Know-Nothing  atti- 
tude toward,  70. 

Cattle  industry,  herd  law  opposed, 
216,  222,  229;  free  grass,  favored, 
216,  220;  exhausted,  239;  protection 
of,  267,  346,  583,  613,  639;  injured 
by  railroads,  440. 

Chaplains,  not  to  be  employed  by 
legislature  and  congress,  61. 

Charities,  State  board,  to  be  created, 
582. 

Child  labor  law  demanded,  377,  419, 
443,  449.  452,  454,  456,  485,  529  531 
567,  593,  603,  627. 

Children,  abandonment  of  by  husband 
to  be  made  an  offense,  584;  needy 
children  to  be  .supplied  with  food, 


clothing,  and  books  at  public  ex- 
pense, 419,  529,  567,  596,  628. 

Citizen,  protection  for  abroad,  de- 
manded, 57,  59,  220,  223,  240,  337, 
392,  598,  603,  616,  620. 

Citizenship   to   be   nationalized,    113. 

Civil  rights,  not  synonymous  with 
social  privileges,  149,  151. 

Civil  service,  reform  demanded,  146, 
210,  450,  603;  rules  trampled  upon, 
304;  to  be  inaugurated  in  Texas, 
582. 

Civil  war,  results  accepted,  103,  106, 
109. 

Class  conscious  unity,  effort  to  de- 
velop, 420,  591;  class  struggle  ac- 
cepted, 443. 

Class  legislation  opposed,  153,  156, 
250,  283,  291,  319,  323,  400,  489. 

Cold  storage  clubs,  to  be  suppressed, 
480. 

College  of  Industrial  Arts,  liberal 
support  favored,  495.  S'ee  also 
"University  of  Texas,  A.  &  M.  Col- 
lege," etc. 

Colombia  treaty  denounced,   598. 

Colonial  policy  for  the  United  States, 
opposed,  404,  417,  505;  favored,  440, 
457. 

Commercial  treaties  to  secure  mar- 
kets for  American  products,  194, 
284.  See  also  "Reciprocity." 

Communism  denounced,  188,  210,  320, 
324,  328,  347. 

Confederates,  disfranchised,  100,  108, 
110;  excluded  from  office,  101;  pro- 
vision to  be  made  for  disabled,  289, 
320;  pensions,  399,  408,  583. 

Confederate  Home,  to  be  established, 
253,  292,  341;  adequate  support 
recommended,  344,  383,  388,  490; 
mismanagement  charged,  399. 

Confederate  Widows'  Home,  to  be 
established,  495,  521,  535. 

Confiscation  of  property,  251. 

Congress  usurped  power  of  the  peo- 
ple, 225-229. 

Congressman's  campaign  expenses, 
limited.  560. 

Conservatives,   95,   98,   105,   108. 

Conservative  convention,   104. 

Conservative  reconstruction  conven- 
tion, 102,  105. 

Constitution  (U.  S.),  supremacy  of, 
asserted,  45,  46,  125;  literal  and 
close  construction,  demanded,  46, 
66,  69,  125,  183,  288,  318,  339,  343, 
534;  violated  by  Northern  States, 
90;  amendments  to  be  maintained, 
113,  118,  120;  amendment  by  ju- 
dicial authority,  505. 

Constitution  of  1869  (Texas),  to  be 
submitted  to  voters,  119;  election 
postponed,  108,  119;  adoption  rec- 
ommended, 121 ;  its  defects,  164-168; 
of  1875  (Texas),  adoption  recom- 
mended, 161;  constitution,  con- 
demned, 177-178;  procedure  for 
amending  to  be  changed,  594;  such 
change  opposed,  602. 

Constitutional  convention  of  1866,  94; 
of  1868-1869,  106,  107,117;  exceeded 
its  powers,  123;  of  1875,  advocated, 


Subject  Index 


689 


161;    candidates   for,    16r,;    work   re- 
viewed.  165-172. 
Constitutional  convention  to  be  called, 

265,   267. 
Constitutional   Union   convention,    87; 

electors,  88. 
Contempt   cases   to   be  tried   by   jury, 

600. 

Convicts.  State,  not  to  compete  with 
free  labor,  181,  188,  200,  236,  255, 
297,  344,  377,  448,  454,  457,  490,  576, 
lease  system  to  be  abolished,  213, 
236,  243,  255,  283,  285,  307,  320,  338, 
341,  377,  387,  476,  490,  600;  will  not 
return  to  lease  system,  611;  con- 
victs to  be  confined  within  walls  of 
penitentiary,  185,  188,  239,  243,  285, 
448,  454;  convicts  to  work  on  farms, 
448,  454,  569;  opposition  to  convict 
farms,  457;  convicts  to  be  employed 
on  public  works,-  243;  on  State  rail- 
roads. 299.  454;  on  public  roads, 
283,  329,  377.  457,  476,  490,  540,  576, 
600,  611.  638;  to  manufacture  tools 
and  clothing  for  State  institutions, 
377;  convict-made  goods  to  be  la- 
belled, 377,  569;  convict  shall  re- 
ceive instruction.  297,  535;  humane 
treatment.  529,  535,  540,  567,  595, 
604,  611;  bat  to  be  abolished,  595; 
parole  system  to  be  extended,  595; 
family  to  receive  convict's  earn- 
ings above  expenses  of  keep,  297, 
307,  529,  560,  569,  595,  627;  persons 
to  be  punished  for  inciting  convicts 
to  mutiny,  582. 

Convicts,    county,    to    work    on    public 

roads,    382.    448;    to   be   allowed   not 

less  than  fifty  cents  a  day,  383,  595. 

Cooperative   farms  to   be  encouraged, 

566. 
Cooperative    stores    to   be   allowed   to 

incorporate,  235,  246. 
Corporations  to  be  protected,  239,  320, 
372;  chartered  rights  not  beyond 
government  control,  239,  245,  291, 
307,  324,  372;  favored  by  legislation 
at  people's  expense,  293;  complain 
of  restrictions.  516;  insolvent,  to 
be  prohibited  from  doing  business, 
431,  494;  creditors  and  stockholders 
to  receive  greater  protection,  494; 
liability  of  stockholders  in,  239; 
foreign  corporations  to  sue  in 
courts  of  State  where  they  do  busi- 
ness, 509;  Federal  control  favored, 
560;  opposed,  563. 
Corruption  in  government  charged, 

87,   473;   graft,  633. 

Cotton,   sampling,   grading,  and  ware- 
housing  to   be   regulated,    579,    608; 
statistics     of     consumption     to     be 
collected,    580;    to    be    accepted    as 
collateral   for  loans,   613. 
Cotton  mills  favored,   426.   429,   611. 
Cotton    tax.   to   be   collected   by   State 

from  general  government,  383. 
County,  indebtedness  not  to  be  in- 
creased without  sanction  of  voters, 
271,  283,  315,  381;  law  on  subject, 
429;  anticipation  warrants  con- 
demned, 640;  to  have  authority  to 
engage  in  commercial  business,  595. 


County  lines  and  boundaries,  to  be 
established,  320. 

County  superintendent  of  public 
schools,  indorsed,  243. 

County  treasurer,  office  to  be  abol- 
ished, 518,  576. 

Court  procedure,  judges  to  charge 
jury  on  the  law  before  attorneys 
make  argument,  581;  sundry 
changes  demanded,  585-586;  pro- 
cedure to  be  simplified,  521,  611, 
627,  638. 

Courts,  criminal  district,  to  be  cre- 
ated, 223. 

Courts,  U.  S.     See  Federal  Courts. 

Criminal  procedure  to  be  made  effi- 
cient, 181;  certain  reforms  demand- 
ed, 387,  393. 

Cuba,  acquisition  favored,  78;  to  be 
permitted  to  establish  an  independ- 
ent government,  402,  417;  annexa- 
tion to  be  by  mutual  consent,  402, 
417;  Roosev.elt's  policy  toward,  in- 
dorsed, 455. 

Currency,  to  be  one  kind  only,  184; 
to  be  based  on  coin,  191,  210,  340; 
to  be  pure  legal  tender,  259,  261, 
295,  333;  to  be  issued  by  Federal 
government  only,  507;  asset  cur- 
rency opposed,  448,  463,  464,  468; 
Aldrich  financial  bill  denounced, 
468,  560.  See  also  "Greenbacks." 

Deaf,  State  school,  to  be  enlarged, 
609;  vocational  training  to  be  in- 
troduced, 609. 

Debt  (U.  S.),  to  be  paid,  97,  120,  156, 
236,  261,  372;  large  sum  paid  in 
interest,  269;  bonded  debt  not  to 
be  increased.  184,  188.  See  also 
"Bonds  (U.  &.)." 

Debt  (State),  increased,  380;  reduced, 
386;  not  to  be  increased  except  by 
vote  of  the  people,  398.  See  also 
"Bonds  (State.)." 

Deep  water  convention,   263. 

Democratic  editors'  convention,  122. 

Democratic  party,  on  annexation,  15- 
17,  19;  on  Mexican  war,  19-21;  ef- 
forts to  organize,  17-36,  43;  ar- 
raigned by  rivals,  192,  196,  199,  207, 
294-295,  327-328,  334,  380-381,  393, 
397-398.  424-425,  437,  457,  596,  598- 
599,  603;  reorganization  demanded, 
365;  reply  to  criticisms,  385-386; 
what  it  has  accomplished,  386,  428- 
429;  no  nominee  of  party  has  been 
dishonored,  448,  467,  535;  heart  of 
oak  plank,  257;  harmony  meeting, 
330;  agreement,  339;  platform  of 
1898  derided,  407;  local  option  not 
a  test  of  Democracy,  240;  woman 
suffrage  not  a  tenet  of  Democratic 
faith.  622. 

Democratic  State  conference,  394. 

Democratic  State  conventions,  for  a 
chronological  list,  1846-1916,  see 
"Table  of  Contents." 

Democratic  State  executive  commit- 
tee, denounced.  364;  repudiated,  367, 
390;  commended,  374;  asks  cities  to 
compete  for  State  convention,  395; 
action  rescinded,  400;  nominate 


44—328 


690 


Subject  Index 


temporary  officers  for  first  time, 
384;  prepare  roll  of  delegates  for 
first  time,  464. 

Democrats,  "Gold,"  conference  of, 
350,  362;  denounced,  354-356;  State 
conventions,  366,  389;  repudiate 
"Silver"  Democrats,  391. 

Democrats,  "Jeffersonian,"  conven- 
tion of,  300. 

Democrats,  "Silver,"  State  mass 
meeting-,  353;  denounced,  362. 

Democrats,  "Straight-Out,"  confer- 
ence of,  147. 

Departments,  State,  books  and  ac- 
counts to  be  audited,  476;  employes 
of,  to  work  nine  hours  a  day,  185. 

Detective  agencies,  private,  to  be  pro- 
hibited, 594,  627. 

Divorce  laws,  to  be  enforced,   480. 

Drainage  districts,  to  be  created, 
584;  drainage  laws  to  be  enacted, 
583;  levee  and  drainage  work  to  be 
continued,  584. 

Dred  Scott  case,  79,  82.  . 

Economic  league,  work  of,  commend- 
ed, 633. 

Economy  in  government,  demanded, 
111,  181,  184,  194,  211,  312,  368,  398, 
463,  473,  476,  477;  pledged,  185,  238, 
344,  382.  386,  430,  467,  505,  531,  534; 
expenses  reduced,  386. 

Education  Bureau  of,  to  have  exten- 
sive powers,  596. 

Education,  higher,  very  best  to  be 
furnished  to  the  young  men  and 
women  of  Texas,  610. 

Educational  affairs  in  Texas,  a  reflec- 
tion on  the  Democratic  party,  596. 

Educational  institutions,  to  be  kept 
clear  of  partisan  politics,  429-430, 
449;  to  be  generously  supported, 
448,  467,  569,  572,  578,  609. 

Eight-hour  day  convention,  273;  eight- 
hour  day  favored.  297,  315,  334,  490, 
507,  637;  demanded,  382,  419,  430, 
452,  454,  529.  567,  594,  627;  granted 
to  favored  class,  295;  sanctioned  by 
Congress  406. 

Election  laws,  to  be  amended,  159, 
295,  325,  477,  482. 

Election  order,  denounced,   134. 

"Election,  primary,  to  be  regulated  by 
law,  341,  344;  creation  of  a  uniform 
system,  demanded,  450;  separate 
for  whites  and  negroes,  394;  to  be 
held  for  purpose  of  nominating 
candidates  and  to  settle  issues  over 
which  there  is  serious  difference, 
396;  to  be  limited  to  selection  of 
candidates  for  local  offices  and 
delegates  to  nominating  conven- 
tions, 632-633;  primary  election  or 
convention  to  be  optional  with 
county  executive  committee,  400; 
to  be  held  on  same  day  throughout 
the  State,  404,  431,  467;  day  fixed, 
446,  450;  test  adopted,  400;  test  to 
be  uniform,  494;  blanket  primary, 
494.  See  also  "Terrell  election 
law." 

Electioneering  in  the  interest  of  any 
candidate,  to  be  prohibited,  430, 
580. 


Elections,  State  troops  guard  polls, 
119;  practice  denounced,  125;  regis- 
tration laws,  unfair,  159;  expensive 
and  irritating,  126,  164,  167;  regu- 
lation of,  belongs  to  State,  125; 
election  judges  vested  with  arbi- 
trary powers,  131;  all  parties  to  be 
represented  among  election  judges 
and  clerks,  391,  473,  477;  ballot  box 
not  safeguarded,  126,  131;  Harrison 
county  methods,  denounced,  398, 
425;  Mexican  border  vote,  de- 
nounced, 398;  Australian  system 
favored,  275,  291,  297,  299,  440;  de- 
nounced, 425;  in  cities  of  10,000 
and  over,  289;  place  system  to  be 
abolished  in  favor  of  highest  vote 
in  selecting  county  and  precinct 
officers,  532;  election  of  1875,  sus- 
pended, 165;  biennial,  restored,  166; 
quadrennial,  favored,  569,  641.  See 
also  "Elections,  Primary." 

Elections,  Federal,  Force  bill  de- 
nounced, 305,  311,  313,  318;  repeal 
favored,  343. 

Electoral  commission,   183,   192. 

Eleemosynary  institutions,  liberal 
support  recommended,  403,  428,  467, 
448,  495,  604;  management  to  be 
efficient  and  honest,  476;  to  be  di- 
vorced from  politics,  535;  six-year 
term  for  board  of  managers,  fa- 
vored, 578;  State  board  of  charities 
favored,  582. 

Employers'  liability  and  employes' 
compensation  act  demanded,  5t>7, 
584,  593,  603,  627,  637. 

Employes,  protection  of,  fellow  serv- 
ants act  to  be  revised,  383,  387; 
safety  appliances  to  be  installed, 
456.  603;  inspection  of  mines,  fac- 
tories and  workshops,  419,  529.  567; 
women  to  be  safeguarded,  603. 

Epileptic,  care  of  by  S'tate,  recom- 
mended, 404;  home  built,  429. 

European   war,   632. 

Execution   laws,  denounced,   228. 

Executive  usurpation,  charged.  125- 
127,  129-135,  209,  323,  463,  505. 

Express  companies  to  maintain  gen- 
eral offices  within  this  State,  386. 

Express  rates,  to  be  regulated  by 
law,  267,  285,  307;  rates  on  vege- 
tables to  be  reduced,  576,  612. 

Extradition  treaties,  repeal  demand- 
ed, 59;  political  refugees,  not  to  be 
surrendered,  529. 

Factories,  to  be  encouraged  by  State, 
116,  239;  invited,  426,  429;  produc- 
ing cotton,  worsteds  or  woolens  to 
be  exempt  from  taxation,  611,  638; 
"Buy-it-made  -  in  -  Texas"  indorsed, 
637. 

Farmers'  Alliance,  256.  260,  273,  281, 
293,  324;  conventions,  234,  268. 

Farmers'  convention,  281. 

Farmers'  institutes,  appropriation 
for,  495. 

Farmers',  laborers',  and  stock  raisers' 
convention,  256,  260. 

Farmers'  organizations,  not  illegal, 
561. 


Subject  Index 


691 


Federal  courts,  continuous  increase 
in  jurisdiction  of,  deprecated,  211; 
power  of  injunction  to  be  limited, 
507;  too  liberal  in  granting  injunc- 
tions, 561;  life  tenure  of  office,  op- 
posed, 288,  319,  343;  indorsed,  291; 
encroach  upon  State's  rights,  311. 

Federation  of  labor   (State),   273,   275. 

Feeble-minded,  State  institution  for, 
637. 

Fees  of  office,  to  be  replaced  by  fixed 
salaries,  189,  298,  307,  315,  333,  377, 
383,  394,  531,  567,  595,  604,  612,  627, 
639;  reduction  made,  386;  reform  a 
failure,  398;  fee  bill  indorsed,  403; 
repeal  demanded,  438;  system  to  be 
remedied,  426,  430;  wrong  in  prin- 
ciple, 595,  612;  exorbitant,  633. 

Fire  rating  board  law,  repeal  demand- 
ed, 535.  539.  569  581;  repeal  op- 
posed, 587. 

First  National  Bank  of  Austin,  fail- 
ure of,  477. 

Fish  and  oyster  industry,  to  be  pro- 
tected, 522,  583,  613. 

Flood  prevention,  456,  460,  477.  494, 
592,  603;  reclamation  of  overflowed 
lands,  585,  604,  640. 

Food,  speculation  in  by  trusts,  to  be 
prohibited,  271,  284,  307. 

Foreign  entanglements,  to  be  avoided, 
52,  358;  vigorous  policy  favored, 
392. 

Free  raw  materials  do  not  harmonize 
with  protection  of  manufactured 
goods,  333,  373,  383,  534,  536,  597. 

Free  trade,  indorsed,  60;  message  of 
President  Cleveland,  condemned, 
252,  337;  approved,  258,  307. 

Freedmen,  status  of,   94. 

Freedmen's  bureau  creates  discon- 
tent. 110. 

Freight  rates  to  be  regulated  by  law, 
185,  194.  212.  222,  229,  255,  267,  270, 
271,  285,  307;  exorbitant,  270,  276- 
279,  294;  Reagan  bill  indorsed,  194; 
Federal  regulation,  203,  236.  See 
also  "Express  rates." 

Freight  rate  convention,  275. 

Frontier  protection,  demanded,  70,  79, 
83-84,  146,  156,  178,  184,  189,  192, 
200,205;  protection  denied  to  Texas, 
90;  administration  denounced  for 
failure  to  protect,  127;  protection 
promised,  143,  161,  175;  Texas  to  be 
reimbursed  for  money  spent,  185. 

Fugitive  slave  law.  repeal  of,  op- 
po--ed,  53.  66,  70. 

Fugitive  slaves,  recovery  of,  from 
Mexico,  79. 

Futures,  dealing-  in  agricultural  prod- 
ucts, to  be  prohibited,  236,  245,  284, 
307,  312;  gambling  in  stock  and 
farm  products  to  be  prohibited,  509. 

Galveston  county,  State  taxes,  remit- 
ted, 450. 

Game  to  be  protected,  613. 

Germans,  join  Democratic  n^rty,  39, 
40;  mass  meetings,  58,  151,  157, 
308;  623;  no  German  party,  59,  152, 
309;  declare  their  loyalty,  624-625. 

Girls'  industrial  school,  to  be  estab- 
lished, 430;  liberal  support  recom- 


mended, 448;  board  of  directors  to 
be  removed  from  politics,  449.  See 
also  College  of  Industrial  Arts. 

Government  ownership,  of  cotton 
gins,  cotton  seed  oil  mills,  cotton 
compresses,  warehouses,  grain  ele- 
vators, irrigation  canals,  advocated, 
529,  567,  627;  of  railroads,  tele- 
graphs and  telephones,  257,  261, 
275,  296,  333,  383,  398,  425,  485; 
opposed,  288,  318;  of  land  and  public 
utilities,  592. 

Governor,  veto  power,  to  be  abol- 
ished, 567,  594,  627;  vote  for  (1846- 
1916),  644-648;  vote  for  candidates 
in  Democratic  primaries  (1906- 
1916),  651-652. 

Grange,  State,  demands,  179,  193,  211. 

Greenback  S*tate  conventions,  180, 
187,  198,  206,  214,  223. 

Greenbacks,  to  be  legal  tender,  180, 
181,  184,  188;  to  be  issued  by  the 
government  only,  181;  to  be  ex- 
clusive currency  of  the  U.  S.,  186, 
188;  retirement  opposed,  184;  sub- 
stitution by  bank  notes  opposed, 
354,  355;  responsible  for  irrespon- 
sible fiatistic  ideas,  268.  See  also 
"Currency." 

Habeas  corpus,  writ,  suspended,  125, 
132,  164;  militia  law  repealed,  159. 

Harbors,  on  the  coast  of  Texas,  re- 
quired, 252,  253.  263,  267,  278,  302, 
641;  to  be  deepened  and  improved, 
156,  341,  343,  383,  388,  393,  428,  447, 
464,  496,  523,  607,  Galveston  harbor, 
180;  Port  Arthur,  440;  plans  of  U.  S. 
engineers  indorsed,  407. 

Hard  times,  268-271,  307,  355;  high 
cost  of  living,  561,  597. 

Hawaii,  annexation  of,  indorsed,  406, 
412. 

Health,  public,  to  be  safeguarded, 
419,  612;  sanitary  laws  demanded, 
529,  567,  593;  sanitariums  to  be 
established.  529.  567,  593,  628;  phy- 
sicians and  surgeons  to  be  paid  by 
State,  529,  593,  628. 

Health,  State  board,  to  be  established, 
431;  to  produce  anti-diphtheritic 
serum  and  antitoxins,  518;  to  be 
strengthened,  522,  583,  612. 

"Higher  law"  doctrine  denounced,  70, 
91. 

Highway  commission  to  be  created, 
575,  600.  638;  highway  engineer  to 
be  created,  338,  583;  State  high- 
ways to  be  constructed,  611.  638. 
See  also  "Convicts"  and  "Roads, 
public." 

"Hogg"  amendments  to  the  constitu- 
tion, .427,  432. 

Holidays,  State,  Jefferson  Davis* 
birthday  and  John  H.  Reagan's 
birthday,  469. 

Homestead,  to  be  exempt  from  forced 
sale,  60;  to  be  furnished  to  land- 
less, 101;  law  not  to  be  tampered 
with,  262,  271;  number  of  home 
owners  to  be  increased,  381,  592, 
599,  603;  to  be  exempt  from  tax- 
ation, 592;  home  owning  to  be  en- 


692 


Subject  Index 


couraged,  612;  notes  bearing  six 
per  cent  or  less  received  in  pur- 
chase of  home  to  be  exempt  from 
taxation,  639. 

Immigration,  laws  for  encouragement 
and  protection,  demanded,  60,  153, 
160,  196,  200,  204,  214,  292,  325; 
immigrants  invited,  66,  111,  120, 
123,  125,  151,  155,  188;  constitution 
of  1875,  unfriendly  to,  177,  178; 
Democrats  not  opposed  to,  203,  320, 
321;  laws  to  be  strictly  enforced, 
392;  felons  and  paupers  to  be  ex- 
cluded, 70;  Asiatic  laborers  to  be 
excluded,  188;  convicts  and  inmates 
of  dependent  institutions  to  be  ex- 
cluded, 285,  307,  335,  358,  378. 

Imperialism,  dangers  of,  447;  con- 
demned, 506,  622. 

Income  tax,  demanded,  60,  181,  189, 
199,  228,  261,  294,  296,  307,  342,  402, 
474,  567;  law  repealed,  188;  income 
tax  for  Federal  purposes,  favored, 
319,  372,  385,  560;  law  enacted,  621. 

Independence    party    convention,    510. 

Independent  candidates,  206,  213,  214, 
215,  230;  not  treated  fair  by  elec- 
tion law,  473,  477,  513. 

Industrial  commission,  State,  to  be 
created,  572. 

Industrial  congress,  Texas,  work  of, 
indorsed,  535. 

Industrial  education,  provision  for,  to 
be  made,  383,  426,  467,  567,  575,  578, 
633;  manual  training  to  be  intro- 
duced into  the  public  schools,  456, 
535;  vocational  training  demanded, 
596,  633. 

Industrial  Workers  of  the  World,  589. 

Inheritance  tax,  demanded,  60,  567, 
627;  law  passed  by  Congress,  406. 

Initiative  and  referendum,  demanded, 
377,  378,  474,  480,  482,  485,  528,  531, 
567,  600;  used  in  Texas,  520;  use 
opposed,  517;  a  S'tate  issue,  561;  six 
per  cent  of  voters  to  be  sufficient 
to  demand  submission  of  constitu- 
tional amendment,  594;  referendum 
on  laws  demanded,  299. 

Initiative,  referendum,  and  impera- 
tive mandate,  demanded,  39,8,  419, 
425. 

Injunctions  in  labor  disputes,  dis- 
countenanced, 561,  600. 

Insane,  to  be  cared  for  by  State  in 
well  ordered  asylums,  213,  334,  388, 
404,  490,  637;  trial  by  medical 
board,  476;  jails  emptied  of,  448, 
476;  additional  room  to  be  provid- 
ed, 583,  604,  609,  637. 

Installment  plan  of  buying,  purchas- 
ers to  be  protected,  377. 

Insurance,  life  and  fire,  wildcat  com- 
panies to  be  suppressed,  476,  581; 
mutual  and  benevolent  companies 
to  be  regulated,  581;  Robertson 
law,  denounced,  516. 

Insurance,  State,  accident,  485,  529, 
628;  sickness,  485,  529,  567,  628; 
employment.  485;  life,  529,  567,  628; 
fare,  529,  567,  628;  storm,  567; 
drouth,  567;  to  be  compulsory  for 
all  workers,  593. 


Intercoastal  canal,  construction  of, 
urged,  523,  562,  641. 

Interest,  lower  rate  demanded,  295. 

Internal  improvements  (U.  S.),  atti- 
tude of  Democrats.  48;  of  Whigs, 
52;  of  Germans,  61. 

Internal  improvements  (State),  rail- 
road building,  53;  development  of 
natural  resources,  111,  116,  120,  123, 
125,  142,  151,  239;  constitution  of 
1875  considered  unfriendly,  177; 
liberal  appropriations  favored,  456. 

International  Railroad,  lands  granted 
en  bloc,  207;  lands  exempt  from 
taxation,  207,  233;  lands  squandered 
upon,  217,  233. 

Interstate  commerce  law,  Reagan 
bill,  endorsed,  194;  passage  of  law 
urged,  236;  law  to  be  strengthened, 
271;  powers  of  State  commissions 
not  to  be  usurped,  506;  Slate  powers 
encroached  upon,  641. 

Interventionist,  opposed  by  Texas 
Whigs,  53. 

"Irrepressible  conflict,"  propagandists 
of,  denounced,  83. 

Irrigation,  law  to  be  enacted,  266, 
393,  460,  468,  477,  583,  603;  existing 
law  to  be  amended,  494;  Federal 
aid  invoked,  440,  458,  604;  State  to 
establish  irrigation  plants,  592; 
charges  of  canal  companies  to  be 
regulated,  522. 

Isthmian  canal  indorsed,  441,  447. 
See  also  "Nicaragua  Canal"  and 
"Panama  Canal." 

Judges,  election  of,  demanded,  59; 
election  opposed,  291;  nominations 
made  for  first  time,  75;  nominations 
by  political  conventions  deprecated, 
178,  265;  nonpartisan  nominations 
demanded,  599;  to  be  nominated  at 
separate  conventions,  640;  to  be 
chosen  at  special  elections,  518; 
judges  not  to  engage  in  partisan 
politics,  510;  district  judges  to  be 
selected  from  the  S'tate  at  large 
and  to  serve  in  districts  other  than 
where  they  reside,  627;  salaries  to 
be  increased,  469,  518. 

Judicial  system  (State),  unwieldy, 
164,  399;  of  the  constitution  of 
1875,  described,  169-171;  denounced, 
177,192;  radical  changes  demanded, 
200,  203,  238,  425,  476,  495,  518,  568, 
570,  575,  580,  599,  604.  See  also 
"Court  Procedure." 

Jury,  grand,  to  be  abolished,   60,   275. 

Jury  service  to  be  impartial,  213,  627; 
law,  denounced,  228,  230;  to  be 
amended,  387;  system  to  be  abol- 
ished, 595. 

Justice,  administration  of,  to  be  free, 
485,  595,  627;  failure  to  repeal  use- 
less laws  interferes  with  adminis- 
tration of,  380;  common  counsellor 
to  be  employed,  595,  627. 

Juvenile  offenders,  to  be  placed  in 
appropriate  State  institutions,  213, 
240;  courts  to  be  clothed  with  ap- 
propriate powers,  494. 


Subject  Index 


693 


Kansas,  troubles  in,  90. 
Kansas-Nebraska     act     indorsed,     66, 

67,  70. 

Knights  of  Labor,  237,  256,  273. 
Know-Xothing  party,  37-40;  nominate 

State  ticket,  63,  64;  adopt  platform, 

68-71;  abolish  secrecy,  71. 

Labor  conventions,  262,  348,  376. 

Labor  day,  celebration  of,  275. 

Labor  statistics,  bureau  of  (U.  SO,  to 
be  established,  236;  commissioner 
to  be  a  cabinet  officer,  236;  State 
bureau,  to  be  established,  315,  377. 

Labor  superior  to  capital,    243. 

Laboring  class,  welfare  of,  185,  320, 
324,  328,  337,  387;  to  be  protected, 
210,  222,  243,  245;  destitution 
among,  268;  out  of  employment, 
274;  those  out  of  employment  not 
to  be  arrested  as  vagrants,  334, 
349;  wages  to  be  promptly  paid, 
230,  236.  297,  387,  400;  importation 
of  contract  labor  opposed,  188,  243; 
organization  needed,  273,  377;  bene- 
fited by  tariff,  346,  358;  conditions 
in  factories  bad,  443.  See  also 
Blacklisting. 

Land,  alien  ownership  of,  to  be  pro- 
hibited, 227,  235,  257,  261,  271,  295, 
296,  301,  307.  315,  333,  335,  381. 

Land,  public,  homestead  preemptions, 
demanded,  60;  sale  to  be  restricted 
to  actual  settlers,  60,  188,  227,  238,- 
246,  289,  292,  296;  settlement  re- 
quirement to  be  enforced,  271;  sale 
of  alternate  sections  advocated, 
160;  grants  in  aid  of  public  im- 
provements, favored,  123,  142;  no 
grants  to  be  made  to  corporations, 
257,  261;  squandered  on  corpora- 
tions, 156,  181,  188,  207,  216,  217, 
224.  246,  294,  380,  398;  lands  grant- 
ed to  railroads  to  be  forfeited  for 
noncompliance  with  their  contracts, 
227,  239,  246,  296,  307,  315,  333,  336, 
592;  lands  obtained  on  account  of 
switches  and  sidings  to  be  recovered, 

320,  341;     innocent    purchasers    of 
such     lands    to    be    protected,    320, 

321,  325,    341;    public    lands    to    be 
reserved    for   benefit    of   permanent 
school    fund    and    homesteads,    200, 
217,     255;     certain     titles     attacked, 
217;    titles    to    homestead    locations 
quieted.     429;    redemption    of    land 
sold  under  forced  sale,   381;   specu- 
lation  in,   to  be  prohibited,   60,    235, 
348,   551,    566.   592;    vacant  lands   to 
be  taxed  higher  than  cultivated.  60, 
262,  271,  294,  296,  551,  566,  592,  627; 
quantity  cultivated  by  small  farmer 
to  be  subject  to  minimum  tax,  566, 
592,    627. 

Land,  school,  lands  appropriated,  167, 
168;  to  be  sold  to  actual  settlers 
only  200,  204,  213,  228,  230,  235,  246, 
255.  387,  399,  604;  to  be  protected 
in  interest  of  schools,  210,  222;  ac- 
tual settlement  required,  613;  pur- 
chasers to  be  exempt  from  taxation 
for  three  years,  326;  purchaser  to 
pay  tax  on  improvement  and 


amount  actually  paid  to  State,  381; 
trespassing  to  be  punished,  246; 
boundaries  to  be  fixed,  320;  lands 
to  be  leased,  216,  220,  222,  238; 
leasing  large  bodies,  denounced, 
228;  lease  opposed,  230,  246;  long 
term  leases  of  grazing  lands,  346; 
opposed,  399;  suits  involving  title 
to  school  land  to  be  tried  in  county 
where  land  is  located,  536. 

Land,  University,  sales  of,  160;  to 
actual  settlers  only,  213;  to  be 
leased,  238;  lease  of,  opposed,  -243. 

Land,  U.  S.  public,  to  be  leased  but 
not  monopolized,  603. 

Land  corporations  to  be  prohibited, 
610;  foreign  corporations  not  to 
lease  or  buy  public  lands,  239,  307; 
corporations  shall  sell  land  to  ac- 
tual settlers  in  small  parcels,  271, 
289,  296,  307,  319. 

Land  monopolies  to  be  prohibited, 
222,  289;  quantity  of  land  corpo- 
rations may  own,  to  be  limited  to 
quantity  actually  needed  in  their 
business,  222,  233,  296,  315,  325, 
333;  this  restriction  not  to  apply  in 
case  of  overflowed  and  irrigated 
lands,  319. 

Land  titles,  law  of  limitation,  to  be 
modified.  334;  use  and  occupancy 
to  constitute  sole  title,  551,  552, 
566. 

Land  office  building  to  be  made  fire- 
proof, 611. 

Landlord  and  tenant  bill,  157. 

Lawlessness,  deprecated,  140,  179, 
272;  suppression  of,  demanded,  196, 
203,  273,  340;  in  Wharton  county, 
252;  in  Fort  Bend  and  Washington 
counties,  272.  See  also  "Lynching" 
and  "Mob  law." 

Laws,  need  to  be  simplified,  60,  194; 
"fewer  and  better,"  demanded,  516, 
539;  to  be  codified,  580. 

League  to  enforce  peace,  indorsed, 
632. 

Legislature,  prolonged  its  own  term 
of  office,  126,  130;  members  unjust- 
ly expelled  or  denied  their  seats, 
126,  130;  minority  senators  arrest- 
ed, 130;  representation  unequal,  135, 
139;  short  sessions,  favored,  156; 
special  sessions,  opposed,  425,  440, 
534;  decrease  in  number  of  mem- 
bers and  increase  in  amount  of  pay 
favored,  522,  599;  legislative  inves- 
tigation of  primary  election  irregu- 
larities, opposed,  540. 

Libel  law,  fair  and  just  law,  demand- 
ed, 426,  430,  441,  456;  campaign  lies, 
580,  639. 

Liberty,  individual,  to  be  preserved, 
323,  334;  encroachment  upon,  308- 
310. 

License  tax,  in  lieu  of  an  occupation 
tax,  favored,  205. 

Liquor,  revenue  on  intoxicating 
liquors  to  be  repealed,  255,  298, 
299,  316,  501;  all  reference  to  sale 
of  intoxicating  liquor  to  be  stricken 
from  Democratic  platform,  587; 
treating,  to  be  prohibited,  587; 
government  dispensary,  demanded, 


694 


Subject  Index 


628.  See  also  "Army  canteen," 
"Bell  punch  law,"  "Cold  storage 
clubs,"  "Local  option,"  "Prohibition 
party,"  "S'aloons." 

Live  stock  sanitary  commission,  to 
be  liberally  supported,  613,  639. 

Lobbying  to  be  prohibited,  493. 

Local  option,  law  to  be  amended,  245, 
299;  to  be  strictly  enforced,  297, 
517;  law  indorsed,  316,  473,  483,  502, 
540;  to  be  fair  to  both  sides,  488, 
580;  not  a  final  solution  of  the 
liquor  problem,  531. 

Local  self-government,  restoration  of, 
in  the  South,  185;  threatened  by 
Force  bill,  318;  to  be  preserved, 
324,  334,  534. 

Louisiana  parishes,  annexation  of, 
162. 

Lynching,  condemned,  394,  441,  490; 
decrease  of,  490,  570. 

Madison's   report,    73,    78,    82. 
Marketing    of    agricultural,    horticul- 
tural and  live  stock  products,   337, 
612,    636. 
Martial    law,    law    conferring    power, 

abused,  132;  law  repealed,  159. 
Mechanic's   lien,   law   to   be   strength- 
ened,   236,    239,    275,    295,    297,    315, 
320,  344,  387. 
Merchant    marine    to    be    encouraged, 

584,  603,  621. 

Mexican  war,  immediate  causes  of, 
19,  47,  48;  prosecution,  19,  20,  47, 
48;  indemnity  demanded,  48. 
Mexicans  become  Democrats,  39. 
Mexico,  protectorate  for,  favored,  87; 
friendly  relations  to  be  cultivated, 
259,  524;  troubles  along  border,  162, 
175,  562,  583,  620;  inadequate  pro- 
tection for  Americans  in,  570,  572; 
interference  by  U.  S.  in  affairs  of 
Mexico,  opposed,  591;  landing  at 
Vera  Cruz,  598,  605;  Mexican  policy 
approved,  635. 

Militarism   condemned,   463,    622. 
Military    department   of   Texas   to   be 

restored,   408. 

Militia,  State,  liberal  support  for 
volunteer  guard,  recommended,  409; 
appropriation  for,  to  equal  Federal 
appropriation,  518. 

Mineral  land,  to  be  taken  over  by 
State,  593;  rights  of  State  to  be 
conserved,  604.  . 

Mining  law,  to  be  enacted,  266,  583. 
Missouri    Compromise    line,    48;    res- 
toration of,  opposed,  66. 
Mob   law,    to   be   put    down,    196,    393, 
394,    404,    408;    incited   by    defective 
laws,     380.       See    also    "Lynching," 
"Lawlessness." 
Monetary     convention,     international, 

favored,  360. 

Money,  gold  and  silver  preferred,  47, 
196,  210,  337,  340,  342,  354,  360;  gold 
and  silver  the  money  of  the  consti- 
tution, 355;  to  consist  of  coin  and 
treasury  notes,  all  full  legal  tender, 
271,  275,  307,  372;  currency  to  be 
based  on  coin,  178,  337;  bank  issues 
criticised,  47,  236,  270,  354;  substi- 


tutes, denounced,  226-227;  value 
shall  not  fluctuate,  348;  free  and 
unlimited  coinage  of  gold  and  silver 
at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1  advocated, 
333,  343,  348,  355,  372,  386,  402; 
question  to  be  submitted  to  a  ref- 
erendum at  primary  election,  356; 
referendum  denounced,  364-365,  370; 
free  silver  denounced,  350-352;  no 
longer  necessary,  464;  sound  money, 
favored,  346,  358,  406;  single  gold 
standard,  denounced,  348,  354,  396; 
defended,  351,  358,  368,  375;  in- 
dorsed, 392,  440;  large  increase  in 
volume  of  gold,  464;  pernicious 
legislation,  183-184,  188,  270;  ruin- 
ous legislation,  185,  270,  293,  354; 
reform  needed,  187,  295;  specie  pay- 
ment, resumption  of,  178,  191,  270; 
repeal  of  act  demanded,  180,  184, 
188;  act  to  be  followed,  191. 

Money,  public,  handling  of,  132; 
hoarding  in  the  treasury,  con- 
demned, 184,  207,  259,  270;  large 
contingent  funds  opposed,  383;  to  be 
spent  within  the  State  when  prac- 
ticable, 383,  403;  to  be  loaned  on 
real  estate  security,  257,  295;  lend- 
ing, opposed,  318;  depositories  for, 
demanded,  487;  appropriations  to 
be  itemized,  611,  635. 

Money  power,  overthrown,  47;  con- 
centrated, 354. 

Monopoly,  denounced,  188,  194,  210, 
219,  225,  244,  255,  274,  282,  288,  312, 
325,  332;  antimonopoly  convention, 
246. 

Monopolies,  syndicates  and  trusts, 
denounced,  281-282,  286,  506;  are 
rampant,  565. 

Monroe  doctrine,  indorsed,  59,  220, 
358,  402,417;  acquisition  of  Hawaii, 
in  harmony  with,  407;  broadened, 
621. 

Morrison  bill  indorsed,  219. 

Mortgages,  chattel,  increase  of,  270, 
294. 

Municipal  corporations,  to  be  granted 
jurisdiction  in  criminal  matters, 
407;  home  rule  for,  485;  to  be 
granted  larger  powers,  572;  to  have 
power  to  regulate  saloons,  580;  to 
be  authorized  to  engage  in  com- 
mercial business,  595;  anticipation 
warrants,  condemned,  640. 

National  defense,   622,  632. 

National  parks,  scored,   294. 

Natural  resources,  monopolized,  565; 
conservation  of,  583,  603;  develop- 
ment of,  637. 

Naturalization,  21  years'  residence  to 
be  prerequisite,  70;  ten  years'  resi- 
dence, 285,  307,  335,  378;  no  unrea- 
sonable impediments  tolerated,  116, 
125,  161. 

Navy,  development  of,  favored,  402, 
417;  increase  of,  favored,  406;  large 
appropriation  for,  opposed,  496. 

Nebraska  Democratic  platform,  quot- 
ed, 506,  508. 

Negro  suffrage,  opposed,  98,  106,  110; 
political  equality  of,  98,  572;  given 


Subject  Index 


695 


right  to  vote,  100;  results  of  first 
election,  107;  efforts  to  deprive  of 
right  to  vote,  deplored,  435. 

Negroes,  convention  of,  148. 

Negroes,  many  murdered,  119;  urged 
to  acquire  homes,  150;  not  to  con- 
found civil  rights  with  social  privi- 
leges, 149;  protection  of  person  and 
property,  106,  110.  125;  improve- 
ment of  conditions  of,  urged,  361. 

Nepotism,  Democrats  charged  with. 
327,  476;  opposition  to,  450,  467,  489, 
494. 

Newspapers,  administration  organs, 
126.  131. 

Nicaragua  canal,  construction  and 
operation  by  U.  S.,  favored,  333, 
346,  361,  397.  402,  406,  413,  417,  428. 

Nomination  of  candidates  for  office, 
Democratic,  first  made  by  conven- 
tion in  1856,  40;  made  by  majority, 
67.  580,  611; -candidates  for  city  and 
county  offices  to  be  made  by  non- 
partisan  conventions.  600;  judges 
to  be  nominated  by  nonpartisan 
conventions,  599. 

Nonintervention  policy  of  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  act,  indorsed,  66,  67,  70; 
policy  endangered  by  Northern 
Democrats,  76;  Dred  Stott  decision, 
79. 

Nonpartisan  convention,   260,   263. 

Normal  schools,  establishment  fa- 
vored, 210;  liberal  support  of,  fa- 
vored, 534.  See  also  "University  of 
Texas,  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
College,"  etc. 

Occupations,  unhealthful,  women  and 
children  to  be  excluded  from,  419. 

Office  holders  dominate  Republican 
party,  charged,  304. 

Officers,  p*ublic,  qualifications,  45,  153, 
157,  205;  no  long  period  of  resi- 
dence to  be  required,  116;  appointed, 
126.  131;  law  repealed,  159;  ap- 
pointment and  removal  by  Gov- 
ernor, discountenanced,  126,  205; 
direct  election  by  the  people,  de- 
manded, except  members  of  the 
cabinet  and  diplomatic  corps,  59, 
300;  to  be  elected  without  reference 
to  residence,  59,  627;  corruption 
and  peculation,  condemned,  142,  161; 
not  to  serve  corporations,  508,  509, 
536,  561;  recall  of,  by  majority 
vote,  demanded,  59,  485,  528,  531, 
567,  594,  600;  certain  members  of 
corporations  and  corporation  law- 
yers to  be  ineligible,  316;  all  offi- 
cers, except  judges,  to  be  ineligible 
for  reelection,  613;  rotation  in  office 
favored,  262,  288;  term  to  be  limit- 
ed, 288,  319,  343,  381,  603;  third 
term,  opposed,  262;  four  year  term 
favored,  569,  613;  to  invite  close 
scrutiny  of  their  acts,  510. 

Oil  industry,  harbor  required  in  east- 
ern Texas  for,  456;  to  be  protected, 
522;  charges  of  pipe  line  companies 
to  be  regulated,  522. 

Orange  Free  State,   sympathy  for,  in 


its    struggle    to    maintain    its    inde- 
pendence, 415. 

Orphans'  home,  proper  support,  fa- 
vored, 344. 

Panama  canal,  491,  506;  zone  fairly 
acquired,  598;  repeal  of  toll  exemp- 
tion, deplored,  598. 

Pan-America,  union  to  be  cultivated, 
621. 

Party  loyalty,  118,  121,  162,  175; 
pledge  demanded  of  nominees.  67. 

Passes,  free,  issuance  to  public  offi- 
cers, to  be  prohibited,  382;  public 
officers,  except  sheriffs  and  consta- 
bles, to  be  removed  from  office  for 
using,  399,  430;  issuance  of,  to  be 
prohibited  by  law,  404,  431,  450,  468, 
473,  493,  508;  constitutional  amend- 
ment, demanded,  518;  use  of,  to  be 
permitted  to.  agricultural  and  com- 
mercial agents,  570. 

Patent  rights,  protection  of  purchas- 
ers, 194. 

Penitentiary  system,  a  disgrace  to 
the  State,  295;  farms  to  be  pur- 
chased, 387;  management  to  be 
divorced  from  politics,  535;  six-year 
terms  for  managers,  578;  expense 
of,  to  be  reduced,  581-582;  to  be 
made  self-sustaining,  611,  638. 

Pensions,  Texas  veterans,  162,  201; 
Federal  soldiers,  373,  392;  Confed- 
erate soldiers,  408;  old  age,  485, 
593,  628;  mothers',  628. 

Peonage,  490. 

People's  party,  vagaries  of,  374;  offer 
to  divide  presidential  electoral 
ticket  with  Democrats,  384;  "Middle- 
of  the  readers, "  396,  414,  423. 

Peoples'  party  State  conventions,  for 
a  chronological  list,  1891-1908,  see 
"Table  of  Contents." 

Perpetuities,  denounced,  288,  325;  to 
be  defined,  319. 

Pharmacists,  State  examinations  for, 
61. 

Philippines,  retention  of,  opposed, 
402,  404;  annexation  of,  favored, 
412;  to  be  dealt  with  same  as  Cuba, 
417,  506;  protection  of,  to  be  guar- 
anteed by  U.  &.,  417. 

Physicians,  State  examinations  for, 
61. 

Pierce's  administration,  indorsed,  57, 
67.  , 

Platform,  pledge  binding,  450,  475, 
476,  561;  carried  out,  507,  521,  608, 
620,  635;  instructions  of  the  people 
to  be  obeyed,  507,  537,  561;  pro- 
posed that  senators  and  represent- 
atives be  bound  by  instructions  of 
their  districts,  523;  rejected,  526; 
platform  not  to  demand  specific 
legislation  unless  such  legislation 
be  requested  by  a  majority  in  a 
referendum,  639. 

Police,  State,  denounced,  125-126,  131- 
132,  134,  164;  law  repealed,  159. 

Political  disabilities,  removal  of, 
asked,  156. 

Political  parties  during  the  Republic, 
11-17;  ring  rule,  381;  conventions 


696 


Subject  Index 


of,  to  have  advisory  powers  only, 
594. 

"Political  peace  and  legislative  rest," 
535. 

Political  societies,  secret,  denounced, 
64,  65,  67,  241,  324,  457;  S'ecret  Le- 
gion of  Kansas,  denounced,  67. 

Folk's  administration,  indorsed,  47. 

Poll  tax  law,  denounced,  200,  214;  re- 
peal of,  demanded,  485,  528,  567, 
594,  627. 

Poll  taxes  paid  (1908-1916),  number, 
651. 

Polygamy  to  be  extirpated,  480. 

Pools  and  trusts  condemned,  259,  267. 

Pooling  freight  to  be  prohibited,   236. 

Populist  party.     See  People's  party. 

Postmasters,  election  of,  demanded, 
59,  261,  271,  349. 

Prairie  View  Normal  School,  to  be 
enlarged  and  developed  into  a  uni- 
versity, 388,  393;  to  be  liberally 
supported,  430,  448. 

President  of  the  U.  S.,  direct  election 
of,  demanded,  59,  257,  261,  271,  294, 
296,  307,  313,  348,  378,  480;  not  to 
be  eligible  for  second  term,  298; 
not  to  send  troops  into  a  State  ex- 
cept upon  request,  373;  vote  for, 
1848-1916,  648-650. 

Presidential  primary,  demanded,  560; 
campaign  contributions  to  be  con- 
trolled, 621. 

Press,  liberty  of,  97,  102,  567. 

Printing,  public,  reform  asked,  156; 
to  be  done  within  the  State,  383, 
403. 

Privilege  vs.  the  people,  559. 

Produce  tax,  repeal  of,  demanded, 
180,  185,  188. 

Progressive  party,  a  white  man's 
party,  598;  State  conventions  (1912- 
1916),  570,  597,  614;  invited  to  re- 
turn to  Republican  party,  605. 

Prohibition,  State,  evils  of,  enumerat- 
ed, 250-251;  arguments  for,  543-546; 
arguments  against,  547-550;  list  of 
prominent  antiprohibitionists,  549; 
sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  to  be 
prohibited,  194,  316;  legislature 
refused  to  submit  constitutional 
amendment,  207,  245,  532;  it  should 
do  so,  243;  amendment  submitted, 
247|  question  ought  not  to  be  agi- 
tated, 259;  submission,  demanded, 
502,  512.  520,  523,  530,  534,  634,  642; 
opposed,  517,  524-526,  540,  623,  624; 
vote  on,  543,  608,  652;  ought  to  be 
submitted  at  special  election,  604, 
633;  not  a  tenet  of  Democratic 
faith,  523,  622;  national  prohibition 
necessary,  286;  opposition  to,  613 
618,  620;  vote  on,  652. 

Prohibition  S*tate  conventions,  for  a 
chronological  list  of,  1884-1916,  see 
"Table  of  Contents." 

Property  rights,  war  upon,  324;  must 
be  protected,  325,  341. 

Public  buildings,  contracts  for  con- 
struction of,  to  be  advertised  be- 
fore award  is  made,  383. 

Public  utilities,  cities  and  towns  to 
have  the  regulation  of  charges  for 


gas,  electric  light,  and  water,  468; 
strict  control  or  government  owner- 
ship, 482. 

Puerto  Rico,  acquisition  of,  favored, 
40*2,  406.  412;  opposed,  404;  terri- 
torial government  for,  417. 

Purchasing  agent,   State,   429. 

Quarantine,  for  control  of  contagious 
diseases,  431;  regulation  to  be 
turned  over  to  Federal  government, 
518;  such  transfer  opposed,  639. 

Race  equality,  doctrine  of,  denounced, 
83,  91. 

Radicals,   94,   95,   98,   99,   100,   102,   108. 

Railroad,  State,  to  be  extended,  529; 
to  be  built  from  Red  River  to  the 
Gulf,  398;  convicts  to  be  employed 
in  constructing,  454. 

Railroad  commission,  amendment  to 
create,  indorsed,  265,  278,  279,  282, 
288;  refusal  to  indorse,  289;  amend- 
ment opposed,  289;  commission  in- 
dorsed but  commissioners  to  be 
elected,  301,  315,  319,  321,  324,  334; 
reduced  freight  rates,  386;  indorsed, 
403;  criticised,  398,  407;  to  be  abol- 
ished, 425;  to  be  removed  from 
party  politics,  440;  Shreveport  rate 
case  decision^  641. 

Railroads,  transcontinental,  54;  con- 
struction of,  to  be  encouraged,  156, 
161,  213;  land  grants  to,  favored, 
161;  money  subsidies,  favored,  136, 
137,  142,  opposed,  161,  164;  pro- 
vision of  the  constitution  of  1875, 
169;  strict  regulation  of,  demanded, 
189,  210,  236,  270,  274,  278,  279,  282, 
292,  328;  to  maintain  offices  within 
the  State,  239;  competing  lines  not 
to  consolidate,  239;  property  rights 
to  be  protected,  383;  basis  employed 
for  declaring  dividends  *  to  form 
basis  of  taxation,  236;  valuation 
fixed  by  Railroad  Commission  to 
form  basis  for  taxation,  569;  relief 
granted  to  railroads  to  the  injury 
of  the  public,  294;  discrimination 
between  shippers  to  cease,  388; 
giving  rebates,  to  be  prohibited, 
189,  236,  508;  to  be  made  a  felony, 
429;  conductors  not  to  collect  higher 
fares  from  passengers  who  fail  to 
purchase  tickets,  382;  employes  to 
be  paid  promptly  in  legal  money, 
377;  separate  coaches  for  white  and 
negro,  289;  double-headers,  to  be 
prohibited,  426,  430,  454;  full  crew 
bill,  opposed,  591. 

Ranger  force,  to  be  disbanded,  229; 
not  to  influence  elections,  457;  to 
be  liberally  supported,  639. 

Reciprocity,  recommended  as  a  fea- 
ture of  commercial  treaties,  291, 
302,  305,  337,  346,  360,  392,  487. 

Reconstruction,  96,  97,  98,  99,  100, 
101,  103,  106,  107,  110,  121,  122;  re- 
construction acts,  99,  100,  101,  103, 
104,  113,  116,  120;  President's  plan, 
99;  military  government  denounced, 
110,  123,  162;  preferable  to  Radical 
misrule,  123. 


Subject  Index 


697 


Redistricting,  demanded,  judicial,  382, 
386;  representative,  382;  congres- 
sional and  senatorial,  613;  gerry- 
mandering, 207. 

Religious  toleration,  66,  70,  71,  200, 
308;  religious  oath  to  be  abrogated, 
61. 

Rent,  amount  of,  on  farm  land  to  be 
fixed,  608. 

Renters'  union  convention,  551,  591. 

Representation,  minority,  to  be  rep- 
resented, 482;  proportional  favored, 
334,  485,  627;  basis  of,  in  conven- 
tion, 76,  124,  141,  143,  154,  157. 

Republican  league,  302,  336. 

Republican  party,  preserved  the  Union, 
101;  its  history  in  Texas,  304;  State 
administration  charged  with  mis- 
rule, 125-127,  129-140,  164,  208;  Fed- 
eral administration  criticised,  145, 
146.  148,  505;  reduction  of  the 
State's  representation  in  the  na- 
tional convention,  605;  State  con- 
ventions, for  a  chronological  list, 
1867-1916,  see  "Table  of  Contents." 

Republican  states,  recognition  and 
aid,  by  U.  S.,  59. 

Republicans,   Liberal,   145,   146,    147. 

Republicans,  "Reform"  or  "Lily 
White,"  302,  326,  336,  360,  393,  458. 

Republicans,  "Regular"  or  "Black 
and  Tan,"  302,  326,  336,  345,  357, 
360,  392,  460. 

Republicans,   "Reorganized,"  488. 

Republicans,  "Straight-Out,"  232. 

Repudiation  of  debt,  denounced,  113, 
150-151,  153,  156,  161,  205;  of  debt 
incurred  by  States  of  the  C.  S.  A., 
demanded,  97,  109. 

Rest  days,  one  and  one-half  days 
each  week,  demanded,  594. 

Rice  industry,  to  be  fostered,  449. 

Riparian  rights  to  be  guarded,  449, 
583. 

Rivers,  to  be  made  navigable,  343, 
347,  383,  393,  490,  496,  523,  603,  640; 
Trinity,  347,  426;  Brazos,  426,  512; 
Colorado,  431;  Buffalo  Bayou,  440; 
to  be  straightened  and  leveed,  592. 

Roads,  public,  improvement  urged, 
233,  325,  329,  448,  460,  476,  490,  495, 
531,  540,  569,  583,  604;  road  tax 
abolished,  167;  amendment  author- 
izing, favored,  283;  special  tax  fa- 
vored, 214,  338;  road  law  denounced, 
200,  228,  243;  repeal  demanded,  214; 
convicts  to  work  roads,  283,  540; 
road  convention,  280;  road  bonds  to 
be  voted  by  simple  majority,  575; 
Federal  highway  from  Ft.  Sam 
Houston  to  Ft.  Mclntosh,  recom- 
mended, 585.  See  also  "Convicts," 
"Highway  Commission." 

Rural  credit  to  be  provided,  60,  604, 
»21,  626. 

Salaries,  high,  164,  189;  reduction  of, 
200,  298;  to  replace  fees,  189,  200; 
county  officers'  salaries,  315,  333, 
383.  See  also  "Fees  of  office." 

Saloons,  early  closing  advocated,  580, 
587;  cities  to  be  empowered  to  fix 
earlier  hours  of  closing,  580;  to  be 


kept  out  of  residence  districts,  580; 
occupation  tax  to  be  increased,  587. 
S*ee  also  "Liquor." 

Sand  and  shell,  to  be  conserved,   613. 

Scholastic  age,  6  to  18  years.  214,  333; 
6  to  20  years,  315;  5  to  18  years, 
382;  6  to  21  years,  425;  7  to  21 
years,  454;  districts  levying  a  local 
tax  to  have  right  to  extend,  579. 

School  fund,  payments  made  in  Con- 
federate money,  to  be  declared  null, 
115;  fund  squandered,  146,  160,  207, 
217,  380;  amount  of,  168;  debts  due 
to,  to  be  collected,  210,  429;  hoard- 
ed in  treasury,  295,  388;  loan  to 
counties,  opposed,  217;  loaned  to 
penitentiary,  387;  to  be  loaned  to 
individuals  on  real  estate  security, 
297;  safe  investment  of,  demanded, 
399,  610;  investment  in  railroad 
bonds,  opposed,  325;  in  county 
bonds,  388;  Jester  amendment,  op- 
posed, 325;  denounced,  346,  398,  425; 
repeal  demanded,  399;  403;  repeal 
opposed,  408. 

School,  public  free,  demanded,  61,  116, 
153,  155,  160,  181,  183,  189,  196,  261; 
establishment  of,  promised,  101, 
142,  147,  175;  provisions  of  the  con- 
stitution of  1875,  168;  criticised, 
177,  179,  193;  support  to  constitu- 
tional limit,  demanded,  200,  203, 
204,  216,  222.  243,  255;  improvement 
demanded,  298,  308,  315,  333,  490, 
521;  term  of  at  least  6  months  to 
be  maintained,  289,  292,  296  315 
320,  333,  340,  344,  382,  388,  394,  425, 
437,  495;  8  months  term,  212,  488; 
9  months  term,  321,  575,  638;  10 
months  term,  213;  shortening  of 
school  term  criticised,  380,  398;  re- 
duction of  per  capita  appropriation, 
denounced,  346;  reply/  386;  compul- 
sory attendance,  61,  155,  159,  394 
488,  490,  567,  575,  596,  604,  610,  627; 
religious  instruction,  to  be  prohib- 
ited, 61;  physiological  effect  of 
alcohol,  to  be  taught,  286,  296; 
agriculture,  to  be  taught,  194,  212; 
instruction  to  be  practical,  473; 
rural  schools  to  equal  city  schools, 
487;  special  support  for,  637;  rural 
high  schools  to  be  established,  534, 
605,  610;  free  night  school  for 
adults,  567;  free  books,  medical  at- 
tendance, and  food  for  needy  chil- 
dren, 596;  efficient  county  super- 
vision, favored,  578;  separate  schools 
for  white  and  negro,  123,  210,  238; 
colored  teachers  for  negro  schools, 
333,  347,  382,  388;  colored  trustees 
to  take  census  of  negro  children, 
399;  negro  teachers  to  serve  on 
examining  boards,  329;  Blair  bill, 
indorsed,  233,  243;  Federal  aid  to 
schools  a  dangerous  encroachment 
on  State's  rights,  219,  238,  288,  318. 

School  taxes,  amendment  to  constitu- 
tion authorizing  levy  of,  indorsed, 
210,  213,  517;  levy  by  districts,  610, 
638;  levy  by  counties,  495,  578,  610. 

School  textbooks,  uniform,  demanded 
283,  292,  296,  315,  333,  377;  bill,' 


698 


Subject  Index 


indorsed,  403;  law  to  be  reenacted, 
448,  494,  638;  law  denounced,  517; 
540;  sale  at  cost,  demanded,  315, 
399,  425;  free,  demanded,  295,  296, 
377,  529,  567,  575,  596,  604,  627;  dis- 
tricts levying  a  tax,  to  be  author- 
ized to  issue  free  textbooks,  579, 
610;  textbooks  to  be  printed  in  the 
State,  610,  638. 

Schools,  sectarian,  not  to  receive  State 
aid,  336. 

Secession,  opposed,  51,  87;  right  of, 
asserted,  82-83;  Secession  conven- 
tion, 88;  causes  of,  89-92;  null  and 
void  ab  initio,  97,  108,  115;  right  of, 
abandoned.  109. 

Seamen,  involuntary  service  of,  to  be 
prevented,  603. 

Sectionalism,  deplored,  86,   90. 

Senate  (State),  to  be  abolished,  275, 
294,  567,  594,  627;  (U.  SO,  to  be 
abolished,  275,  294. 

Senators,  U.  S1.,  direct  election  of, 
demanded,  59,  257,  261,  284,  294, 
296,  307.  349,  374,  388,  417,  428,  447, 
474,  480,  506,  560. 

Sheep  industry,  ruin  threatened  by 
free  trade,  252;  protection  of,  346, 
583. 

Sheriffs,  appoint  too  many  deputies, 
425,  426. 

Ship  subsidy,  favored,   291. 

Ships,   free,   favored,   210. 

Silver,  remonetization  of,  demanded, 
180,  188,  202,  343,  354,  355;  demone- 
tization of,  denounced,  348,  354,  355; 
free  coinage  of,  184,  202,  284,  294; 
free  and  unlimited  coinage  of,  261, 
271,  288,  295,  300,  312,  319;  to  be 
legal  tender,  184,  284.  See  also 
"Money." 

Single    tax,    275,    299;    indorsed,    348, 

529,  552,   566. 

Slavery,  negro,  position  of  Democrats, 
48,  49;  of  Germans,  60;  compromise 
measures  of  1850,  50,  53;  in  the 
territories,  66,  70.  79,  82,  90;  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  66,  70;  proper 
relation  between  whites  and  ne- 
groes, 83;  abolition  of,  accepted, 
109,  125. 

S'ocial  Democratic  State  convention, 
418. 

Social  evil,  legal  sanction  of,  to  be 
withdrawn,  480. 

Socialism,  State,  condemned,  324,  328; 
advocated,  418,  421. 

Socialist  State  conventions  (1900- 
1916),  442,  470,  483,  513,  527,  564, 
590,  625. 

Socialist  Labor  State  convention,  420, 

530,  588;   State  ticket,  410,  446,  481, 
497,  527. 

Southern  convention,  delegates  to,  76, 
83. 

Spain,  attacks  by,  resented,  62. 

Spanish-American  war,  waged  for 
humanity  and  not  for  conquest, 
397;  war  tax  denounced,  402;  in- 
dorsed, 406;  soldiers  and  sailors 
praised,  402,  406,  413;  peace  terms 
approved,  406,  412;  appointments 


of  officers  made  without  partisan- 
ship, 407. 

Speech,  liberty  of,  97,  102,  106,  135, 
196,  567. 

Squatter    sovereignty,    denounced,    81. 

State  government,  extravagance 
charged,  87.  136-139,  166-171,  178, 
199,  294,  372,  380,  382,  398,  463,  473, 
505,  575;  retrenchment  in  public  ex- 
penditures, demanded,  194,  199,  203, 
301,  312,  325,  368,  372;  many  use- 
less offices,  164,  189,  196,  199,  325, 
372,  380,  467,  473,  476,  516;  books 
and  accounts  of  departments  to  be 
examined  by  expert  examiners,  476; 
powers  of,  encroached  upon  by  Fed- 
eral government,  505. 

State  investigating  committee,  report 
of,  457. 

Slate's  revenue,  deficiency  in,  to  be 
avoided,  467;  increase  in  amount 
of,  473,  489,  575;  denounced,  403. 

Slate's  rights,  defined,  46,  51;  touch- 
ing slavery,  48;  insisted  upon,  66, 
69,  311,  318.  339,  343;  rights  of 
Texas  in  the  Union,  82-83;  invaded 
by  Northern  States,  90. 

Stock  and  bond  law,  demanded,  319; 
condemned,  575;  amendments,  fa- 
vored, 582;  opposed,  587;  issuance 
and  sales  of,  to  be  regulated,  581; 
improvement  bonds,  582. 

Strikes,  deprecated,  188,  324,  328,  341; 
to  be  settled  by  arbitration,  243; 
railroads  to  operate  regardless  of, 
299;  interference  by  President  of 
U.  S.,  indorsed,  340,  346;  regretted, 
343;  denounced,  349;  a  legitimate 
weapon,  349;  strike  breaking,  450. 

Subsidies  of  money,  opposed,  146,  318. 

Suffrage,  right  of,  not  to  be  granted 
to  unnaturalized  foreigners,  70;  a 
liberal  policy  to  govern  the  grant- 
ing, 116;  to  be  regulated  by  States, 
110,  123,  125,  311;  to  be  regulated 
by  Federal  government,  113,  118; 
clause  in  constitution*  of  1869,  reg- 
ulating suffrage,  to  be  voted  on 
separately,  119;  provisions  of  the 
constitution  of  1875,  167;  universal 
manhood  suffrage,  181,  200,  291; 
educational  qualification,  opposed, 
540,  567;  favored,  285,  601;  property 
qualification,  opposed,  399,  567,  594. 

Sumptuary  laws,  opposed,  153,  161, 
204,  233,  250,  323,  328,  368,  457. 

S'unday  law,  repeal  of  demanded,  61, 
153;  indorsed,  194,  501;  denounced, 
196,  308;  modification  of,  demand- 
ed, 200. 

Tariff,   existing  law  approved,  46,   47; 

-  for  revenue  only,  184,  188,  210,  219, 
284,  288.  312,  368,  372,  386,  402,  463, 
559,  562;  protective,  wrong  in  prin- 
ciple, 333;  repeal  of,  demanded,  180, 
210,  219,  259,  312;  indorsed,  216,  233, 
252,  291,  305,  346,  358,  392,  487,  555, 
632;  on  wool,  hides,  and  other  Texas 
products,  272,  337,  358,  361;  on  lux- 
uries, 47;  reduction  of,  301;  revision 
demanded,  506,  559;  Mills  bill,  in- 
dorsed, 259,  266;  Gorman-Wilson 


Subject  Index 


699 


bill,  denounced,  358;  DIngley  bill, 
denounced,  402,  463;  Payne  bill,  556. 
See  also  "Free  raw  material." 

Tariff  commission,  nonpartisan,  598, 
602,  632. 

Tax,  ad  valorem,  only  just  tax,  193, 
213,  228,  243;  franchise,  467,  495, 
516,  627;  on  gross  receipts  and  in- 
tangible assets  of  corporations,  467, 
495,  516,  627;  occupation,  repeal  of, 
demanded,  179,  188,  193,  196,  199, 
205,  214,  233,  243,  399,  468,  474,  476, 
495;  repeal  opposed,  426;  to  be  re- 
placed by  license  tax,  205. 

Tax  assessors  and  collectors,  election 
of,  demanded,  59. 

Tax  commission,  S'tate,  creation  of, 
demanded,  403. 

Taxpayers'  convention,  128. 

Taxation,  to  be  equal  and  for  revenue 
only,  46,  60,  150,  156,  214,  219,  258; 
to  be  reduced  to  minimum,  143, 
189;  heavy,  164,  199,  380;  rate  in 
1871,  137;  rate  reduced,  386;  Sayers 
bill,  denounced,  437;  burden  distrib- 
uted unequally,  294 ;  to  be  equalized 
and  prompt  payment  enforced,  429; 
collected  under  repealed  laws,  133, 
139;  collection  laws,  denounced, 
200;  full  rendition,  demanded,  467, 
468,  495;  full  rendition  law,  de- 
nounced, 516,  539;  bona  fide  indebted- 
ness to  be  deducted  from  property 
rendition,  336,  426;  double  taxation, 
opposed,  381;  land  and  improve- 
ment to  be  assessed  separately, 
334;  home  rule,  377;  exemptions  to 
be  increased,  381;  homestead  to  be 
exempt,  592;  farming  implements 
and  mechanics'  tools  to  be  exempt, 
233;  notes  and  securities  to  be 
taxed,  381,  426.  See  also  "Single 
tax." 

Teachers,  State  examinations  for,  61; 
higher  salaries,  596,  638. 

Telegraph  and  telephone  companies 
to  transmit  each  other's  messages, 
494;  earnings  of  Western  Union, 
270,  274. 

Temperance,  law,  repeal  demanded, 
60,  153;  restriction  bill,  demanded, 
245;  cause  hurt  by  prohibition,  250; 
poverty  a  cause  for  intemperance, 
596. 

Tenantry,  increase  of,  268,  551,  562; 
large  proportion  of  population  ten- 
ants, 442,  626;  evils  of,  561,  562; 
tool;--,  teams  and  implements  of,  to 
be  exempt  from  taxation,  529,  566; 
State  to  rent  land  at  nominal  rates, 
566. 

Terrell  election  law,  indorsed,  467; 
amendment,  demanded,  473,  494, 
512,  531,  580;  criticised,  477,  480, 
492,  575;  denounced,  487,  517,  540, 
633;  too  complex,  528.  See  also 
"Election,  primary." 

Texas,  division  of,  48,108;  denounced, 
111;  development  of  West  Texas, 
240. 

Texas  and  Pacific  railroad,  land  do- 
nation, 217. 

Thanksgiving  day,   abrogation  of,    61. 


Thurber  coal  mines  and  miners,  in- 
vestigation of,  demanded,  377. 

Tidewater,  rights  of  public  and  pri- 
vate persons  at  tidewater,  to  be 
defined,  613. 

Timber,  thefts  of  from  public  lands 
to  be  investigation,  592;  lands  to 
be  taken  over  by  State,  593. 

Trade  commission,  Federal,  indorsed, 
603. 

Trades  unions,  not  to  coerce  laborers, 
341;  incorporation  of,  to  be  permit- 
ted, 235,  246,  561,  594;  demand  eight- 
hour  day,  273;  necessary  to  combat 
organized  capital,  349,  420,  474,  485; 
must  participate  in  politics,  444; 
legislature  to  give  heed  to  demands 
of,  609,  637. 

Transvaal,  sympathy  for,  in  its  strug- 
gle to  maintain  its  independence, 
415,  417. 

Treasury  funds  to  be  deposited  fairly 
throughout  the  country,  506. 

Trusts,  dealing  in  the  necessaries  of 
life,  to  be  prohibited,  271,  288,  636. 

Trusts,  pools  and  combinations  in  re- 
straint of  trade,  to  be  suppressed, 
344,  346,  417,  440,  448,  449,  463,  473, 
490,  496,  560,  608,  636;  attempt  to 
destroy,  nonsensical,  444. 

Tuberculosis  sanitarium,  541. 

Two-thirds  rule,  adopted  at  Demo- 
cratic State  convention,  41;  re- 
tained, 72.  75,  78,  144,  157,  182,  220; 
rejected,  217,  338,  384;  urged  upon 
national  convention,  84,  198. 

Union,  fidelity  to,  defined,  45,  46. 

Union  labor  conventions,  262,  348,  376. 

Universities,  maintenance  'of,  with 
free  tuition,  demanded,  61. 

University  of  Texas,  organization 
and  maintenance,  demanded,  203; 
endowment  with  public  land,  fa- 
vored, 210;  debts  due  to,  to  be  paid, 
210;  endowment  to  be  carefully 
husbanded,  213;  early  completion 
urged,  233;  to  be  removed  from 
political  influences,  238;  its  branches 
to  be  endowed  and  maintained,  289, 

320,  340;    efficient    maintenance    of, 

321,  344,  388;  liberal  appropriations 
recommended,     403,     430,     448,     495, 
534;  board  of  regents  to  be  removed 
from  partisan  politics,  429-430,  449, 
578;  six-year  terms  for,  578;  avail- 
able funds  to  be  used  for  buildings 
and  grounds,   449;    inhibition   to   be 
removed   against   making1  appropri- 
ations  out   of   the   general    revenue 
for  buildings,   578. 

University  of  Texas,  colored  branch, 
establishment  of,  urged,  233,  329, 
346.  See  also  "Prairie  View  Nor- 
mal S'chool." 

University  of  Texas,  medical  college, 
building  to  be  erected,  579. 

University  of  Texas  and  A.  &  M.  Col- 
lege, separation  favored,  535,  578, 
599,  604;  division  of  permanent 
fund,  578;  differences  to  be  adjust- 
ed, 611. 

University  of  Texas,  A.  &  M.  College, 


700 


Subject  Index 


College  of  Industrial  Arts,  and 
State  normal  schools,  liberal  and 
independent  income,  demanded,  535, 
578,  610,  638;  six-year  terms  for 
boards  of,  578;  permanent,  fireproof 
buildings,  610;  summer  sessions, 
610,  638;  tuition  and  board  to  be 
free,  628;  appropriations  to  be  item- 
ized, 611,  638. 

Usury  law  (Federal),  demanded,  257, 
261;  (State),  demanded,  476,  627;  is 
robbery,  270. 

Vacancies,  failure  to  fill,  130. 

Vagrant  law,  not  to  apply  to  unem- 
ployed, 334,  349,  5947 

Virginia  and  Kentucky  resolutions, 
51,  73,  78,  82. 

Vital  statistics,  to  be  collected,  431. 

Vote  for  governor  (1846-1916),  644- 
648;  for  governor  in  Democratic 
primaries  (1906-1916),  651-652;  for 
president  (1848-1916),  648-650;  for 
prohibition,  652. 

Voters,  registration  of,  94,  100;  lists 
revised,  105;  fear  of  coercion,  118. 

Voting,  absentee,  favored,  594,  627. 

Wages,    enforced    collection    of,    400; 

to  be  protected,  477. 
Warehouses,     needed,     294;     State    to 

lend     money     on      farm     products 


stored  in  bonded  warehouses,  567; 
comprehensive  system  of,  to  be 
established,  579,  604,  608;  law  to 
be  revised,  636. 

Washington's   farewell  address,   52. 

Waters-Pierce  Oil  Company,  427,  437, 
499,  509. 

Water  power,  to  be  conserved  and 
developed,  604. 

Waterways,  inland,  to  be  improved, 
341,  383,  388,  428,  447,  464,  477,  506, 
518,  523. 

Whig  party,  on  annexation,  15-17,  19; 
on  Mexican  war,  19-21. 

Whitecapism,  denounced,  404;  de- 
creasing, 490. 

White  man's  government,  83,  92,  105. 

Wife,  abandonment  of,  584. 

Willacy  bill,  denounced,  480. 

Women  in  public  service  to  receive 
same  salary  as  men  for  same  work, 
610,  637. 

W.  O.  T.  TL,   285. 

Woman  suffrage,  263,  286,  485,  528, 
567,  570,  594,  601,  627;  by  amend- 
ment to  Federal  constitution,  op- 
posed, 613,  620. 

World's  Fair  commission,  indorsed, 
449,  469;  exhibit  to  be  preserved, 
469. 

"Young  Democracy,"   202,   220. 


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